Since 2010, TH Wildau has been operating an algae farming pilot plant south of Berlin, in which a photobioreactor, a methane gas reactor, and a combined heat and power plant have been connected in a closed cycle for the first time.

The main goal of the project – which is intended to provide data for a large-scale plant down the road – is the optimal configuration of the process technology components and reduction of the external energy input to a minimum. In order to measure the pH and oxygen levels, the TH Wildau technicians are deploying Knick Memosens sensors and Memorail analyzers.

Too valuable to burn
In the search for biofuels, science has been focusing on microalgae for a few years now. A variety of methods exist for obtaining combustible fuels from algae: Catalytic processes can be used to obtain fuel from specific types of algae, and fermentation process can be used to convert carbohydrates from algae into bioethanol. Another approach is the  production of methane through anaerobic fermentation of the algae mass. This is the method used in the pilot plant in Wildau.