Advertise
The Danish firm Algiecel has announced its relocation to one of the world's largest enzyme manufacturing sites, owned by Novonesis, in a strategic move that allows the company to transition from pilot-scale testing to industrial-scale supply while increasing production capacity nearly fivefold.
The new reactor facility located at the Novonesis Kalundborg plant will house Algiecel's modular bioreactors. These systems cultivate Nannochloropsis oceanica microalgae using artificial light, water, and captured CO2. This significant investment follows an 8 million Euro funding round raised in 2024 to support the technological scale-up.
Susanne Palsten Buchardt, CEO of Algiecel, noted that the omega-3 market is increasingly seeking marine ingredients decoupled from the volatility of wild-catch fisheries. 'Our customers are looking for a scalable, high-quality and sustainable alternative to the fish oil they are sourcing today. Algiecel is on a path to deliver just that,' she stated.
According to Grand View Research, the global omega-3 market was valued at approximately 3.3 billion USD in 2026 and is projected to hit 5.4 billion USD by 2033. However, traditional fish oil supplies are under acute strain. Data from IFFO shows that cumulative fish oil supply in leading regions including Peru, Chile, and the Nordic countries ran roughly 31% below 2025 levels as of June 2026.
With forecasters predicting the 2026-2027 El Niño will be one of the strongest on record, the industry is preparing for further price hikes. 'At a moment when fish oil supply is under real pressure, this facility is where we prove we can deliver a reliable alternative, produced under industrial conditions, at the volumes our customers need,' Buchardt added.
To enhance its sustainability credentials, the facility utilizes captured waste CO2 from an on-site operational biogas plant. Furthermore, the modular design allows the company to add identical units to increase capacity as demand grows, rather than re-engineering the entire system.
Ghita Hansen, Vice President of enzyme production at Novonesis, highlighted the importance of industrial synergy, stating that Kalundborg demonstrates how shared infrastructure and expertise allow new technologies to scale faster than they could alone.
The 2026 El Niño event, which began in June, has already caused sea surface temperatures to rise. The World Meteorological Organization predicts a 63% chance of a 2-degree Celsius increase by January, an extreme shift that disrupts fish supplies by suppressing nutrient-rich water upwelling.
In Peru, which accounts for 20% of global fish oil production, the Ministry of Production was forced to cancel the remainder of the fishing season in August. Cumulative landings reached only 24.6% of the allocated quota. Ellen Schutt, managing director of GOED, informed that manufacturers are highly concerned about supply, emphasizing that securing long-term access to omega-3 will require a more resilient and diversified sourcing strategy.
Source: NutraIngredients.com