Archimede Ricerche Srl and Microalghe Camporosso Srl, with the mother house A&A Fratelli Parodi Spa, are actively involved in the BIOFAT European project.
The BIOfuel From Algae Technologies BIOFAT) project, largely funded by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Program, aims to demonstrate that biofuels made from microalgae can offer energy efficiency, economic viability and environmental sustainability.
Ten partners from seven countries have joined in an innovative project to show that ethanol, biodiesel and bio-products can be produced from algae on a large scale.Algae's potential for providing high-energy-yield products with low greenhouse gas emissions has been long understood, but the potential downside from such development is less clear. BIOFAT seeks to maximize the benefits from algae while minimizing environmental impacts. Along the way, the project will introduce the world to the algo-refinery, a facility that can produce high-value co-products in addition to biofuels.

The BIOFAT approach integrates and scales up complementary technologies and skills from each partner into a global multidisciplinary project.

The value chain of biofuel production from microalgae will be tested on a large scale during the project with three main targets:

1. Energy efficiency
2. Economic viability
3. Environmental sustainability

Sustainability is the key factor for biofuel from algae production, considering both environmental (e.g. use of marine strains to limit freshwater use) and economic (e.g. low energy consumption) sustainability.

The project will be implemented in two phases:

1. Process optimization in two pilot scale facilities, each one-half hectare in size, located in Italy (Camporosso) and Portugal
2. Economical modelling and scale-up to a 10-hectare demo facility

The technologies adopted in the pilot plant will be fully representative of the solutions that will characterize the DEMO facility.

Please visit the BIOFAT official website for more informations.