Singaporean foodtech startup Life3 Biotech (Life3) has partnered with solar energy system developer Union Solar to launch a low-carbon facility that integrates the ‘farm to factory to consumer’ concept.
Called Life3 Urban Sustainability Hub (LUSH), the facility is located at Sims Avenue in the island nation and will open around the second quarter of 2024.
LUSH’s Hydroponics Integrating MicroAlgae and Solar Energy System (HIMASS) feature harnesses solar energy and water-upcycling to produce plant-protein and leafy vegetables sustainably in a closed-loop symbiotic system.
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The facility will also have a food processing and innovation area, for post-harvest MicroAlgae biomass to be processed into Algoprotein which can be added into food products.
LUSH will also have a tech experiential area for the public to engage in site visits, workshops and courses to learn about sustainability and healthy living.
In partnership with Union, HIMASS will be equipped with solar panels to convert solar energy into other forms of energy for MicroAlgae production. To keep carbon emissions low for logistics, LUSH’s solar panel system will also power up its EV chargers, which in turn charge up the electric trucks that will complete the last-mile delivery to commercial partners or consumers directly.
HIMASS will use a hydroponics and water-upcycling process, for wastewater to be upcycled, minimising water consumption via a circular economy approach. During this process, bio-fertiliser is produced as a byproduct to be used later in hydroponics.
Ricky Lin, CEO of Life3 Biotech, said: “HIMASS is a game-changing technology and a critical piece of the puzzle to complete our Life3 Urban Sustainability Hub where we can demonstrate how a smart, end-to-end food production system can be deployed sustainably in urban cities; starting from upstream cultivation to midstream processing and packaging, and lastly, to meet downstream consumers’ need for affordable and healthy food products, all made possible in Singapore with lower-carbon footprint.”
“LUSH will be used to engage and empower local communities such as children, youths and seniors through upskilling classes, site tours and workshops for residents to embrace a more sustainable and healthier lifestyle. We will continue to work closely with leading industry players in the private and government sector, like the Public Utilities Board (PUB) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA), to cement Singapore’s position as a leader in food innovation,” Lin added.
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Another feature of HIMASS is the proprietary AI software that was created to oversee the growing protocol, which includes monitoring, quality control at microscopic resolutions and maximising the growing and harvesting cycle. AI-enabled IoT through Digital Twin’s technology will transform and enhance productivity through predictive simulation, operational control, and real-time optimisation.
Life3 and Union Solar will collaborate with tertiary institutions Nanyang Polytechnic and ITE to spark interest and inspire youths to pursue their interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) via the route of Applied Learning in Variable Environment (ALIVE); while co-creating solutions towards achieving two key pillars of the SG Green Plan – building a resilient future and living more sustainably.
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