FUELGAE aims to develop a novel model for producing advanced liquid fuels from the CO₂ emissions streams generated by two industrial sectors (biorefinery and energy-intensive industries). A microalgae pilot plant will be set up on-site to absorb the emissions, integrated into their infrastructure.

Like other plants, microalgae naturally capture and convert CO₂ during photosynthesis – it's just that they are particularly good at it. So, they use CO₂ as a feedstock in a photo-bioreactor, then catalytic technologies will turn the microalgae into biofuels. The goal is to produce renewable fuels while reducing CO₂ emissions and therefore reducing the greenhouse gas effect.

The potential of microalgae has been recognised for a while, but high production costs and a negative energy balance have prevented the process from becoming economically viable. After development at lab-scale, the FUELGAE project will validate the CO₂ capture process at two sites in Europe (a biorefinery in Spain, and a steel mill in Romania) using a pilot photo-bioreactor on-site. These different sites will provide a range of gaseous feedstock for the microalgae, demonstrating the flexibility and robustness of the new technology.

FUELGAE is making good progress. It has now entered its development phase, transitioning from early-stage research to demonstration, validation and exploitation of results. 

It has optimised microalgae strains and commissioned pilot-scale photo-bioreactor systems for cultivating them. It has also developed advanced catalysts enabling efficient conversion of the microalgae into advanced liquid biofuels.

Next, FUELGAE will move towards large-scale validation by expanding pilot operations in real industrial environments, including biorefineries and energy-intensive sectors. The project will focus on advancing commercialisation pathways, supporting the uptake of microalgae-based fuels by industry, and refining business models for market deployment.

See their press release for more information!