• Guided tour of the world's largest spirulina farm.
• Cultivating only one pure algae.
• Ecological pond cultivation.
• Highest quality nutrients.
• A continuous fresh harvest.
• Quick drying preserves nutrients.
• Tableted and bottled finished products.
• Pesticide free. | Certified organic.
• Super spirulina and new research.
• Rigorous quality control and ISO 9001 program.
  
• Comparing to other microalgae: chlorella, aphanizomenon, dunaliella, haematococcus.
• Worldwide spirulina farms.
• Lake harvest farms.
• Advanced pond cultivation systems.
• Tubes, bioreactors and microfarms.
• Integrated production farms.
  

Three kinds of commercial farms operate today. Lake farms harvest spirulina growing in natural lakes. Outdoor pond cultivation systems may use open ponds or covered greenhouses. Newly developed enclosed systems use transparent tubes or photo-bioreactors.

Lake harvest systems offer better quality control than harvesting wild algae, but have some similar risks. They may enjoy advantages of inexpensive nutrient sources in the alkaline lakes and lower labor costs than developed countries, but quality may be inconsistent.

Mexico: In the 1970s, a Mexican company realized the algae in Lake Texcoco clogging the extraction of soda brines from the lake was spirulina. The world’s first large plant was built here. Spirulina Mexicana had a larger potential capacity than any other farm.

In 1979 Mexican spirulina was first exported to the U.S. for use in health food products, but in 1982 it was blocked by U.S. authorities due to quality problems. Lake Texcoco is located next to Mexico City, one of the most polluted cities. Steps were taken to improve product quality, including heat sterilization to destroy bacteria levels in the lake. Much of it was sold as animal and aquaculture feed. Spirulina Mexicana has been closed for several years.
6.18. Sosa Texcoco / Spirulina Mexicana near Mexico City.

Myanmar: In 1988, commercial harvest began on several alkaline volcanic lakes that enjoy natural blooms of spirulina. By 1993, 30 tons per year was being harvested and sold on the local market. By 1999 production increased to 100 tons per year. (see Chapter 8).

Chad: The alkaline lakes around Lake Chad in Africa offer an ideal location. Commercial ventures have attempted to produce algae near Lake Chad. Meanwhile, indigenous women harvest spirulina dihé (described in Chapter 1), distributing nearly 30 tons per year.

Most commercial farms are designed and built from the ground up, with shallow raceway ponds circulated by paddlewheels. They operate in a similar fashion to Earthrise Farms. Ponds vary in size up to 5000 square meters (about 1.25 acres), and water depth is usually 15 to 25 centimeters. They require more capital investment per area than lake farms, and operate at higher efficiency and quality control.

6.19. Spirulina ponds of Siam Algae Company in Thailand.

Thailand: Dainippon Ink & Chemicals (DIC) started Siam Algae in 1978 near Bangkok, Thailand. With a tropical climate and a year-round growing season, Siam Algae has high productivity and grows 150 tons per year. Most is sold in Japan for health food products. There are several other smaller producers in Thailand.

Hawaii, USA: Cyanotech opened a farm in 1985 on the Kona coast on the Big Island of Hawaii. Over the years the farm has expanded, and produces over 400 tons of spirulina per year, as well as dunaliella and haematococcus algae.

China: Since 1987, the industry has been sponsored by the State Science and Technology Commission. China may have 80 spirulina producers today, with an annual capacity of well over 500 tons. There are four types: 1) A plateau alkaline salt lake farm, Chenhai Lake in Yunnan, the largest grower. 2) Southern coastal outdoor farms in Guandong, Hainan, Fujian, Jiangshu. The DIC farm on Hainan Island may be the largest, with a capacity of 300 tons per year. 3) Inland semi-closed systems in Hubei and Shandong. 4) High latitute saline-alkaline water farms in the Yellow River Valley and Hubei.2 3

Taiwan: Since the 1970s, Taiwan has been a major chlorella producer. Five microalgae farms have the capacity to produce several hundred tons of spirulina per year. Depending the market, some shift to growing chlorella when its price is higher.

India: Research began in late 1970s, from backyard family scale to production farms. In 1990 India established a national standard specification for food grade spirulina. The two largest commercial farms have an estimated capacity of sevaral hundred tons per year. 3

Vietnam: Production in Binh Thuan province is about 10 tons per year, sold locally as health food and special feeds. 3

Cuba: Two farms produce about 40 tons per year.

Chile: In 1991, Solarium started production in the Atacama desert, producing about 3 tons per year.

Israel: The Desert Research Institute has researched spirulina for over 20 years. Large scale Israeli production did not achieve success.

Other farms: There are reports of production in Bangladesh, Philippines, Martinique, Peru, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Australia and other countries. Spirulina farms are blossoming around the world.

Spirulina needs hot temperatures to grow well. Most temperate climates are too cold for outdoor pond cultivation year round. This limits the locations where it can be grown economically. It may not even be possible to maintain a pure culture of other microalgae outdoors. To grow other high value algae and to increase growth rates, scientists have investigated new growing systems, called bioreactors.

Tube, coil and vertical plate systems
Plexiglass tubes and coils act as solar collectors, increasing temperature and extending the growing season. Algae is pumped continuously through rows of connected flexible transparent tubes or coils. Much greater density can be maintained than in open ponds.

Advantages are increased productivity, less water loss from evaporation, screening out contaminant algae, greater control over the culture, and ability to grow a pure culture of algae. On the downside, algae may stick to the inside of the tubes and block sunlight, and tubes may get too hot. Excessive oxygen produced by the algae while growing can reduce growth. A vertical plate system has been designed that has a flexible orientation to the sun, and allows oxygen to be released at the bottom.4

When scaled up for commercial spirulina production these systems do not yet compete with lower cost open ponds, but should be useful for other higher value algae.

Community greenhouses and microfarms
Ecologically designed future communities may incorporate microfarms. Computers can handle the basic functions of cultivation inside a controlled greenhouse or bioreactor. On a tiny land area, a community could meet a significant portion of its protein and vitamin requirements from microalgae, freeing cropland for community recreation or reforestation.

6.26. Spirulina greenhouse in the south of France. (Courtesy of P. Calamand)8

Most advanced farms designed to produce high quality spirulina have necessarily higher production costs. To lower costs, future farms need to integrate sources of nutrients and energy, and produce a variety of end products, from valuable extracts to inexpensive protein.

The first company growing spirulina, the French Petroleum Institute, originally began cultivation next to an oil refinery using carbon dioxide gas byproduct to reduce production costs. This venture did not work for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless, the idea of using surplus or recycled nutrients is still very much alive.

Future farms may be sited on alkaline lakes in Africa where algae grows on free carbon nutrients. Other farms may locate near oil refineries or industrial centers using surplus industrial nutrients. Hot water from energy plants, or hot geothermal water, may provide heat to grow algae year-round in cooler climates. Using lower cost nutrients will lower production costs and will be attractive in the developing world or nutrient poor regions.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) from biogas digesters fueled by plant, animal or human wastes can be recycled to grow spirulina. On the village level, this was achieved by the integrated system designed by Dr. Ripley Fox, described in Chapter 8.

Some farms will build integrated aquaculture systems. Asians have used algae to promote fish culture for centuries. Spirulina stimulates appetite, growth rate and disease resistance. Fresh wet algae can be added directly to fish ponds or to a dry feed ration. Even pond water rich with algae and saturated with oxygen can be pumped directly into fish ponds, delivering both food and oxygen.

Integrated farms will produce a variety of spirulina powder, tablets and bottled product. Some companies may specialize in pharmaceutical compounds, enzymes or medicines. Biochemical plants will make concentrated vitamin, fatty acid and pigment extracts. These valuable extractions would leave a 65% protein byproduct, much less expensive than regular spirulina powder.

Blue-green algae is fairly simple to genetically alter. Some facilities may use genetic engineering to modify desired chemical compounds, induce the algae to grow faster and better in cold climates, or even fix nitrogen. Although this research holds promise, it is also cause for concern. Scientists cannot foresee all consequences and implications of modifying DNA in organisms.

If large commercial farms can use inexpensive resources and energy to grow spirulina, and if they can produce valuable extracts, the byproduct may become a much less costly food, becoming price competitive with other vegetable protein concentrates.