Norinsect in Stordal has an established mealworm production, which is further processed into insect meal, insect oil, and whole dried mealworms for use in feed production for fish, poultry, and pets. The demand for such products is increasing, but in order to expand production, additional feed sources must be explored. Large quantities of grass are produced in Møre og Romsdal, which could potentially serve as a local, sustainable feed source. At the same time, mealworm production generates significant amounts of frass as a byproduct, which can be utilized as nutrient-rich fertilizer or in biogas production.

RIBI Bioenergi operates a biogas plant in Aureosen, where manure from cattle and pig production, as well as fish sludge, is used as a substrate. Frass contains both carbon and nitrogen, making it well-suited as an additive in biogas production. Integrating frass into the biogas process can contribute to increased gas yield while also producing digestate that can be used for grass cultivation.

The main objective is to establish a circular value chain where digestate from biogas production is used to grow grass as insect feed, while frass from mealworm production is used as a substrate in biogas production. The project will assess the suitability of grass as insect feed and document how frass can contribute to increased biogas production. This could lay the foundation for a more sustainable and local production system in Møre og Romsdal.