ESPP webinar on regulatory questions for nutrient recycling from waste-derived algae

22 March 2021, 09h00 -13h00 (Paris time, CET)

All slides and links to the video recording of the webinar can be found below

Objectives:

• Identify regulatory obstacles to nutrient recycling/reuse from waste-derived algae / micro-algae, i.e. which either have had ‘waste’ status or which are grown using waste inputs
• Outline potential valorisation routes, current status of development and market potential, important risk questions (contaminants, safety)
• Propose possible approaches to address key regulatory questions identified

Examples

• algae grown using waste as a substrate, e.g. grown in municipal or industrial wastewater, in manure or food waste liquors, in digestates derived from such wastes, or fed by offgases (CO2 and/or NOx emissions mitigation),
• valorisation of the algae themselves (e.g. after ‘mechanical’ processing or dying), or of materials or chemicals derived or extracted from the algae,
• materials left over from processing algae grown for another purpose, e.g. for extraction of pharmaceuticals, biofuels, cosmetics …
• algae collected from cleaning operations, such as beach cleaning, canal dredging, clarification of eutrophied waters ….

Uses for the algae and derived materials can include:

• animal feeds
• fertilising products: nutrient fertilisers, organic soil improvers, crop biostimulants (e.g. humics)
• industrial products: packaging (fibres), chemicals …
• applications with specific regulations: cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, human food additives
• energy use: extraction of biofuels, combustion of biomass
• combinations of these, e.g. extraction of a substance for a specific use (cosmetics, biofuels) leaving remaining biomass which can be used for a lower grade application, such as animal feed or fertiliser

Proposals for short contributions are welcome, especially real case studies of regulatory questions confronting algae production process or algae-derived products. Contact:

Download the Full Programme HERE as PDF

Outline programme

 
Video Recordings

Click here to watch the playlist including the recordings of each session on our YouTube channel.

Presentations

01 - Vitor Verdelho Vieira: Overview of waste-related algae production, nutrient recycling routes, current states of development and potential markets.

02 - Joshua Fenton Cabell: Development of algae industry in Norway, nutrient supply sources, products, markets, challenges.

03 - Pete Vale: Algae to remove and recover nutrients from municipal wastewater, industrial potential, state of development.

04 - Giuliana d’Imporzano: Risk assessment of contaminants in algae grown in wastewaters.

05 - Gang Pan: Algae harvested from eutrophic waters, waste or crop?

06 - Pi Nyvall: Value added products from seaweed, regulatory questions and waste status.

07 - Frédérique Ferey: Overview of CO2 capture in the cement industry using microalgae and their subsequent uses.

08 - Catherine Legrand: Pilot testing of CO2 fixing by algae for Cementa AB, Heidelberg Cement.

09 - Pierre-Olivier Descamps: Microalgae for capture of CO2 and for wastewater nutrient removal.

10 - Marcella Fernandes de Souza: Regulatory questions raised by the Grass2Algae project (Flanders), agricultural grass juices to feed microalgae.

11 - Theodora Nikolakopoulou: Algae and micro-algae, and materials derived from them, in the EU Fertilising Products Regulation, current status (CMCs 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11), including REACH requirements.

12 - Leon Fock: Algae and algae derived materials in composts, digestates and organic fertilising products.

13 - José María Gómez: Microalgae bio-based fertilisers / biostimulants from waste streams, including projects TL-Biofer LIFE and Urbiofin H2020 BBI.

14 - Ania Escudero: Regulatory questions for valorisation of microalgae grown in municipal wastewater based on Phos4You (Interreg) experiences.

15 - Frank Rogalla: Algae as Biofuel – for vehicles and plants: carbon positive circular economy.

16 - Caroline Attard: Overview of EU rules on waste & by-products, work underway on end-of-waste under the EU Circular Economy Action Plan.

17 - Floris Schoeters: Regulatory questions around algae grown in poultry farm wastewater.

18 - Claudio Fuentes Grünewald: Use of digestates to cultivate microalgae for use in animal feed, ALG-AD (Interreg) project.

19 - Robert Reinhardt: Biostimulants and fertilisers from the algae cultivated in wastewater, Water2Return (Horizon2020).

20 - Silvio Mangini: Regulatory questions raised by Saltgae (Horizon2020), Algae to treat saline wastewater.

21 - Maris Stulgis: EU algae initiative “Blue bioeconomy - towards a strong and sustainable EU algae sector”.

22 - Paul Fourounjian: Not just algae: experience and potential of using duckweed for wastewater nutrient removal and then valorisation.

23 - Reindert Devlamynck: Regulatory questions around valorisation in animal feed of duckweed grown in pig manure.

24 - Roberta Congestri, AISAM