From Algae to Biogas: Work Begins on a Pioneering Pilot Facility

Work has recently begun on an algal biotechnology pilot facility in the Flemish city of Roeselare which will allow scientists to explore pioneering methods of treating wastewater with microalgae and new microalgal harvesting techniques. It is one of nine pilot sites across North West Europe that are being constructed as part of the EnAlgae project, an INTERREG IVB NWE Strategic Initiative.

The project's aim is to develop sustainable technologies for algal biomass production, bioenergy and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. It wants to stimulate the uptake of these next generation biofuel technologies and take then from pilot facilities through to market-place products and services.

The new facility is being built at the Aquaculture Practice Centre at Inagro which was chosen by scientists from Howest, University College West Flanders after a call was issued for suitable locations earlier this year. Howest is one of 19 EnAlgae (UK) partners working together across seven EU member states.

Construction work at the site will be completed by Bebouwen en Bewaren bvba and CATAEL bvba is finalising its contribution in product life cycle steering and data logging. The facility will be launched on 26 March at an event which members of the public can attend.

Sofie Van Den Hende, Project Collaborator, Howest, said: "Our pilot facility will look specifically at how microalgal bacterial flocs (MaB-flocs) can be used to treat wastewater, and then be harvested and anaerobically co-digested to biogas. It is the first facility of its kind in this region and has been made possible by the transnational co-operation of our EnAlgae colleagues and our funders of the INTERREG programme, the Flemish Government , the Province West-Flanders."

Han Vervaeren, Howest, said: "This new facility will be in place for until October 2013 and in March this year we will issue a second call for new host locations for 2014."