Project R-14707

RETHINKING MICROALGAE BIOREFINERY PROCESSES Combining low-cost harvesting (flocculation) with green extraction methods (NADES) to turn contamination into opportunity (metal-doped biochar and activated carbon) (Research)

Global environmental challenges urge us to transition towards green and renewable sources of chemicals and fuels. One such source could be microalgae, microscopic water organisms that can produce a wide range of high-value biomolecules, for example for food and health supplements. To date, however, growing and harvesting microalgae in biorefineries at an industrial scale is not commercially feasible. With our research proposal, we want to tackle this challenge by exploring how to combine low-cost microalgae harvesting methods (flocculation) with green extraction methods (NADES), while at the same time turning undesired metal contaminations into valuable products (biochar and activated carbon). We will gain new insights into microalgal-based metal bioremediation and the possibility to produce biochar and activated carbon that could be used as soil amendment, fuel or as a catalyst for gasification tar cracking. As such, we apply the framework of circular chemistry to explore, from a diverse set of angles, how we can make the microalgae biorefinery process more sustainable and commercially attractive. Such fundamental knowledge will be indispensable to speed up the transition towards a more sustainable future.

01 January 2024 - 31 December 2027