What is ALG-AD?
ALG-AD is a Interreg NWE funded project in which new technology is being developed to take excess waste nutrients produced from anaerobic digestion of food and farm waste to cultivate algal biomass for animal feed and other products of value.
ALG-AD brings together a group of scientists and engineers from 11 different partners in four countries across North West Europe. These academics are working together with industry to develop a circular economy solution to create wealth from waste.
Why is the project necessary?
There is an urgent need to develop sustainable food and farming.
North West Europe is a densely populated and intensely agricultural area. It thus contributes disproportionately to food and farm waste produced in the EU each year.
Increasing amounts of food and farm waste are processed using anaerobic digestion (AD). AD converts waste to biogas used for energy and a liquid nutrient rich digestate, most of which is returned to land as a biofertiliser.
However, there are strict limits on the amount of digestate which is allowed to be put back on agricultural land. Strict limits are imposed with EU legislation and so-called Nitrate Vulnerable Zones. This is increasingly creating excess unwanted nutrients.
The ability to use these excess nutrients to produce new products presents a circular economy solution.
How can ALG-AD help?
ALG-AD combines algal and AD technology. Microalgae, mainly photosynthetic microorganisms will be cultivated, converting the unwanted nutrients into biomass. The cultivated algal biomass is rich in protein and other useful compounds, and can be used to generate sustainable animal feed products and other useful bio-products.
What is ALG-AD doing?
ALG-AD has completed three pilot facilities construction at 3 distinct ‘real life conditions locations in North West Europe: Devon (UK), Ghent (Be) and Brittany (Fr). Each facility used local conditions to grow the algae and record results. Information from the three pilots is used to generate Decision Support Tools. These tools together with a demonstration to stakeholders promote the adoption of the new technology.
The valorisation of produced algal biomass will be achieved through the animal feed preparation. The process of hydrolysation of algal biomass with the assessment of pathogens and heavy metals level, permitting to use this biomass for the animal (piglet and fish) nutrition trials.
25 Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat
Ghent
9000
Belgium
P.O. Box 3640
Karlsruhe 12
76131
Germany
1 Curzon Street
Birmingham
B4 7XG
United Kingdom
1 Higher Challonsleigh
Plymouth
PL7 5AY
United Kingdom
223 Derbystraat
Ghent
9051
Belgium
La Géraudière Rue P. A. Bobierre
Nantes
44939 Cedex 9
France
3 rue des Archives
Brest
29238
France
1 Rue Dumont d'Urville
Plouzané
29280
France
7 Rue de la Jeannaie Maroue
Lambelle
22400
France
1 Singleton Park
Swansea
SA28PP
United Kingdom
Lead partner
| Organisation | Address | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swansea University |
1 Singleton Park Swansea SA28PP United Kingdom |
a.silkina@swansea.ac.uk | www.swansea.ac.uk |
| Name | Contact Name | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universiteit Gent | Marcella Fernandes de Souza | Marcella.FernandesDeSouza@UGent.be | Belgium |
| Karlsruher Institut für Technologie | Christine Rösch | christine.roesch@kit.edu | Germany |
| Birmingham City University | Lynsey Melville | Lynsey.Melville@bcu.ac.uk | United Kingdom |
| Langage AD | Daniel Langton | daniel.langton@langagefarm.com | United Kingdom |
| INNOLAB | Bernard Willems | bernard.willems@innolab.be | Belgium |
| Association des Chambres d'Agriculture de l'Arc Atlantique | Alexandre Morin | contact@ac3a.chambagri.fr | France |
| Université de Bretagne Occidentale | Denis de la Broise | denis.de-labroise@univ-brest.fr | France |
| Le Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique | Philippe Soudant | philippe.soudant@univ-brest.fr | France |
| Cooperl arc Atlantique | Barbara Clement-Larosiere | barbara.clement-larosiere@cooperl.com | France |
« A regulatory review on the use of digestate to cultivate algal biomass for animal feed » is the report written by NNFCC for the WP long term. Read More
The ALG-AD exhibition in Derval was inaugurated in November 2020, it will also be entirely accessible online, via an app and available in French and English. Read More
The second ALG-AD event was held on 28th January, and colleagues and interested stakeholders again connected to hear two speakers share their knowledge relating to digestate processing, algal cultivation and the potential commercial markets for microalgae. Read More
Dr Lynsey Melville, Lead of the Bioresource and Bioeconomy Research Group at Birmingham City University, as well as leader of ALG-AD decision support tool (DST) development, attended the ADBA National Conference last week. Lynsey has shared her reflections on the event and its relevance for our stakeholders. Read More
The New Year is well and truly underway, and ALG-AD partners are continuing to spread the word about our project activity. Read More
Exciting times on the ALG-AD project, as this week the biomass produced by one of our investments, based in Cooperl, France, moved one step closer to being ready for inclusion as an animal feed ingredient. Read More
A Swansea University team has published a new article, detailing a novel approach to reuse food and farm waste at an industrial scale, using microalgae. The paper explains the ways in which algae can be cultivated using excess nutrients, the optimum two-step approach used to maximise productivity, and how this biomass is optimally suited for use as an animal feed ingredient. Implementation of circular approaches in industry, by minimising waste and optimising reuse of resources, is of critical environmental importance. Microalgal cultures are particularly adept at waste remediation, and are also incredibly versatile in how they can be processed and applied. This article explains in more detail how the ALG-AD team have demonstrated the ability of microalgae to remediate organic waste at an industrial scale. Read More
ALG-AD is exploring ways to develop a circular approach to microalgae cultivation, utilising the by-products from the AD/biogas industry, to generate products of value for another. The team has built three facilities that are already using the nutrients in digestate to cultivate microalgae. So far, the ALG-AD team has focussed on the production of biomass for use as animal feed, however additional funding has been allocated to the team to expand on the work already done to also cultivate algae for use as fish feed. Read More
ALG-AD exhibition at Derval experimental farm (FR) presented at AC3A General Assembly to 27 presidents and directors of Chambers of Agriculture part of the network On 8th October 2020, AC3A brought together its members – representatives of the Chambers of Agriculture – for its Annual General Assembly. At the heart of the discussions: innovation, with a focus on several European projects including the ALG-AD project dedicated to the cultivation of microalgae grown on digestate. Read More
Dr Alla Silkina and Professor Lynsey Melville presented ALG-AD in the Research and Innovation hub at the World Biogas Expo 2020 this week. https://www.biogastradeshow.com/innovationhub/ Information about our work was shared with an international audience, including the latest results on digestate processing, algal cultivation and the exciting compounds found within the algae grown on digestate. Read More
AC3A and Normandy School of Management are organizing an event dedicated to anaerobic digestion on March 3 and 4 in Caen as part of the ALG-AD and DETECTE projects.
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AD plant managers/owners and novel feed producers are being invited to join the ALG-AD project at a workshop which will be held in February at its pilot facility in Oostkamp, Belgium.
The event, planned for Thursday 13th February 2020, offers delegates the opportunity to find out more about the work being done on the project and to contribute to its further development and long term implementation. We would specifically like to receive information from the delegates on the criteria needed for them to adopt the ALG-AD technology in the future.
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Biogaz Europe is the reference event for biogas in France. This year ALG-AD attended, spreading the word about the project and our aims and objectives.
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An open day and workshop was held recently at the lead partner facilities in South Wales to allow a chance for face to face discussions to take place between partners, and to see the reactor facilities available at the lead partner.
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ALG-AD attended this day and a half transnational event as it focussed on the results achieved by the 83 NWE projects funded so far.
Particularly useful was guidance on how to further support uptake and impact of the work being undertaken by researchers.
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Professor Carole Llewellyn was invited to talk about the work being done by ALG-AD at the close out conference held in Slovenia for the Saltgae project.
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The workshop aim was to look at different aspects of microalgae growth, harvesting, and production methods.
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Our colleague Jai Sankar Seelam gave an introductory pitch on the project to colleagues and students at an inspiring afternoon events at the university.
His talk took place in a session which was organised by an end-of-waste business platform. It was billed as a unique opportunity to learn about the strategic developments in policy and industry, and current efforts at the faculty, and of the the efforts being made towards a more sustainable future.
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Swansea University’s Oriel Science hosted “Super Science Sunday” at the National Waterfront Museum, during British Science Week 2019.
Visitors of all ages saw a huge range of interactive science exhibits, from animals and insects to black holes and astronauts! They were able to spend the day exploring current research with hands on learning, which was suitable for the entire family.
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The second Nordic Algae Symposium was a one day symposium focusing on European & Nordic algal research and production sector, bringing together industrial and academic researchers engaged to algal studies & technologies.
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