EC-funded BIOFAT project to demonstrate ethanol, biodiesel and bioproducts from algae at scale; the algorefinery
24 May 2011
Nine partners from seven countries have joined in a project to show that ethanol, biodiesel and bioproducts can be produced from algae on a large scale. The BIOfuel From Algae Technologies (BIOFAT) project, largely funded by the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme, aims to demonstrate that biofuels made from microalgae can offer energy efficiency, economic viability and environmental sustainability.
The microalgae-to-biofuel demonstration project aims to integrate the entire value chain in the production of ethanol and biodiesel. The process begins with strain selection and proceeds to biological optimization of the culture media, monitored algae cultivation, low energy harvesting and technology integration. The development team will train on existing prototypes in Israel, Portugal and Italy, then scale up the process at a 10-hectare demonstration plant. The project is expected to last four years and produce about 900 tons of algae annually on the 10-hectare plant.
BIOFAT seeks to maximize the benefits from algae while minimizing environmental impacts. Along the way, the project will introduce the concept of the algorefinery, a facility that can produce high-value co-products in addition to biofuels.
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BIOFAT overview. Source: Hart Energy. Click to enlarge. |
Abengoa Bioenergia Nuevas Tecnologias (ABNT), a subsidiary of Abengoa Bioenergy, is the coordinator for BIOFAT project. The project will be carried out by a transnational consortium drawn from the academic, industrial and public sectors and include the University of Florence (IT), A4F-AlgaFuel (PT), Ben-Gurion University (IL), Fotosintetica & Microbiologica (IT), Evodos (NL), AlgoSource Technologies (FR), IN SRL (IT) and Hart Energy (BE).
They could have picked a better name, some may think it has to do with animal fat and biodiesel.
Posted by: SJC | 27 May 2011 at 07:30 AM
:-) You do have a point here, SJC!
Posted by: CelsoS | 30 May 2011 at 03:18 PM