Research

Aims & Objectives

The objectives of the SusAlgaeFuel project are focused on developing innovative and sustainable processes for producing microalgae-based sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).

The project partners aim to innovate across multiple stages of the microalgae value chain, from cultivation to fuel production, to make algal SAFs more cost-competitive and sustainable.

The researchers also seek to create a synergistic relationship between anaerobic digestion by-products and microalgae cultivation, reducing costs and environmental impact.

Objective 1:

Enhance Microalgae Growth and Biomass Productivity

Investigate strategies to capture biogenic CO2 and recover nutrients from liquid digestate for microalgae cultivation.

Develop and optimise high-density cultivation strategies using oleaginous microalgae species.

Implement a novel membrane system for efficient CO2 delivery to the microalgae.

Integrate these systems to achieve high biomass productivity and lipid accumulation.

Objective 2:

Monitor and Manage Bacterial Contamination

Develop an in-line monitoring system using advanced spectroscopic methods and machine learning to detect bacterial contamination.

Create a selective UV irradiation system to reduce harmful bacteria and promote beneficial bacterial growth in microalgae cultures.

Objective 3:

Develop a Low-Energy Biorefinery

Optimise cell disruption techniques and solvent extraction processes to fractionate wet microalgae biomass into lipids, proteins, and biomass residue for biofuel production.

Objective 4:

Optimise Catalytic Conversion to Aviation Fuels

Develop catalytic pathways for converting microalgae biomass components into high-quality kerosene mixture.

Purify the resulting biofuels to meet aviation fuel standards.

Objective 5:

Assess Commercial Scalability and Environmental Impact

Conduct process simulations and a comprehensive Whole Life Cycle Analysis (WLCA) to assess the sustainability and scalability of the algae fuel production process.

Objective 6:

Pilot-Scale Demonstration

Build and operate a pilot-scale facility to demonstrate the scalability of the SusAlgaeFuel process, including CO2 capture, digestate treatment, and microalgal lipid production.

Objective 7:

Dissemination and Exploitation

Develop communication strategies to share project results with stakeholders, collaborate with other initiatives, manage intellectual property, and explore commercialization pathways.