Algae Project
In today's BioFuels industry, everyone is searching for alternative raw materials. One such promising feedstock is Algae. Certain algae have between 50% to 300% more oil content than Rape and are theoretically much easier to cultivate.
So, why isn't everybody jumping on this one? Some have, but the production process is still in the early stages, and the commercialization of Algae-to-BioFuel has not yet been achieved. It may be around the corner, but we're not there yet.
Our project is designed to minimize the investment risk by launching a closed-system (photo-bioreactor) algal oil project while generating cash-flow through the commercialization of other algae uses. In other words, our capital will not be tied into R & D alone, but will generate profit at the same time as researching algal fuel.
The project is two-tiered.
- Set up peripheral Algae Farms at various BioGas plants for the production of Biomass plus other algal byproducts manufactured in a Central Unit.
- Identify the suitable method of oil extraction for the commercial production of BioFuel.
During the first two years, the production of only one product is planned: the blue-green micro alga or cyanobacteria spirulina platensis, a food additive and raw material for the production of colorants.
After a successful start, another 3-4 economically interesting algae cultures will be grown in approx. 20 new peripheral units that are added annually. Among the planned algae cultures are, for example, Haematococcus pluvialis for the production of astaxanthin – an important resource for salmon farming, or the alga Phaeodactylum tricornutum for the extraction of cholesterol-reducing unsaturated Omega-3 fatty acids.
Why BioGas?
BG plants release what Algae need: Heat & CO2. In Germany, approximately 3,300 biogas plants are in operation today producing electrical power with the help of diesel engines and generators and feed it into the power supply net. More than 60% of the produced energy is obtained in the form of heat. However, half of the BG plants cannot use this heat economically because they are located far from potential consumers.
Our project enables BG operators who cooperate with us to use the produced heat independently of location and obtain much higher profits while inexpensively producing biomass at the same time. A standard BG plant (approx. 80% of all plants) with a power production of approx. 4 Mio KWh per year can expect about 25% higher income and obtain additional profits of up to 200K € per year. In addition, the operator receives an annual remuneration for the produced biomass from us.
The technology of production chosen by us is ecologically sustainable because we are using the autotrophic cultivation method, meaning only nutrients, CO2 and water are used for the cultivation and growth of the algae.
By separating the growth of the algae in peripheral biogas plants with remunerations for the used heat from the algae processing in a central unit, the production costs for algae biomass can be reduced so far that a new market with algae concentrates emerges, while highest purity standards are observed.
This synergy of the photobioreactor and a biogas plant creating a single new production unit is protected by process patent applications.
