Inside the futuristic farm in Iceland, algae is grown for food

In the shadow of Iceland’s largest geothermal power plant, a large warehouse houses a high-tech indoor farm unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

Beneath an eerie pinkish-purple glow, illuminated panels hum and cylindrical columns of water wave away as a futuristic crop of microalgae grows.

It is here that the Icelandic company Vaxa Technologies has developed a system that uses energy from the nearby power plant and other resources to cultivate these small aquatic organisms.

“It’s a new way of thinking about food production,” CEO Kristinn Haflidason says as she gives me a tour of the space-age facility.

For much of our history, humans have consumed algae, also known as macroalgae.

But its smaller cousin, microalgae, has been a less common food source, although it was eaten for centuries in ancient Central America and Africa.

Now scientists and entrepreneurs are increasingly exploring its potential as a nutrient-rich sustainable food.

About 35 minutes from the capital Reykjavik, the Vaxa site produces Nannochloropsis microalgae, both for human consumption and for feeding fish and shrimp farms.

It also grows a type of bacteria called Arthospira, also known as blue-green algae, which has similar properties to microalgae.

When dried, it is known as spirulina and is used as a dietary supplement, food ingredient, and as a bright blue food coloring.

These tiny organisms carry out photosynthesis, and take the energy of light to absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

“Algae are eating CO2, or turning CO2 into biomass,” explained Mr. Haflidason. “It’s carbon negative.”

The Vaxa plant has a unique situation.

It is the only place where algae cultivation is integrated with a geothermal power plant, which supplies clean electricity, cold water for cultivation, hot water for heating and also pipes through which CO2 emissions pass through.

“You will have a slightly negative carbon footprint,” says Asger Munch Smidt-Jensen, a food technology consultant at the Danish Technology Institute (DTI), who wrote a study assessing the environmental impact of Vaxa’s spirulina production.

“We also found a relatively low footprint, both in terms of land and water use.”

Daily renewable energy, plus a stream of CO2 and nutrients with a low carbon footprint are needed to ensure the setup is climate-friendly, which he believes is not easily replicated.

“There’s a huge energy input to run these photobioreactors, and you have to artificially simulate the sun, so you need a high-energy light source,” he explains.

“My main conclusion is that we should use these areas (like Iceland) where we have low-impact energy sources to make energy-intensive products,” added Munch Smidt-Jensen.

Back at the algae plant, I climb onto a raised platform where I’m surrounded by noisy modular units called photo-bioreactors, where thousands and thousands of red and blue LED lights fuel the growth of microalgae instead of sunlight.

They also supply water and nutrients.

“More than 90% of photosynthesis occurs in very specific wavelengths of red and blue light,” explains Haflidason. “We only give them the light they use.”

It strictly monitors and optimizes all conditions through machine learning, he added.

About 7% of the crop is harvested every day, and new growth quickly replenishes it.

The Vaxa facility can produce 150 metric tons of seaweed annually, and plans to expand.

Because the crops are rich in protein, carbohydrates, omega-3s, fatty acids and vitamin B12, Mr. Haflidason believes that growing microalgae this way could help tackle global food insecurity.

Many other companies are betting on the potential of microalgae; the market is estimated to be worth $25.4 billion (£20.5 billion) by 2033.

Danish startup Algiecel has been testing portable modules the size of shipping containers that house photobioreactors that can be attached to carbon-emitting industries to capture CO2 while simultaneously producing food and feed.

Crops are also being used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, biofuels and as a substitute for plastic.

Perhaps even microalgae could grow in space.

In a project funded by the European Space Agency, the Danish Technological Institute plans to test whether it could be a microalgae. He grew up on the International Space Station.

Despite all the investment, there is still some way to go before microalgae become a daily part of our diet.

It still needs a lot of development, according to Mr. Munch Smidt-Jensen.

He stated that the texture is lacking. Meanwhile the taste can be “fishy” if the algae is of the saltwater variety.

“But there are ways to overcome that,” he added.

There is also the question of society.

“Are people ready for this? How do we get everyone to want to eat this?”

Malene Lihme Olsen, a food scientist at the University of Copenhagen who studies microalgae, says its nutritional value needs further research.

“Green microalgae (chlorella) have a very strong cell wall, so it can be difficult for us to digest and get all the nutrients,” he says.

For now, he says, microalgae are added to other “carrier products” like pasta or bread to help with flavor, texture and appearance.

However, Ms. Olsen believes that microalgae are a promising food of the future.

“If you compare a hectare of soybeans in Brazil, and imagine if we planted a hectare of seaweed, you can produce 15 times more protein (from seaweed) per year.”

Back at the plant I’m staring at an unseemly green slime. They are microalgae collected after removing the water, ready for processing.

Mr. Haflidason offers me a taste and, after initial reluctance, I try some and find it neutral in flavor with a tofu-like texture.

“We’re not suggesting that anyone should eat green slime,” says Haflidason.

Instead, processed algae is an ingredient in everyday foods, and a bakery in Reykjavik makes bread with Spirulina and a gym puts out smoothies.

“We will not change what you eat. We will change the nutritional value of the foods you eat,” he says.