Algae biomass production within a sustainable and circular Bioeconomy
Brief me
- Algae represent a largely untapped resource among the biomass producing sectors of the EU bioeconomy.
- We can use them for food and feed, cosmetics, fertilisers and fuels, creating new markets and jobs.
- The term ‘algae’ covers single-celled microalgae cultivated in open ponds or in closed systems and macroalgae, harvested from wild stocks or cultivated in aquaculture systems.
- Algae biomass production in the EU contributed only 0.28% (93 thousand tonnes wet weight) to global production in 2016, but production plants are already present in most Member States.
- Worldwide, algae are mainly cultivated. In Europe, 98% of macroalgae biomass has been harvested from wild stocks in 2016, but aquaculture systems are becoming more common.
- European Commission’s Joint Research Centre is analysing data on algae production and industry in Europe to support sustainable production and use of algae.
Find out more in the brief and explore further other resources!
Brief on algae biomass production
English
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| Originally published | 26 Jun 2020 | 21 May 2021 |
| Knowledge service | Metadata | Bioeconomy | Algae |
| Digital Europa Thesaurus (DET) | biomass |