Origin by Ocean, a seaweed processing company, has started trial production in Otaniemi

Origin by Ocean has launched its demo production facility in Otaniemi, Espoo.

The Otaniemi unit is the first production facility in Europe to process sodium alginate and fucoidan from sargasso seaweed.

The purpose of the facility is to demonstrate the potential for utilizing marine biomass in industrial applications.

Origin by Ocean has already proven the functionality of its technology at its pilot plant in Oulu.

Kemiamedia.fi told, how they managed to produce a thickener from sargassum algae.

Towards full-scale commercial production

At the Otaniemi facility, the company is validating its processes and thereby taking its production towards full-scale commercial operations.

Sargassum is a type of brown algae that grows in harmful quantities in the Caribbean Sea. The company also plans to utilize blue-green algae from the Baltic Sea in its production. Using the algae also cleans the seas.

The sargassum comes to Espoo from Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, from Origin by Ocean's local partner companies.

“A significant milestone”

“The new facility is a significant milestone for our entire team,” says Origin by Ocean’s CTO. Annukka Tarvainen.

“It bridges the gap between laboratory-scale innovations and industrial production,” says Tarvainen.

According to him, the transition to demomita production has been an intensive process that has required close cooperation between experts from different areas of the company.

“Safety has been at the heart of every step,” says Origin by Ocean’s lead chemical engineer Antti Koponen.

“Our team has undergone extensive training from plant installation to process implementation to ensure a safe and efficient production environment.”

From Finland to the world

Once Origin by Ocean's first commercial biorefinery is up and running, more plants are expected.

The Finnish company's ultimate goal is an ecosystem located in different parts of the world, formed by local companies that collect algae raw materials and factories that process products from them.

Text: Päivi Ikonen/ Kemiamedia.fi

Photo: Origin by Ocean. The Otaniemi demo facility is operated by a team of experts led by Origin by Ocean's Chief Technology Officer, Annukka Tarvainen.