The growth of microalgae using sugar mills’ waste streams is an emerging commercial opportunity to source natural and valuable, sustainable carbon-negative biological products which replace carbon-positive petro-chemicals and other unsustainable products. It reduces the increase in greenhouse gasses by using and sequestering carbon dioxide from this bio-industrial process.

The production of micro-algae requires natural inputs of water, nutrients, carbon dioxide and sunlight, as well as electricity to power pumps, harvesting and processing equipment. Three of these essential inputs are waste streams from sugar mills and electricity is an important by-product.

The economic sustainability of sugar production will be further enhanced by this project.

This project will closely examine the ISIS Central Sugar Mill’s waste streams and conduct a feasibility study for a pilot 5ha microalgae production system. A pilot system will be constructed as a part of the project.