AlgaFilm offers modular, photovoltaic‑powered photobioreactors that treat municipal and industrial wastewater by cultivating a mixotrophic algae‑bacteria consortium to remove nitrogen and phosphorus and fix atmospheric CO₂. The system integrates with existing treatment trains, produces harvestable algae biomass for fertilizer or biofuel, and operates with net‑zero carbon emissions.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Municipal and industrial wastewater treatment facilities must meet tightening nutrient discharge limits while minimizing energy use and greenhouse‑gas emissions. Conventional biological processes often require large footprints, high operational costs, and do not capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Consequently, utilities face a trade‑off between compliance, sustainability, and economic viability.
Solution
AlgaFilm’s Algae Forest process delivers a compact, sun‑powered photobioreactor system that cultivates a mixotrophic algae‑bacteria consortium directly on wastewater streams. The engineered algae rapidly assimilate nitrogen and phosphorus, achieving removal rates of up to 16 t N yr⁻¹ and 4 t P yr⁻¹ per hectare, while simultaneously fixing atmospheric CO₂ at roughly 400 t yr⁻¹. The generated biomass can be harvested for downstream valorisation (e.g., fertilizer, biofuel, nutraceuticals), creating a revenue‑positive by‑product loop. Because the reactors are powered by photovoltaic panels, the overall treatment train operates with net‑zero carbon emissions, enabling utilities to upgrade capacity and meet regulatory targets without additional fossil‑fuel energy. The modular design integrates with existing secondary or tertiary treatment stages and can be retrofitted to anaerobic digester sidestreams, providing a scalable, climate‑aligned solution.
Target Audience
The primary customers are municipal wastewater utilities and industrial plant operators (e.g., food‑processing, petrochemical, and pulp‑and‑paper facilities) seeking carbon‑neutral nutrient removal and a value‑added biomass stream. Secondary users include anaerobic digester operators and water‑resource managers upgrading sidestream treatment capacity.
Features
- Sun‑powered, modular photobioreactor units with a footprint of less than 0.1 ha per module, suitable for on‑site deployment.
- Mixotrophic algae‑bacteria culture (Chlorella / Spirulina strains) optimized for high nutrient uptake and rapid growth under variable light conditions.
- Integrated CO₂ capture from ambient air delivering up to 400 t yr⁻¹ of fixed carbon per hectare, contributing to carbon‑neutral operation.
- Automated monitoring and control system (pH, dissolved oxygen, nutrient sensors) with cloud‑based analytics for real‑time performance optimization.
- Biomass harvesting subsystem that produces dry algae suitable for fertilizer, animal feed, biofuel precursors, or high‑value nutraceutical extraction.
- Compatibility with existing secondary/tertiary treatment trains and anaerobic digester sidestreams via plug‑and‑play hydraulic interfaces.
- Compliance‑focused nutrient removal performance (≥90 % nitrogen, ≥85 % phosphorus) meeting EU‑WFD and US‑EPA discharge standards.
- Lifecycle assessment tools demonstrating net‑zero CO₂ emissions and reduced energy intensity compared with conventional activated‑sludge processes.