Mass Production of 'Astronaut Superfood' in Jeju... "Affordable Prices Too"

Promotion of Marine Microalgae Spirulina Production Facility
Enabling Mass Production of Raw Materials Previously Fully Dependent on Imports

A project to mass-produce marine microalgae, including the superfood Spirulina, known as "astronaut food," is being promoted in Jeju Island.

The Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST, President Kang Do-hyung) announced on the 18th at the Science Media Academy held at the Jeju Research Center in collaboration with the Korea Science Journalists Association that it is promoting the "Marine Microalgae Foundry Construction and Utilization Technology Development Project," which aims to produce 5 tons of Spirulina annually.

This project, currently under government review, plans to invest 42 billion KRW from the national treasury and 4.693 billion KRW from local government budgets between 2024 and 2029 to establish a 3,300㎡ cultivation facility in Jeju Island, producing 5 tons of marine microalgae biomass annually.

Marine microalgae are single-celled organisms so small they must be viewed under a microscope, primarily acting as primary producers through photosynthesis in marine ecosystems. They play a crucial role in material cycling by serving as food for various marine organisms.

Unlike terrestrial photosynthetic plants, marine microalgae contain a balanced composition of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, attracting attention as raw materials for health foods. Additionally, they absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide during growth, making them highly valuable for addressing environmental issues.

Microscopic image of Spirulina [Image source=Provided by Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology]

Spirulina, a representative marine microalga, was developed as a high-protein superfood for astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), drawing significant interest.

The global Spirulina market size was 120,000 tons (USD 718.7 million) in 2016 but is rapidly growing and expected to exceed 320,000 tons (USD 1.86 billion) by 2028.

In South Korea, no companies have facilities for mass production, so all Spirulina raw materials have been imported. The import price is 70,000 KRW per kilogram, with an import volume of 135 tons and a value of 12.6 billion KRW (according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, 2022 data).

However, the expected production cost of Spirulina from the marine microalgae foundry is approximately 15,300 KRW per kilogram, which is about one-fifth of the current import price.

A KIOST official stated, "Since starting large-scale Spirulina cultivation research in 2006, we have secured cultivation technology with world-class efficiency. We have also developed technologies to utilize Spirulina as a health functional material and to extract the active ingredient phycocyanin."

He added, "Using Jeju's lava seawater can increase Spirulina production capacity by more than 10%, and the content of harmful substances such as heavy metals is below the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety standards. Jeju Island has the best conditions as a mass production base for microalgae."

President Kang said, "Through this project, we will apply the marine microalgae cultivation technology we have secured so far to the foundry to reduce the time and cost required for mass production of raw materials, and develop technologies for industries to utilize the produced raw materials, thereby supporting the growth of the marine bio industry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.