BIORECOVER, financed with 6.3 million euros, is focused on the recovery of high value raw materials through advanced solutions, including microalgae.

The strong commitment of AlgaEnergy to R&D is evident from the portfolio of projects in which it participates in a leading role. This biotechnology company specialized in the microalgae sector adds another project to its portfolio: BIORECOVER. Financed by 6.3 million euros, this bioremediation project aims to recover high value raw materials– such as rare-earths, magnesium, heavy or precious metals– through biotechnological solutions, including microalgae. In this sense, the roles of AlgaEnergy include the use of some of microalgae strains grown by the company, such as Chlorella, Scenedesmus, Arthrospira and Anabaena as bio-absorbents for the recovery of the aforementioned materials. AlgaEnergy’s budget for this project is approximately 449,592 euros.

The project, assigned by the European Commission within the Horizon 2020 Program, will last for 4 years and will develop a strategic research line in the European Union as the production of essential raw materials - critical raw materials (CRM). The aim of the project is to guarantee a secure, sustainable and accessible supply of CRM for fundamental economic sectors on which 30 million jobs depend, such as automotive, aerospace, construction, steel and agriculture sectors, among others.

The project has first-rate consortium members from seven different countries (Spain, Greece, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Slovenia and South Africa) and is coordinated by Multisectoral Research Technology Center (CETIM). Among the associates, companies such as Técnicas Reunidas, a Spanish engineering company listed on the Madrid’s stock exchange; the Magnesitas Navarras mining company or academic centers such as the University of Cape Town and that of Johannesburg stand out.