Translation by Christopher LONGMORE from the original article by Francis Rousseau of 3B Conseils.
The idea, known for some time, is based on layers and cultures of algae called "heterotrophs" or "mixotrophs" needing little or no light to grow thus increasing the yield 50 or even 100 fold than that obatined from tradtional "autotroph" cultures.
Pierre Calléja, the founding president of FERMTALG (seen here with part of his cultures bank) is a biologist who has already worked in the aquacole sector with Ceva Santé Animale. In a recent interview with the Sud Ouest newspaper said that "with EIMA (the French acronym for Industrial Exploitation of MicroAlgae), we are entering into the era of real exploitation. Thanks to this 5 year program, we are able to put in place a real factory and different production processes. We will start with food supplements like Omega 3s next year, moving on to molecules for the cosmetics industry in three years time, and then to green chemistry for bioplastics. The last task will be the development of biofuels. Just 1000 sq. mtrs. will be enough to rpoduce as much bio-diesel as 500 hectares of colza - a yield 5000 times higher, guaranteed, is produced without chemicals, pesticides, or polluting residue, and that has a good carbon footprint.
This is a song already heard from the other side of the Atlantic, where there have been several encouraging results. In France, the ambitions EIMA project brings together a network of first rank participants uniting all those most interested in the raw material generated by algae. FERMENTALG has allies like Lactalis - French no 2 in the agrofood industry, Pierre Guerin Technologies - stainless steel vessel specialist, Sanders - animal feed, Rhodia - chemicals and cosmetics, and Diester - French no. 1 in biofuels. The company has also formed alliances with scientific institutions like the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique et aux energies alternatives, INSA (Institut National des Sciences Appliquées), ITERG (Institut National des Corps Gras).These links between the public and private sectors could finish as a 120 person consortium. The EIMA project should result in tenfold reduction in the costs of producing biomass from algae within 5 years, thus enabling its use for the production of biofuels. Pierre Calléja commented: "This phase of industrialisation, which is the first in Europe, allows us to raise FERMENTALG to the same high level as our principal global competitors in the world, be they in the USA or China, and opens vast development oppoortunities".
Founded in 2009 in Libourne, near Bordeaux in south-western France, FERMENTALG currently has 20 employees and owns a wide portfolio of intellectual property in the field of microalgae and their exploitation. Given the substantial capital committed and the partners it has recruited, the FERMENTALG project seems to be for now one of the most serious French forays into the domaine of biofuel production from algae.
Sources: The documents and sites mentinned. Photos: ©Fermentalg
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