AlgaePARC

The AlgaePARC research program has been initiated by Wageningen University and Research Centre in cooperation with nineteen industrial partners, as a part of the program BioSolar Cells. The program is performed with financial support from the Netherlands’ Ministry of Economic Affairs and the nineteen industrial partners

Goal

AlgaePARC research program has been set up to fill the gap between fundamental research on algae and full-scale algae production facilities. The main focus is to develop knowledge, technology and processes strategies to scale up microalgae facilities under industrial settings and to optimise product productivities outdoors, while decreasing production costs and energy requirements.

Research methods

Comparison of large scale photobioreactors, process analysis and optimization

Reactor performance

Comparison of large scale photobioreactors, process analysis and optimization (Lab-Pilot Plant)
The main goals of this research line is to compare the performance of different cultivation systems under the same climatological conditions and be able to reach long term stable cultivations.

Lipid productivity outdoors

Screening and optimising algal species on lipid productivity outdoors (Lab-Pilot Plant)
The main goal of this research line is to develop processes and protocols to screen high lipid productive strains and optimize lipid productivity under outdoor conditions.

Systems Analysis: Economics and sustainability

In order to evaluate the impact of the results obtained at pilot scale on the biomass production costs and be able to compare the four different cultivation systems in terms of sustainability, an economic and LCA model have been developed, respectively. Impirical data has been used in this model.

Published work

Bosma R , de Vree JH, Slegers PM, Janssen M, Wijffels RH, Barbosa MJ. 2014. Design and construction of the microalgal pilot facility AlgaePARC. Algal Research. doi:10.1016/j.algal.2014.10.006

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960852414014795

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