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Salmon fish farming in Norway sea. Food industry, traditional craft production, environmental conservation. Aerial view of round mesh for growing and catching fish in arctic water surrounded by fjords
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Norway’s aquaculture industry is growing rapidly and has become one of the country’s most important export sectors. However, this success depends heavily on imported feed ingredients, especially soy, which is largely sourced from Brazil. This creates vulnerabilities linked to sustainability, deforestation, high CO₂ emissions and global supply chain instability. At the same time, salmon are carnivorous and not naturally adapted to plant-based feeds, which increases the need for alternative protein sources.

PROWAQ addresses these challenges by exploring new, sustainable ways to produce locally sourced, high-quality protein ingredients. The goal is to support a more resilient, circular and environmentally responsible aquaculture sector in Norway.

01 Mar 2026 - 31 Mar 2029
Resource Recovery

Research Council of Norway

About the project

PROWAQ aims to reduce Norwayʼs dependence on imported, non-sustainable protein sources by developing a local, economically viable alternative.The project promotes circularity in aquaculture by using wastewater as a carbon source for single cell protein (SCP) production, turning waste into a valuable protein-rich feed raw material. This interdisciplinary research project combines environmental and process engineering, microbiology, and biotechnology to develop an integrated bioelectrochemical system (BES) for SCP production. It addresses key challenges in sustainable aquaculture feed production, waste valorization, and microbial electrosynthesis. The project will bridge knowledge gaps in upscaling SCP production by converting aquaculture wastewater into protein-rich feed supplements.

Figure showing circularity in aquaculture by utilizing wastewater as a carbon source for single cell protein (SCP) production, turning waste into a valuable protein-rich feed raw material.

Participants

  • NMBU participants
    Work package structure of PROWAQ
    Work package structure of PROWAQ
  • University of Bremen participants

    Portrett av en smilende mann iført hvit skjorte foran en ensfarget, mørk blå bakgrunn.

    Sven Kerzenmacker

    Professor

    Work package leader - WP1 + WP4

    Head of the Environmental Process Engineering Department at the University of Bremen