Swedish Algae Factory

Purpose and goal

The aim of the project was to verify that a cost-effective production of algae based crude oil is possible all year around in Swedish climate conditions, where algae are cultivated on wastewater. The conclusion of the project was the need for extremely large production volumes in order to reach the goal even if revenues would be obtained from a wastewater treatment service. In order to obtain a profit-making business near term, the focus has therefore mainly shifted towards utilizing the algae´s nanoporous silica shell to increase the efficiency of solar panels.

Expected results and effects

The project has demonstrated the ability to purify water and produce new renewable products from algae in a process where carbon dioxide is naturally absorbed. A demonstration plant is planned to be built to further commercialize the algae´s potential to contribute to reduced eutrophication, reduced carbon emissions and the production of algal biomass that can be used in a variety of applications useful for society. The project has also created new jobs and hopefully more jobs and growth will be created in Sweden´s future bioeconomy due to this project.

Planned approach and implementation

The project has been conducted according to plan.