Presentation of the GICON Photobioreactor in Hamburg

GICON, as part of the 4th Annual Federal Algae Roundtable (May 3-4, 2011, in Hamburg), presents the GICON Photobioreactor based on the "Christmas tree" principle.

Algae can become an important raw material and energy source in the future.  On this point, the 150 scientists from universities, research institutes and industry from all over Germany who were present at this year’s Federal Algae Roundtable (Bundes-Algen-Stammtisch) were agreed.  The two-day conference also demonstrated, however, that considerable efforts are still needed to affordably and efficiently produce microalgae, and to subsequently process these algae into valuable material and energetic products.

In a 20-minute presentation, Dr. Fritz Cotta from GICON GmbH described to the audience in the auditorium the promising results from initial algae cultivation tests with the GICON photobioreactor.

Through the use of novel materials, biofilm formation has been successfully minimized and, via an efficient and targeted process management, productivity control with low specific energy use has been achieved.  The temperature-controlled system design without external cooling enables the development of a scalable platform technology, even taking closed-cycle operation into account in the most diverse climatic zones.

The generation of defined product qualities within a closed cycle enables the implementation of bio-refining, producing valuable ingredients for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics as well as energetic utilization of residual algae biomass.