Chris De Cuyper, Co-founder & Managing Director of Fremantle Seaweed.
Photo: Fremantle Seaweed
Western Australia is set to get its first commercial-scale Asparagopsis seaweed hatchery and processing facility, after Fremantle Seaweed secured a waterfront site in the port city of Fremantle near Perth, with support from a state government grant worth AUS $4m (EUR 2.46m / USD 2.89m).
Fremantle Seaweed says the site will allow it to manage the full production cycle for the native red seaweed, from propagation and seeding to processing. According to company modelling, the facility could meet more than 20% of national demand for Asparagopsis, a red seaweed used in cattle feed that has been shown by Australia's national science agency CSIRO to cut methane emissions from cattle by more than 80%.
The hatchery will be used to supply seeded material for Fremantle Seaweed's 32-hectare pilot seaweed farm at Debral Nara in Cockburn Sound, as well as a proposed 160-hectare marine lease. Together, these two ocean leases could produce up to 576 tonnes a year of Fremantle Seaweed’s feed supplement, "Reef4Beef", the company said.
Fremantle Seaweed claims that level of initial production could reduce methane from about 25,059 cattle each year and avoid an estimated 56,109 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent emissions annually.
The business also says the facility could help reduce reliance on interstate supply and support lower-emissions livestock production in WA, where the beef industry is valued at about AUS $1bn.
Fremantle Seaweed also described the Mews Road site as a potential hub for the state’s emerging blue economy, with other marine-focused businesses reportedly considering co-location. The acquisition of the waterfront property in Fremantle was supported by Ironstate Capital Partners, a Western Australian private credit firm.
“The challenge for the livestock industry has not been proving that Asparagopsis works, but producing it at a scale and consistency that operators can rely on,” said Chris De Cuyper, co-founder and managing director of Fremantle Seaweed, announcing the news. “This facility establishes that capability within Western Australia, giving producers access to a dependable supply that can be integrated into existing feeding systems.”
“It also creates a pathway for broader industry adoption, which is critical if methane reduction is to be achieved across the state’s cattle sector,” he added, describing the new facility as "a beacon of hope as we face the great challenge of our time. Climate change.”
Alex Baker, chief executive of CSIRO's FutureFeed, which holds global IP for the use of Asparagopsis seaweed as a livestock feed ingredient, said “Demand for Asparagopsis is increasing as producers look for practical ways to reduce emissions, but supply has remained limited. It’s encouraging to see continued investment in production capability, including efforts underway in Western Australia, which will be key to meeting future demand.”