From the residual biomass of algae plants, scientists want to receive a material for wastewater treatment.
Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University and Hamburg Technology University for three years intend to implement the project of processing algae into a material for water purification with biogas production. This was reported about by Professor Natalia Politayeva, the deputy director for science at the Higher School of Biotechnology and Food Technologies under the St. Petersburg University.
"We have signed an agreement in the framework of the federal targeted program aimed at the development of biotechnology: the cultivation of algae, which is also called duckweed. It turns the water green, but can produce lots of valuable components - lipids, carotenoids, and pigments,” - she said.
The cost of the project makes 90 million rubles. Financing is carried out by the Russian and German sides in equal parts.
According to Professor Natalia Politayeva, the algae biomass remaining after getting valuable substances was cast away but the project implies its further utilization.
"From the residual biomass, we want to receive sorption material for water purification - this is exactly the know-how from the Russian side. Subsequently, all these components will be fermented into biogas for use in the urban economy”, - the scientist said.
The resulting sorbent can be used for wastewater treatment, preparation of drinking water, and filtering natural waters from traces of oil products. The universities already have industrial partners in Germany and Russia, who consider this development to be a promising business. Applied character of the project is mandatory for its implementation.
Within three years, specialists of the two universities will cultivate the German strain of algae in the conditions of Petersburg, extract the valuable component and work out the technology of producing cleansing materials and biogas separation. In this way a non-waste production of a closed cycle will be created.
As previously reported by TASS, the authorities of St. Petersburg and Hamburg signed a roadmap for the development of cooperation between the two cities in 2017-2019. The official visit of St. Petersburg delegation to Hamburg with the participation of representatives of government, business and culture figures took place from August 31 to September 3 and was dedicated to the 60th anniversary since the establishment of partnership relations. In 1957, Hamburg became the first German sister city of Leningrad in the postwar period.