LIFE ALGAECAN - Solar-powered algal wastewater treatment in fruit and vegetable processing industry
Published on 25 May 2020
Slovenia
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
Europe is the world’s second largest producer of fruit and vegetables; this fruit and vegetables processing (FVP) industry is one of the largest industrial sectors in Europe in terms of production, growth, consumption, and export. The LIFE ALGAECAN project proposes a sustainable treatment model of high loaded and salty effluents that combines cost-effective heterotrophic algae cultivation with spray drying of the collected microalgae to obtain a product of commercial interest as raw material for the production of biofertilisers, animal feed, bioplastic, etc.The technology to be applied in the project is an innovative concept for wastewater treatment, reuse and resource recovery to obtain a high quality water stream and reusable. The treatment proposed for high loaded and salty effluents is simple, from a technological point of view, with low costs associated to the treatment (both process and energy) and it would be carried out in-situ. The prototype is powered by renewable energies (solar energy supported by biomass), which will minimise the carbon footprint and operating costs of the process. The final effluent quality allows reuse for equipment cleaning and irrigation purposes.
Resources needed
Planned justified costs of the project: 1.728.000 EUR, co-financing by the European Comission (the LIFE+ program): 1.033.500 EUR
Evidence of success
LIFE ALGAECAN is ongoing project. The technology developed in this project will, on the one hand, reduce the cost of fruit and vegetable processing and, on the other, tackle the environmental impact associated with the generation of waste in the form of sludge, as is the case with traditional aerobic treatment systems. Moreover, it will make it possible to obtain high quality effluents that can be reused for irrigation or cleaning, or discharged to riverbeds.
Potential for learning or transfer
The ultimate goal of the project is to replicate its results in other places.
AlgEn is a micro SME in Slovenia, specialized in development and system integration of the algae-based systems, providing consulting and engineering services. Main activities include: a) System development for the cultivation and use of high-quality algal biomass for food and pharmaceutical use, b) Utilisation of algal—bacterial community for the waste water treatment, focusing on nutrients, CO2 and energy recovery in association with the biogas production. AlgEn has a lab for photobioreactor testing, culture growth and analysis, electronics and mechanical workshop, and pilot algal ponds. They are strongly connected to many academic and commercial institutions and regularly works in cooperative projects.
AlgEn is a micro SME in Slovenia, specialized in development and system integration of the algae-based systems, providing consulting and engineering services. Main activities include: a) System development for the cultivation and use of high-quality algal biomass for food and pharmaceutical use, b) Utilisation of algal—bacterial community for the waste water treatment, focusing on nutrients, CO2 and energy recovery in association with the biogas production. AlgEn has a lab for photobioreactor testing, culture growth and analysis, electronics and mechanical workshop, and pilot algal ponds. They are strongly connected to many academic and commercial institutions and regularly works in cooperative projects.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
AlgEn d.o.o.
Slovenia
Zahodna Slovenija
Contact