A4F – ALGAFUEL, S.A.

Description of main R&I activities

Design Build and operation of ALGAFARM – a 1300 m3, 1 ha, 12 M€, tubular photobioreactor unit in Pataias, Portugal. At the time of construction, it was the largest tubular photobioreactor microalgae production unit in the world. 

Participation in FP7 and H2020 European R&D projects GIAVAP, BIOFAT, PUFA-CHAIN, DEMA, Photofuel, ABACUS, ALFF, Photo.comm, for the development of microalgae technologies and techno-economic assessment. The BIOFAT project involved the design, build and operation of a 5000 m2 cascade raceway unit with 180 m3 of total working volume. 

Development of the ALGATEC Eco business park, 14 ha, 22 M€, to host a number of microalgae industrial projects e.g. BIOFAT.PT unit and smaller-scale concept features and prototypes.

Key contributions for the CoLAB

A4F will contribute with all the algae biomass activities from culturing to harvesting and valorisation by subsequent downstream processing and biorefining. A4F will provide significant scale-up capability to the algae section of this proposal as it has available a pilot plant and an industrial park that can be used for these activities. Within the scope of the algae sector A4F will contribute with market survey activities, will be responsible for cultivation of algae biomass and will optimize and develop improved fractionation and pre-treatment techniques to valorise biomass products and bioenergy-processes side streams. A4F will also partake in the techno-economic analysis, process integration and optimization activities, in addition to the sustainability assessment.

International Networks / Associations

European Association of Algae Biomass (EABA), Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), Biobased Industries (BBI)