Evonik Industries held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the on-schedule start of construction on the first plant for the production of AQUAVI Met-Met in Antwerp, Belgium. The product, a dipeptide made up of two methionine molecules, is a feed additive specially developed for shrimp and other crustaceans in aquacultures. The investment volume is in the lower double-digit-million-euro range.
Commercial quantities of the product will be available when the new plant commences operation in the second half of 2015. Customers can now request samples from Evonik to carry out joint feed studies. Feed studies on quantities from pilot plants are already underway worldwide.
“Adding a highly effective methionine source to the feed is just as profitable for shrimp and crustaceans as for fish. We now can offer our customers also for this species a tailor-made solution,” said Dr. Emmanuel Auer, head of the Animal Nutrition Business Line at Evonik in Antwerp.
AQUAVI Met-Met significantly reduces the consumption of fish meal in shrimp aquaculture. It therefore lowers feed costs, reduces the strain on fishing grounds worldwide, and helps water purity by reducing the amount of waste produced by the animals and nitrogen output into the environment through an optimal supply of methionine. With optimal nutrition, the shrimp stay healthier and the environment is less polluted.
