Commercial use of biomass generated by microalgal treatment of wastewater

UK and European wastewater industries are struggling to identify and install the technology necessary to meet the ever more stringent demands placed on them through legislation. Such regulations are demanding they produce effluents with lower nutrient contents, whilst reducing the energy use of their processes at the same time. Microalgae if used properly can treat these wastewaters in an efficient cost effective manner. Microalgae are capable of accumulating nutrients and also contaminants present in the wastewater such as heavy metals, pharmaceutical compounds and other chemicals. Industrial Phycology (I-PHYC) has developed an innovative microalgal treatment of wastewater which has two revenue streams. One revenue stream is the service of treating wastewater which is well proven. The second revenue stream is the value from microalgal biomass that accumulated during the treatment process. This biomass can be used in variety of applications including chemical energy, specific products, or fertilisers. The objective of this project is to characterize microalgal biomass produced in different wastewater streams and to identify specific markets with commercial interest in such biomass.