Volta Greentech: Leading a paradigm shift in the EU

FutureFeed’s Swedish licensee Volta Greentech is looking to expand its production facilities following the resounding success of its Asparagopsis seaweed pilot facility.

Established in 2019, the company is delivering on its unwavering commitment to drastically reduce methane emissions from cows by 2050.

Its methane-reducing supplement, Lome™ has transitioned from being relatively unknown in Sweden to being seen as a vital solution to the most pressing climate challenge in agriculture.

In just five years, Volta Greentech has achieved many milestones:

• In 2020, a pilot facility – Volta Factory 01 – was built in Lysekil, Sweden, for terrestrial production of Asparagopsis seaweed. It was a blueprint for scalable, sustainable and automated production. The seaweed at this facility continues to be produced using renewable electricity, waste heat and CO2 from nearby industries.

• Plans are now underway for a large-scale seaweed factory — Volta Factory 02 — with capability to produce 50 tonnes of the feed supplement per year.

• In November 2022, the first methane-reduced beef from cattle fed with Volta Greentech’s product was launched in 20 Coop grocery stores in Stockholm and Gotland.

• In mid-2023 Volta Greentech and food company Protos partnered to significantly increase production of beef using Volta Greentech’s feed supplement, Lome™. The collaboration includes the delivery of the supplement for up to 1000 cattle annually over five years.

• Volta Greentech, along with Orkla Sverige and Protos, recently completed a successful pilot showing 80% methane reduction per day from cows on the pilot farm Ejmunds Gård. With Orkla Sverige producing 4 million meatballs per year, this successful pilot has great future potential.

• A UK-based trial will be taking place in 2024, as well as a trial on a commercial Swedish dairy farm.

• Volta Greentech’s product has received endorsement from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

Volta Greentech Founder and CEO Fredrik Akerman said the company had overcome some major challenges during its journey.

“When we started finding our first customers for pilot trials, some of them weren't convinced our methane-reducing supplement solution would work or be practical,” he said.

“Although initially a challenge, this skepticism meant we focused on proving that our solution was authentic and significantly reduced emissions.”

To tackle doubts, the company implemented a rigorous MRV (measure-report-verify) process during the trials. Utilising Greenfeed technology, its team measured emissions on participating farms, compiling comprehensive climate reports based on solid data. This data underwent third-party verification, improving the credibility of the claims and assuring customers of the tangible impact of the solution.

Mr Akerman said there had been a paradigm shift on the back of his company’s efforts to showcase the efficacy, safety, and economic feasibility of its Asparagopsis product, Lome™.

“Today, Panorama, Sweden's digital roadmap towards achieving net zero emissions, describes how supplements like Lome™ will play a key role in cutting enteric methane emissions, with a projected reduction of 996 kt CO2e by 2045—equivalent to 30% of total enteric methane emissions in the country,” he said.

But he noted there remained one important question surrounding methane-reducing feed supplements – who pays?

While Volta Greentech collaborates with forward-thinking food retailers and beef companies who recognise the value of offering Lome™ beef to their customers, not all companies in this space are as climate conscious.

“Without a push from customers demanding more environmentally conscious food choices, or an intervention from policy makers, there will remain a significant portion of emissions that cannot be mitigated.”

Nevertheless, demand is strong and Volta Greentech expects to make further advancements in 2024.

“This year holds the promise of additional commercial trials, each representing concrete steps toward reshaping the future of agriculture,” Mr Akerman said.

“Simultaneously, we will be further expanding our production facilities, ensuring that we meet the rising demand for our product.”

For a full list of FutureFeed licensees: https://future-feed.com/licensees