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Knowledge
Aqualia
lleads
a
European project to obtain
biofuel
from residual waters
The program is part of the EU R+D+i ini-
tiatives. Another six research companies
from Germany, the United Kingdom, Ho-
lland, Austria, and Turkey participate in the
project led by Aqualia. The All-gas project
is in keeping with the EU’s commitment to
research aimed at securing new sources of
clean energy. The EU budget will contribute
funds totalling more than 7 million Euros,
underscoring Europe’s efforts to reduce de-
pendency on fossil fuels. By 2020, the goal
is to obtain 20% of the energy produced in
Europe from renewable sources.
In practice, the project is based on using
waste water to cultivate microalgae and its
subsequent conversion into energy pro-
ducts such as biodiesel. Development of
this project is expected to last five years,
broken down into two phases; the first
2-year phase mainly focusing on research;
and a second 3-year phase will involve pro-
duction per se.
The essential installations for the first pha-
se will be housed at the El Torno Waste
Water Treatment Plant in Chiclana (Cádiz).
Two ponds, an algae collection system and
ancillary installations will be situated in the
municipal salt mines next to the treatment
plant. The second phase involves the cul-
tivation of algae in a 10-hectare industrial
plant.
Among the advantages of innovation of the
All-gas project is improved efficiency since
it involves the cultivation of rapid-growth
microalgae and the simultaneous elimina-
tion of the nutrients contained in residual
waters, followed by the recollection and
processing of biomass for oil and other
chemical products. This is the first time that
a project of this type has been developed in
large scale (10 hectares of crops). The bio-
fuels produced in this algae-farm is expec-
ted to meet the annual demand of a fleet of
400 vehicles.
This technology also makes it possible to
obtain biofuels, such as biodiesel, biogas,
and biomass efficiently without the need
for large plantations of other food products
as raw materials, thereby preventing the in-
crease in the price of food products.
Part of the
EU’s R+D+i
initiatives
Aqualia, the FCC subsidiary specialising in end-to- end water management, unveiled the
All-gas project in London that will make it possible to obtain biofuel from waste water
treatment. The project’s budget is 12 million Euros.