Pioneers in bioengineering and biotechnology production processes, biomega® has announced today that the company has won a three-year grant from the European Commission as part of its LIFE Programme, the LIFE CONQUER project.
The multi-million EUR grant will support the company to develop its high-quality salmon peptides for human nutrition applications at its newly built, state-of-the-art biorefinery in Hirtshals, Denmark.
The project, which is a key part of the company’s strategic focus on delivering a circular methodology within the farmed salmon value chain, is currently in its early stages after beginning on 1st September 2022. Funding for the LIFE CONQUER project is set to run until August 2025.
Stig Petersen, CEO of biomega, commented: «We are delighted to announce that biomega® has been selected by the LIFE Programme through the LIFE CONQUER project to grow salmon peptides and oil production through a circular methodology, reducing the carbon footprint of the salmon value chain significantly. This extra funding will enable us to continue driving forward momentum of under-utilised side streams for human consumption.»
The LIFE Programme is the European Union’s funding instrument1for projects that support the environment and take on responsible climate action. The LIFE CONQUER project is co-funded by the LIFE Programme, which aims to promote the circular economy by funding projects that support a sustainable way of living.
As part of the funding, biomega® will develop and demonstrate its innovative solutions for extracting proteins from salmon bones, in-situ spray drying, and its unique inbound logistics for raw materials at the Hirtshals biorefinery by working with its Danish processing partner Vega Salmon.
Petersen continued:«Together with our partner Vega Salmon and the exemplary work of our bioengineering team, the Hirtshals biorefinery is well on its way to achieving the main objectives of the LIFE CONQUER project. This includes significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, thermal energy and bio-waste, while increasing water efficiency rates. By working in collaboration with Vega Salmon and LIFE CONQUER, we are actively solving challenges within the salmon processing industry today, creating a lasting impact for a cleaner planet.»
Vega Salmon prides itself on delivering superior quality salmon products to global consumers. The highly regarded company with a widely certified program, including ASC and MSC, will work alongside biomega®– as part of the LIFE CONQUER project – by developing new logistic solutions to efficiently transport fresh salmon offcuts from its production facility to the biorefinery.
Established in 2010, Vega Salmon has been a member of the UN Global Compact since 2014 and is committed to several Sustainable Development Goals, including responsible consumption and production. By working with biomega®, the Danish company hopes to increase the ratio of food produced that is suitable for human consumption from its current percentage (87%) through value-added product development2.
Jakob Graasbøll Enemark, CEO of Vega Salmon said: «We are excited to be a part of the Life Programme’s work through the LIFE CONQUER project in collaboration with biomega®, seeking potential alternative utilisation of our salmon offcuts for peptides and oil for human consumption. The project is supporting our key strategic focus of improving sustainability.»
In addition, the grant will also support the creation of 17 new full-time jobs in the biorefinery from next year.
For more information on the European Commission and its LIFE Programme, please visit: biomega® Denmark – LIFE CONQUER
1Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
2VegaSalmon,ESG KPI 6, of SDG 12, ‘Strategy: Sustainable production, measured in relation to the food waste index’, 2021
