Backed by UK Government, MiAlgae’s New Factory to Produce Fish-Free Omega-3 from Whisky Waste
Scottish biotech player MiAlgae has begun construction of a commercial-scale facility to recycle whisky waste into algal omega-3, with a £3M investment from the UK government.
Plunging deep into the fish-free omega-3 space, Scotland’s MiAlgae has broken ground on a new factory that will save six billion fish used to produce DHA every year.
The firm’s scale-up facility is situated in Grangemouth, and is backed by a £3M investment from the UK government, enabling it to produce over 10 times more omega-3 than current capacity. It’s set to open in early 2026.
The development will enable a shift away from wild-caught fish oil and unsustainable practices, while mitigating waste, since MiAlgae’s fermentation process upcycles byproducts from the local whisky industry.
The public support comes as part of the UK’s £14.5M pledge to transform Grangemouth into a hub for low-carbon tech and deliver future-facing jobs, as well as Scotland’s £25M Grangemouth Just Transition Fund, which supports businesses and stakeholders to bring forward investible propositions for the site.
“Today we’re taking another step forward as we back the first new project at the site, creating hundreds of new, decent jobs and attracting further investment in the area,” noted Michael Shanks, the UK’s energy minister.
Why MicroAlgae turns whiskey waste into omega-3
Founded in 2016, MiAlgae uses fermentation to upcycle whisky industry waste and grow microalgae naturally rich in DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid proven to support improved cognitive function, skin and coat health, joint mobility, and immunity in pets.
The company feeds its algae with the nutrient-rich byproducts from whisky in specifically designed fermentation vessels. The microalgae are then processed into commercial quantities of its marine omega-3 product.
This undergoes rigorous quality testing before being packaged and delivered to its customers in dry, wet, or supplement formats. The fermentation platform, meanwhile, recycles the whisky waste into clean water, which MiAlgae returns to the watercourse.
Its ingredient is vegan, fully traceable, and significantly lowers emissions compared to conventional DHA production, which is sourced from fish oil. According to the UN FAO, nearly 90% of the world’s fish stocks have been fully exploited, or are over-exploited or depleted.
One study suggests that we could be heading towards a complete collapse of ocean life by 2048, driven primarily by overfishing for human consumption. It’s why 75% of consumers are interested in new sources of omega-3.
“Our mission has always been to make a meaningful impact, tackling overfishing, reducing waste, and creating sustainable value from industrial by-products,” said founder and CEO Douglas Martin, whose firm is targeting the aquaculture and pet food industries.
“This new facility is a huge step towards delivering that mission at scale, bringing new, high-quality green jobs to the local area, and helping Scotland lead the way in this exciting new biotech industry,” he added.
MiAlgae’s modular facility caters to pet food market in Europe and US
MiAlgae’s new facility will be able to recycle over 36 million litres of whisky byproducts. It’s designed for modular scalability, allowing the company to expand rapidly and build more sites near distilleries to collect waste more easily.
The site is located close to both key raw material suppliers and major customers, enabling MiAlgae to support a low-carbon supply chain for pet nutrition companies across the UK, EU, and US. At full scale, it will create hundreds of new green jobs in biotechnology, engineering, and production.
The project is part of the Scottish government’s Project Willow, which is aimed at turning Grangemouth into a green tech hub. And the funding from the UK government is in addition to the £200M already pledged by Prime Minister Kier Starmer from the National Wealth Fund to unlock Grangemouth’s potential.
“The UK government is backing Grangemouth’s future with real investment and a clear plan,” said Douglas Alexander, Scotland’s secretary of state. “We promised to secure the site’s long-term future and create good jobs, and that’s exactly what we’re doing: supporting new industries, creating opportunities, and ensuring this site remains a vital part of Scotland’s industrial heartland for generations to come.”
Jan Robertson, director of Grangemouth Transition at Scottish Enterprise, added: “We’ve worked with [MiAlgae] since 2016, aiding its ambitious growth with a mix of advisory and funding support. Grangemouth is the perfect location for this innovative Scottish scale-up to grow and prosper, bringing high-quality jobs and supply chain opportunities to the community.”
MiAlgae isn’t the only algal omega-3 company to benefit from major funding this year. In Canada, Mara Renewables raised $9.1M to scale its precision-fermented DHA for human supplements. It is also part of a C$1.9M project alongside Profillet, Ardra Inc, Mara Renewables, and Rondo North America to develop a vegan whitefish fillet, backed by Canada’s Ocean Supercluster.