In Germany, Royal DSM and Evonik announced their intention to establish a joint venture for omega-3 fatty acid products from natural marine algae for salmon aquaculture and pet food. This joint venture follows the 2015 joint development agreement, under which Evonik and DSM have successfully produced pilot-scale quantities of the algal oil at DSM’s production facility in Kingstree, South Carolina.
Both humans and animals need daily intake of essential, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids to ensure healthy growth and until now, these fatty acids for aquaculture feed have come almost exclusively from fish oil and fishmeal.
The joint venture will invest around $200 million in the facility to produce about 15 percent of the total current annual demand for EPA and DHA by the salmon aquaculture industry. DSM Nutritional Products and Evonik Nutrition & Care will each hold a 50 percent share in the joint venture and co-own the production facility.