Green Energy from Aquaculture Discharge using Biotechnology
The biotechnology company Hyperthermics located in Regensburg was founded in 2008 from cooperation by Jan Remmereit with the Archaea Center of the University of Regensburg at that time. The biotech company researches the use of so-called hypothermophilic organisms for the use of acquisition of sustainable energy and industrial raw materials. These organisms occur in hot springs in areas with volcanic activity and can withstand temperatures far over 70 degrees Celsius. This means they are ideally suited to high temperatures which occur during rotting processes. The Hypothermics technology is to be used with the mud as a first step for the manufacture of biogas and hydrogen from one of the largest fish breeding plants worldwide – a so-called onshore aquaculture plant. In a second step it will be attempted to use the organic material from the remaining mud for the manufacture of high-quality proteins for animal feed. The Hypothermics plant will transform 120,000 tons of aquaculture mud per year into energy and animal feed and is thereby the most sustainable aquaculture in the world.
Hyperthermics AS is meanwhile a leading Norwegian biotechnology company on hypothermophilic organism, which among other matters develops sustainable systems for aquaculture and raises the efficiency of the transformation of organic material into biogas and protein. At the Regensburg subsidiary suitable thermophilic bacteria or archaea are identified and tested to laboratory standard. The technology of the company is protected by several patents which are held by the mother company Hyperthermics AS in Norway. Hyperthermics AS employs 11 people at its main Norwegian Center in Ulsteinvik, approximately 350 km north of Bergen and 5 employees in the research department in Regensburg. With the hypothermics plant closed and sustainable circular aquaculture is possible which produces green energy and animal feed. “With this environmental-friendly technology it makes it possible to reduce production costs and secure decisive competitive advantages”, commented Erlend Haugsbø, CEO of Hyperthermics AS.
Cultured, hyperthermophilic bacteria for the production of biogas and hydrogen
Copyright: Dr. Harald Huber, Prof. Reinhard Rachel, University of Regensburg