Construction is expected to commence on the plant in early 2012 and the initial surface area will be 10,000 square metres. The budget allocated to the project amounts to €3 million and the first stage is expected to be complete by the end of 2012. All stages in the facility are expected to be operational before the last quarter of 2013.
The weather conditions were a decisive factor in choosing Andalusia, and more specifically the municipality of Arcos de la Frontera, as the location for this plant. The area enjoys high solar radiation and moderate average temperatures; both of which boost algae growth. Other important factors, said Iberdrola in a press statement were “the community's interest in renewable energies” and “the excellent international reputation” of the research groups in this field of science in the Andalusian universities.
This R&D project, called CO2Algaefix, is part of the LIFE+ programme run by the Directorate-General of the Environment in the European Union, one of the aims of which is to obtain renewable biofuels, including biogas.
Moreover, the 100,000+ kg/year of biomass that will be obtained during the process from the microalgae strains may also be of interest and use for sectors such as fish-farming, cosmetics, healthcare, foodstuffs for human or animal consumption or agricultural fertilisers.
The carbon dioxide that is needed for the process will be captured straight from that which is produced by generator III at Arcos power plant in the gas combustion process and the water that will be used in the cultivation will come from the recycling plant at the facility. Therefore, thanks to the technology that will be on display for the first time and on a huge scale at the plant, mostly based on flat vertical reactors and other innovative systems that have been designed/perfected by AlgaEnergy, the carbon dioxide fixation capacity could exceed 200 tonnes per year.
Algaenergy is a scientific-technological company that was founded in 2007 and focuses on continuous improvement of biological and industrial production processes involving microalgae. Some of the main projects being carried out by AlgaEnergy at the moment include Cenit Vida, CO2Biocap, Eclipse and CO2Algaefix.
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