OUR ACCORDION TEKNOLOGY- SUPPORTED BY EU HORIZON2020
Starting with a deep understanding of microalgae's natural environment we collaborate with University of Arizona to develop and test a system based on simple and industrial components. Biopharmia has an exclusive global license to the result - the patented Accordion technology.
The Accordion system is closed, modular, simple and robust to upscale. It has low operating costs by being very energy efficient, around 20 W/m3 medium is sufficient. The investment costs are low by using materials with low costs and industrial components wherever possible. No pumping is required for the operation of the bioreactor.
Accordion give algae optimal conditions for growth, which means high productivity. Fouling has never been an issue, contributing to high biomass quality.
Advantages with Accordion:
Closed, modular, simple and robust to upscale
Low operating costs, no circulation pumps
Low investment cost by using simple, standard components
Optimal productivity from high gas exchange and low shear
The same reactor can be used to make incoculum as in production
Results achieved with Accordion
Accordion reactors have been operated for 6 years and the technology continuously improved
Production has been run in 8 parallel Accordions over 3 years for 6 different algae species with up to 6 months continuous operation of certain species, producing a total of ca 1,5 tons of biomass
All species showed significantly higher productivity than reported in literature and consistency in production and quality
No problems with fouling or culture collapse
Operational experience gives documented foundation for opex, capex and productivity data
Accordion is supported by a grant from the EU H2020 SME programme,
