CH4 Global begins commercial-scale Asparagopsis productionCH4 Global begins commercial-scale Asparagopsis production

Pond-based system lowers production costs, enabling profitable scaling of seaweed-based cattle feed supplement to reduce methane.

Kristin Bakker, Digital Content Specialist

January 31, 2025

3 Min Read
CH4 Global CEO Steve Meller holds a flask of Asparagopsis seaweed by a cultivation pond at the EcoPark facility in Louth Bay, South Australia.
CH4 Global CEO Steve Meller holds a flask of Asparagopsis by a large-scale cultivation pond at the company’s EcoPark in Louth Bay, South Australia, the first commercial-scale facility for growing the red seaweed.Business Wire/CH4 Global

CH4 Global announced that it has begun production at the world’s first commercial-scale facility for growing Asparagopsis, marking a major step forward in making seaweed-based methane reduction accessible and economically viable for the global livestock industry.

CH4 Global said its EcoPark facility, which officially opened Jan. 29 in Louth Bay, South Australia, represents a breakthrough in the commercial-scale production of Asparagopsis seaweed for livestock methane reduction. The facility's innovative pond-based cultivation system is projected to lower production costs to as little as one-tenth of those of conventional tank-based methods, positioning CH4 Global to deliver its Asparagopsis-based Methane Tamer cattle feed supplement at a price point that ensures profitability throughout the agricultural value chain.

"The opening of this facility lays to rest any doubt about whether Asparagopsis production can be scaled to meet commercial demand," CH4 Global chief executive officer and co-founder Dr. Steve Meller said at the facility’s opening ceremony. "We've cracked the code on making methane-reducing feed supplements commercially viable without requiring government subsidies – a crucial step in scaling this important climate solution."

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The EcoPark's initial phase includes 10 large-scale cultivation ponds with a combined capacity of 2 million liters, which are able to produce more than 80 metric tons of Asparagopsis annually. Over the next year, the facility will expand to 100 ponds capable of producing enough Asparagopsis to serve 45,000 cattle per day – a significant step toward meeting demand from its commercial partners in Australia and beyond, the company noted. With additional investment, the facility could eventually expand to 500 ponds that produce enough Asparagopsis to serve hundreds of thousands of cattle per day.

The EcoPark's design addresses key scaling challenges that have limited Asparagopsis production thus far, such as ocean harvesting or expensive indoor tanks.

Key advantages of the pond-based system, according to the company, include:

  • Capital costs that are roughly 90% lower than tank-based cultivation.

  • Enhanced operational efficiency through polytunnel systems that precisely control growing conditions.

  • Reduced contamination risk and weather disruption compared to ocean-based farming.

  • Optimized harvest volumes at multiple times per year.

  • A strategic location in temperate zones that minimize energy costs for growing.

Methane, a potent greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, is a major contributor to climate change. The EcoPark opening comes as global pressure intensifies to reduce agricultural methane emissions, CH4 Global stated. The company is on a mission to deliver gigaton-scale emissions reductions over the next decade using dried Asparagopsis seaweed and is scaling up to meet global demand through its EcoPark system. CH4 Global is headquartered in Henderson, Nev., and has operations in Australia and New Zealand.

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A bit of background

Australia commercialized Asparagopsis in feed additives in 2020 after the Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organization found that the seaweed product reduced methane emissions in beef and dairy cattle by more than 80% in research trials in Australia and the U.S.

CH4 Global first launched its natural, proprietary feed supplement in April 2023 in Australia and subsequently expanded the product lineup and market. The formulation is designed to reduce methane production in the rumen, resulting in reduced methane emissions by dairy and beef feedlot cattle.

Approval of the seaweed-based product in the U.S. has faced an uphill battle with the Food & Drug Administration’s regulatory process. In 2023, Congress introduced the “Innovative FEED Act” with the goal of de-regulating livestock feed additives if they fall into the category of substances that act only within the animal’s gastrointestinal tract to reduce pathogen load or byproducts of the digestive process. This would amend the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act to speed up the approval of innovative feed additives such as those made from seaweed, but Congress has so far not acted on the bipartisan bill, which also has wide industry support.

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About the Author

Kristin Bakker

Digital Content Specialist, Farm Progress Livestock Group

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