Goondiwindi algae farming offers an alternative Omega 3 source

Algae Pharm, which describes itself as "pharming for the future", uses the abundant natural sunlight that can be found at Goondiwindi to grow the Nannochloropsis Oculate strain of microalgae, which in turn can be used to generate biofuels, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, foods for humans and animals and fertilisers.

The algae can create foodstuffs rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, relieving certain afflictions like menstrual pain, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Addressing the conference was Eliezer Rien, who is the technical manager at Algae Pharm and technical services coordinator at Woods Group, Goondiwindi.

Mr Rien has a background in agriculture and horticulture in the Philippines and has experience growing herbs and vegetables in NSW. He helped develop the Philippine National Standard for Edible Fungi (Mushroom) and the Code of Good Cultivation Practices. Also, he worked for the International Rice Research Institute, focusing on developing and disseminating a web-based platform for field-specific information on crop and nutrient management.

He said the farm at Goondiwindi uses bore water, described as too saline for everyday agricultural or horticultural practices, pumped from the basin aquifer and used in a phototropic cultivation system, which harnesses the natural sunlight to grow the microalgae strain. He said partnering with leading Australian Universities has helped further develop this microalgae farming method.

Microalgae have recently gained considerable worldwide interest due to the increasing consumer awareness of the health benefits and variety of uses for the nutritional needs of humans, animals and fish.

Mr Rien said the microalgae grown at Goondiwindi are under the perfect environmental conditions, with constant sunlight, a stable climate, and clean unpolluted air.

He said as consumers become more aware of their health needs and deficiencies, there is increased use of Omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplements.

Algae Pharm's microalgae strain, Nannochloropsis Oculata, has a profile that makes it most suitable for its production compared to other algae strains.

"We produce a plant-based Omega 3 delivering a high-value essential ingredient for animal and human nutrition that helps with inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular health and cholesterol," he said.

He said algae production is an environmentally sustainable crop that utilises four key natural resources: non-arable land, non-potable water, CO2 and sunlight.

"Our process does not impact the fish, and we can take the Omega-3 fatty acid benefits from the algae."

The algae are harvested by a filtration process and grown in 350,000-litre ponds, which is the final leg of the growing process.

He said the algae is populated from a small amount in the laboratory and then placed in 40,000-litre ponds, which contain a small amount of protein. It is then transferred to 350,000-litre ponds to further grow it out before harvest by a filtration method.

Project team leader at Goondiwindi, Steve Strutt, said the Nannochloropsis oculata strain of algae is more representative of a winter crop and does not grow well in the Goondiwindi summer heat.

"This summer, we took the opportunity to test other strains for resilience to the heat, spirulina and duckweed. We had good results with spirulina, and this is now growing in one of our outdoor ponds, and the duckweed remains strong in open tanks.

"Our 10-acre (4-hectare) site enables us to grow as we continue to expand into the market with enough available land to construct 10 open raceway ponds."

Mr Strutt said, given the farm's proximity to residential homes and is less than three kilometres from the central business district, there were some initial community concerns, but this has been overcome.

"Today, many in the community are engaged in our progress ranging from local business groups to high school visits."