SabrTech to Launch Portable Algae-Growing System Soon

by Ola Wietecha (Undercurrent News) Nova Scotia-based SabrTech -- which spent years designing an easy-to-transport algae-growing system called RiverBox -- is planning to launch its product shortly, which the company says will revolutionize algae production.

SabrTech spent about two years developing its RiverBox system, which uses a standard shipping container with up to 10 tiers where algae grows, for use in aquaculture and other industries.

When the company first started, Carscallen said it was largely focused on creating huge algae plantations, but then shifted its focus to a system that could efficiently grow algae in a small area.

The RiverBox, according to the company's website, is a "deployable for on-site algae production anywhere in the world as a modular unit in a greenhouse, outdoors exposed to the sun or in a brick-and-mortar facility".

Investment was relatively high in algae production in the early 2000s, when biofuel development was looking promising amid high oil prices. When that industry crashed, many investors turned away, sticking only to established companies making high-value products.

"The majority of algae companies being funded are those that already have significant funding," he said.

However Carscallen said he expects investor interest to rise in the next decade or so.

"Within five to ten years, we will see a significant rise in investments in algae technology. There will definitely be a shift towards feed and other low-value product, as the high-value product markets, such as pharmaceuticals, become saturated," he said. READ MORE