IDEA - Implementation and development of economic viable algae-based value chains

IDEA+ event - September 28th 2023

The IDEA capitalization project will conclude in 2023 with an event. This event will be organized on September 28th 2023 as a physical meeting hosted by VITO in Mol (Belgium). All stakeholders involved in algae value chains are welcome to attend the event and to share experiences!

• Registration: participation is free of charge, registration is required. 

• Want to showcase your own work concerning algae at our event? 
  External companies are welcome to install their booths. Interested companies can contact VITO via idea-project@vito.be. 
• Open the Book of abstracts

Programme:

• Coffee & registration & poster display (9h00)
  
  
• Welcome (9h50)

• Algae value chains in NWEurope from an IDEA+ project perspective - Leen Bastiaens (VITO, Belgium) - IDEA coordinator (10h00)

• Keynotes (10h25)
  • Commercial microalgae production for aquaculture application – Marco La Russa (Algaspring, The Netherlands)
  • Potential of algae for crop stimulation and protection – Stefania Lupinelli (ILSA, Italy)
                
• Algae biomass production on low organic carbon containing process water from a demineralization plant (11h00)
  • Removal of nitrogen from process water originating from a demineralization plant by algae grown in open ponds - Dimitri overmeire (YARA, The Netherlands)
  • Harvesting and processing of mixed algae biomass from an open pond - Leen Bastiaens (VITO, Belgium)
  • Cultivation of specific algae species on process water from a demineralization plant in closed systems - Floris Schoeters (Thomas More Radius, Belgium)

• Digestate as a nutrient source for algae cultivation (11h30)
  • Pretreatment requirements of digestate for use in algae cultivation - Alla Silkina (Swansea University, UK)
  • Establishing growth conditions for unialgal growth on pre-treated digestate via lab scale trials - Behnam Taidi (CentraleSupélec – University Paris-Saclay, France)
  • Pilot scale growth of Scenedesmus on pre-treated digestate - Alla Silkina (Swansea University, UK)
    
    
• Algae growth on CO₂ from (burned) biogas (12h)
  • Capture and separation of CO₂/CH₄ gases from biogas - Wim Brilman (University of Twente, The Netherlands)
  • Algae growth on recycled CO₂ from biogas at larger scale - Kris Heirbaut (Heirbaut Algriculture, Belgium)
    
    
• Lunch & poster session (12h20)
  
  
• Visit to VITO facilities (13h20)
  
  
• Impact of side-streams on algae biomass use (14h30)
  • Algae biomass quality and safety aspects - Maria Hayes (TEAGASC, Ireland)
  • First screening of application potential of algae biomass - Joran Verspreet (VITO, Belgium)
  • Potential of algae biomass for food/feed applications Maria Hayes (TEAGASC, Ireland)
  • Potential of algae biomass extracts for agro-applications – Yana De Ruyter (PCfruit, Belgium)
  • Techno-economic considerations - Mohammed El Ibrahimi (VITO, Belgium)
    
    
• Algae value chains - Views of companies perspective (15h20)
  • Farmers diversifying towards algae growth: opportunities & challenges - Kristof Severijns (Innovatiesteunpunt, Belgium)
  • Innovative approach for algae growth on residual heat - Arthur Boven – (GRO₂, Belgium) - VITO4starter
  • Application of algae in Petfood – Leonard Greene (Puremeatsnax or Tonitreat, Ireland)
  • High performance nutrition with fresh microalgae - Zakaria Grevisse (Astrofood, Belgium)
  • Vlaamse micro algen (grouping of Flemisch companies & start-ups) – Yves Vande Velde/Luc Roefs (PROVIRON, Belgium)
    
    
• Conclusions & policy recommendations (16h20)
  
  
• Networking reception & poster session (16h30)

Position papers

• Algae-based value chains
• Algae cultivation
• Application of algae-based biomass
• Logistic aspects

IDEA newsletter

We often have interesting news to tell from within our project. Keep in touch and subscribe to our newsletter!

• Newsletter 1: Algae as a viable alternative to food, animal feed and care products
• Newsletter 2: Year-round algae cultivation in NWEurope
• Newsletter 3: Latest updates in the IDEA project
• Newsletter 4: Latest updates from Feed Design Lab and Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ)
• Newsletter 5: Farmer's webinar and open call
• Newsletter 6: Wet preservation and algae biomass
• Newsletter 7: Call for abstracts is open
• Newsletter 8: Looking back at the IDEA algae value chain event on July 6th, 2021
• Newsletter 9: First two IDEA position papers available on the IDEA website
• Newsletter 10: Sustainable production of microalgae with CO₂ recycling from biogas and ambient air
• Newsletter 11: Long-term continuous harvesting of algae biomass from an open pond that is treating N-containing low carbon process water

Scientific papers

• Verspreet J., S. Kreps, L.Bastiaens.  2020. Evaluation of microbial load, formation of odorous metabolites and lipid stability during wat preservation of Nannochloropsis gaditana concentrates.  Applied Sciences (10) 3419. DOI: 10.3390/app10103419
• Verspreet J, L. Soetemans, L.Bastiaens. 2020. Searching for Appropriate Storage Conditions for Short-Term Wet Preservation of Porphyridium purpureum. Appl. Sci. 10, 8315; doi:10.3390/app10238315
• Schellevis et al. (2020). CO₂ Capture From Air in a Radial Flow Contactor: Batch or Continuous Operation?
• Van Schoubroeck et al. (2021) An integrated techno-sustainability assessment (TSA) framework for emerging technologies.
• Bermejo E., R. Filali and B. Taidi. (2021). Microalgae culture quality indicators: a review. CRITICAL REVIEWS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY. https://doi.org/10.1080/07388551.2020.1854672
• Verspreet, J., L.Soetemans, C. Gargan, M.Hayes, L.Bastiaens. (2021) Nutritional profiling and preliminairy bioactivity screening of five micro-algae strains cultivated in Northwest Europe. Foods, 10, 1516. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10071516
• Bermejo-Padilla E., Kinsou H., Filali R., Perez-Bibbins B. and Taidi B. (2021) Rapid indicators for monitoring the health of a culture of Chlamydomonas nivalis during preservation. Journal of Applied Phycology. May 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10811-021-02517-w
• Schellevis M, T. Van Schagen T, W. Brilman (2021). Process optimization of a fixed bed reactor system for Direct Air Capture. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1750583621001833
• Thoré, E.S.J, F. Schoeters, J. Spit & S. Van Miert (2021). Real-time monitoring of microalgal biomass in pilot-scale photobioreactors using nephelometry. https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9717/9/9/1530
• Schoeters F, J. Spit, R.N. Azizah, S. Van Miert (2022). Pilot-scale Cultivation of the Snow Alga Chloromonas typhlos in a Photobioreactor. 
  https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2022.896261/full
• Hayes, M., L. Mora & S. Lucakova. 2022. Identification of Bioactive Peptides from Nannochloropsis oculata Using a Combination of Enzymatic Treatment, in Silico Analysis and Chemical Synthesis. Biomolecules 12,1806. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12121806

IDEA press

• Article on VITO-website
• Article on VITO-website
• Article from VILT
• Article from Agreon
• Article from 'De Vlaamse Ondernemer'
• Article from the Innovation Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development
• Article from Vlaanderen
• Article from 'De Molenaar'
• Article from 'De Standaard'

IDEA+ event - September 28th 2023

The IDEA capitalization project will conclude in 2023 with an event. This event will be organized on September 28th 2023 as a physical meeting hosted by VITO in Mol (Belgium). More details on the programme are to follow and will be available here on the IDEA website. 

• For whom: all stakeholders involved in algae value chains are welcome to attend the event and to share experiences!

• Registration: participation is free of charge, registration is required. Register now.

• Interested in presenting a poster during the IDEA final event?
  If you are interested in presenting a poster during the event, we invite you to submit an abstract by August 16th, 2023 
  You can use the abstract template to prepare your entry.

Virtual algae inspiration tour across (NW)Europe

IDEA envisions the development and enrolment of economic viable value chains based on micro-algae in NWEurope. For that we need to interact with everybody active in that chain.

We made a digital inspiration tour that offers you the possibility to 'visit' actors in the micro algae chain and get in touch with them. This at your own speed when you have time for it!vYou can see different colors of dots on the map representing the different links in the value chain. Every dot gives access to contact info and a corporate video. By watching the video, you can 'visit' the company. Do you have further questions? Contact the company!

Have a nice trip and be careful!

• Take the tour
  

Do you miss your or other companies? Please contact Kristof Severijns: kristof.severijns@boerenbond.be

IDEA webinar- July 6th 2021

During the event findings of the IDEA project were presented by the project partners covering among others year round micro algae growth in NWeurope, increasing sustainability of micro algae growth and harvest, wet preservation of algae biomass, processing of algae biomass into products, algae-based product evaluation (feed/food/cosmetics), whole value chain assessment for techno-economic and logistic aspects, and a roadmap towards implementation of an economic viable algae value chain. Further, interactions with other projects (like ValgOrize) & stakeholders will be enabled to get a broader view on opportunities/barriers for algae in Europe.

You can review:

• Plenary presentations
• E-posters
• Book of abstracts
• Conclusions

Contact: IDEA-project@vito.be

Farmer's microalgae webinar - September 16 - 17 2020 (ENG + FR)

You can review all presentations from our microalgae webinar in French and English here

FZ Jülich Workshop - January 16th 2020

FZ Jülich organised a workshop and discussion ‘Algenbasierte Wertschöpfungsketten und Schnittstellen zur Bioökonomie’ on January 16^th, 2020.

Algae trip Holland - March 28-29 2019

Innovatiesteunpunt has organised a two-day field trip to visit several algae growers and processors in The Netherlands. 10 people were very interested in visiting the various companies such as the Algaeparc (University of Wageningen) and Roem Van Yerseke (a grower of algae). You can read the report about this trip here in Dutch.

Results related to algae growth and harvest

• Growth of cold adapted algae
  
  
  
  
• CO₂ capture from air in a radial flow contactor
  
  
  
  
• A membrane based harvesting and water re-use technology (MAF-technology)
  
  

Results related to algae processing

• Wet preservation of Nannochloropsis & Porphyridium biomass
  
  
  
  
  
• Processing of Nannochloropsis biomass: from photobioreactor to algae fractions
  
  

Results related to algae value chains

• TV-Oost report of the Heirbaut LV open day. About 100 people with different background took the opportunity to see the algae growth and MAF harvesting infrastructure, and to taste Chlorella containing food like waffles, ice-cream, chocolate and cheese.

 To help people understand our project IDEA better, we made an infographic.

You can read our IDEA folder here.