Food Security Technology


SPIRULINA AQUAFARM ™



SPIRULINA THE ANSWER TO MALNUTRITION



Spirulina is the richest whole-food source available in nature. It is extremely digestible and contains every natural known antioxidant a healthy body could need.


In 2008, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released a report which urged governments to re-evaluate the potential of Spirulina to fulfill food security needs. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, carotenoids and perhaps most importantly for those who are malnourished, it has 70% protein content. Spirulina yields 20 times more protein per unit area than soybeans, 40 times more than corn, and over 200 times more than beef.


The Spirulina report commissioned by United Nations (see below or Technical Reports page) was presented 7 years ago an nothing seems to have changed. FST has targeted Spirulina as the PANACEA not only for hatchery fish and shellfish, but also for food security for rural communities that have no natural resource available due to either natural or man-made disasters.



Background of Growing Algae



Founders have extensive experience in growing algae diatoms albeit for abalone. Since the diatoms are very similar to growing Spirulina FST has dedicated to involve its technology in the Spirulina Industry, not only for FST's fish and shellfish hatcheries but also to produce Spirulina for communities in need of healthy protein rich food that they can grow themselves, no matter how isolated they are. FST has designed a turn key spirulina growing system that has a twenty year life powered by solar energy. The only requirements are to provide natural fertilizer to the system and harvest the spirulina. These spirulina growing systems could be managed alongside the Community or Commercial Aquafarms or be provide on their own by FST at cost.


ABOUT US

Feeding Spirulina to Feed Us



FST is committed to working with Communities to identify their local resources that can either be used directly to grow the Spirulina or be traded in exchange for natural fertilizer to grow Spirulina. A strategy to use local raw minerals and green waste resources from compost can provide liquid fertilizer free of pathogens to feed the Spirulina. The Spirulina growing systems could be setup and handed over to the Community as a food source and a means of trade. Nitrogen rich green waste and composted animal waste could provide all the nutrient fertilizer to maintain Spirulina growth.


COMMERCIAL

Using Organic Nitrogen from Waste


FST has developed a cleaning process that can turn all forms of toxic nitrogen compounds into rich fixed Nitrogen liquid fertilizer perfect for Spirulina. The system has been named the BONANZA and it filters and sterilizes the toxic nitrogen from the fish tank and converts it all into rich Nitrogen fertilizer. The BONANZA unit complements Spirulina growing especially for BIO-FUEL where industrial chemical fertilizer like urea is difficult or costly to import and thus an isolated Community could thrive economically by using its own local resources.


BONANZA

SPIRULINA AS BIOFUEL



Bio-fuel is a manufactured product much like gasoline and diesel predominatly produced from cellulosic (terrestrial) biomass crops such as sugarcane, corn, soy, cassava, wheat, rice, etc. The same developed field crops used to produce flour, sugar and grains the staple food that provided sustenance for the world's exponential population growth, over the last seventy years. However, that all seems to be about to change where a storm is brewing between the United Nations (UN) and the United States (US) over the use of these vauable agriculture food crops that were developed for human consumption.


A major criticism by the UN, in using corn for fuel ethanol as it requires large amounts of fossil energy in its production. But that's not all, as increasing concerns are being raised about the sustainability of agriculture crops used for biofuels, which have driven up food prices as the crops now compete directly with biofuel manufacturing. In the alternative the UN is promoting 'second-generation' biomass such as green waste and bi-products from non-edible portions of corn or cane. A 'thrid-generation' biomass of non agriculture crops like willow and eucalyptus are also being considered.



ALGAL BIOMASS FOR ETHANOL and BIODIESEL



A new phenomenon has arrived which leaves all cellulosic (terrestrial) biomass, in its wake. It has been recently discovered that algal (aquatic) biomass can produce more biomass, greater biofuel yields, is much more efficient use in time and space than any terrestrial plant. For example, Fuel Ethanol produced from one acre of Corn grain yields an average of 420 gallons of fuel ethanol per year, in comparison with one acre of Algae that yields an average of 5,000 gallons of biodiesel in a year.


Other comparisons such as an acre of Palm Oil yields 650 gallons of biodiesel, Sugarcane yields 650 gallons of fuel ethanol and Rapeseed (Canola Oil) yields 150 gallons of biodiesel. Algal biomass is the most efficient, sustainable, economic use alternative as a bio-fuel. It does not interfere with food security, nor agriculture cropping land areas as algae can be grows in saltwater or on arid land.


The average terrestrial plant biomass processing factory requires a nearby sugarcane plantation of 75,000 acres as the feedstock to acheive a fuel yield of 80GGE/ton via biochemical conversion of cane to fuel ethanol. (GGE means Gallon Gasoline Equivalent) In comparison an algal biomass proceesing factory of the most economic model would cost approxiately US$ 460 million and requires a nearby growing area of only 10,000 acres to supply all year around the algae feedstock, to acheive a fuel yield of 138GGE/ton, which is 1.7 times higher than the cellulosic terrestrial sugarcane.


While processing figures for algae biomass show a far great return and better use of resources in the production of bio-fuels, algae production itself still remains in its infancy on a commercial scale. However, FSC believes with its high tech LED lighting system for continuous algae growth and computerized tank monitoring algae can be produced for $400/ton and with the pressure to replace fossil fuels with sustainable biofuel, financial incentives will be more readily available in the future. White Paper from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on the Process, Design and Economics for the Conversion of Algal Biomass to Biofuels.



Sugarcane, brazil



Photo is edible sugarcane used by Brazil, the second largest ethanol producer in the world.



biofuel, brazil



Panoramic view of the Costa Pinto Production Plant located in Piracicaba, Sao Paulo State, Brazil. This industrial plant is set up to produce sugar, ethanol fuel (both anhydrous and hydrous), industrial grade ethanol, and alcohol for beverages. The foreground shows the receiving operation of the sugarcane harvest, immediately followed by the mill process, and in the right side of the background is located the distillation facility where ethanol is produced. This plant produces the electricity it needs from baggasse residuals from sugar cane left over by the milling process, and it sells the surplus electricity to public utilities.