The PROTEUS consortium, coordinated by Alginor ASA and funded by the Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), is set to establish the world’s first industrial-scale biorefinery for brown seaweeds in Norway. Located in Avaldsnes, the facility will transform Laminaria hyperborea into high-value bio-based ingredients for food, feed, personal care, and industrial applications. By utilizing an innovative, chemical-free technology, PROTEUS aims to increase biomass utilisation from 15% to 100%, potentially reducing environmental impact while promoting resource efficiency.
With a budget of €14.4 million, including a €9.6 million CBE JU grant, the project brings together 11 key partners, including Alginor Biorefinery, Hypomar, Borregaard, Vaess, Olmix, Essity, Norsus, the Institute of Marine Research, Steinbeis, and CLIC Innovation. The initiative aligns with European climate goals by reducing petrochemical dependence, optimising energy and water use, and lowering greenhouse gas emissions. At the project's kick-off meeting in Oslo, CBE JU project officer Monica Padella highlighted PROTEUS as a flagship initiative accelerating market deployment of bio-based solutions and contributing to the EU’s blue economy. The biorefinery will operate with the hybrid electric vessel Hypomar Ocean 1, ensuring minimal environmental impact while setting new standards for sustainable seaweed harvesting and biorefining. Over the next four years, PROTEUS plans to scale up production to over 5,000 tonnes of bio-based ingredients annually, with future biorefineries envisioned to process additional macroalgae species. Through these efforts, the consortium aims to unlock the full potential of brown seaweed and establish Europe as a leader in sustainable aquatic biomass utilisation.
Woodhouse, A., Valente, C., Møller, H., 2024. Regional Social Indicator Development for Assessing Impacts of Expanding the Blue Economy in Urban and Rural Norway, Nordic Ruralities Book of Abstracts, p.76, Nordic Ruralities Conference 3-5 december 2024 Kiruna, Sweden
Askham, C., Pauna, V., Danielsen, R., Woodhouse, A. 2025. Engaging Stakeholders and Applying Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) Principles in the Proteus EU Project, SETAC annual meeting, Vienna, Austria, 2025, forthcoming
