French Shamash Project focuses on Microalgae

In France, micro-algae are the subject of attention of researchers. Among their benefits, compared with current biofuels, micro-algae photosynthetic performance promise a much higher metabolic plasticity and a much larger makes it easier to steer bioproduction to certain fatty acids. The control of nutrient recycling allows for control of the cycle of nitrogen and phosphorus. They do not require input of plant health and provide many valuable by-products and technologies used in developing countries.  

Since late 2006, a French project named Shamash aims to produce biofuel from microalgae autotrophs. The primary objective is to assess the technical and economic feasibility of a production of methyl ester. 

Microalgae can accumulate up to 50% of their dry weight fatty acids, to consider yield per hectare 30 times greater than for biofuels derived from crop land. They can provide 20 to 75 m3 of oil per hectare per year, according to sources. This project includes researchers from several research organizations, INRIA, CNRS, IFREMER, CEA, CIRAD, and universities in Nantes and Aix en Provence, and two companies, Valcobio and Alphabiotech. The project includes both specialists in the culture, physiology and use of micro-algae, as specialists in the optimization of biotechnological processes, biofuels and extraction and purification of lipids. 

Among them, the team COMORE from INRIA Sophia Antipolis, associated with the Laboratoire d'Océanographie de Villefranche, seeks to understand and quantify the physiological mechanisms underlying order to define the optimal conditions for production of oil, while maintaining a strong growth of algae. 

Numerical modeling plays a crucial role to predict the amount of carbon stored by the algae in the form of oil, according to conditions of stress and environment. We need to find a compromise between the strong growth of microalgae and production of oil related to a nutritional stress. 

Shamash project has a total budget of 2.8 million euros. The National Program of Research on Bioenergy (PNRB) of the ANR contributes to the tune of 0.8 million euros. The project is coordinated by O. Bernard (INRIA Sophia-Antipolis).

Source : Shamash

More information on Algae :  Algae World in Rotterdam  

Algae World 2009

27-28 Apr, 2009 - Rotterdam

 Algae World 2009 dives into the following sessions :

-Managing an efficient value chain - multiple output & revenues
-Full utilization of algae's potential - markets and technology of converting to Biodiesel, Bioethanol, Carbon Sequestration, Water Remediation, Biogas, Biochemicals, Animal Feed
-Capabilities and limitations of Open System vs. Closed System / Hybrid 
-Algae Productivity and Photosynthetic Efficiency
-How to achieve target production cost? 
-Innovations & breakthroughs in algal harvesting
-Best practices in algal biomass processing
-Impact of difficult credit markets on clean-tech private equity investment

       

KAPLAN ENERGY : A french innovation in solar water heaters

As partners with the CNRS and CETHIL, this young company is specialized in solar water heaters. 

KAPLAN ENERGY has a strong competitive advantage: an innovative solution (E-Store) to provide the energy, including days without sun, through thermal batteries to an accumulation of over-solar and the restitution days where the sun does not go "explains Yann Kaplan, the project of the structure. 

 

KAPLAN ENERGY allows your solar water heater to increase storage capacity without increasing the volume of the balloon. 
Furthermore it allows to accumulate continuous overproduction of certain solar days for the return day without sunshine. 

The patented E-Store is the result of a long collaboration between CETHIL / CNRS and the team of innovation and technological development of society KAPLAN ENERGY. The E-store technology uses many small thermal batteries High performance modular based system requirements. Particular attention was paid to the design of these batteries ensuring optimum return of heat energy solar balloons. Three people are working in the company and KAPLAN ENERGY plans to recruit new staff in 2009.

Source : Kaplan Energy

Cleantuesday Rhone Alpes

Created by CleanTuesday (www.cleantuesday.com) and proposed by InnovaFonds (www.innovafonds.com) in partnership with KPMG (www.kpmg.fr), the first CleanTuesday Rhône-Alpes be held on Tuesday 24 March 2009, 18:30 21H at Grenoble Ecole de Management (12, rue Pierre Sémard Grenoble). 

To illustrate the strong involvement of the Rhone Alpes region in CleanTech Cleantuesday invited Richard Collins, professor, director of the Institut Entreprise 2.0 Grenoble Ecole de Management, who will present the cluster Green & Connected Cities. 

Frédéric Carré founder of start-up Elena Energy will present the development of wind carénées increasing the annual overall efficiency and range of use while minimizing wind noise. 

Nicolas Kis-Series PhotoMe present its project to develop business solutions for residential wind power. 

The 3 short presentations will be followed by a moment of friendly networking over a drink with more than one hundred Cleantech professionals, entrepreneurs, policy makers, investors, experts. The CleanTuesday takes place March 24 from 18:30 to 21H in the School of Management of Technology and Innovation (Grenoble EM, 12, rue Pierre Sémard - 38000 Grenoble)

BIO-UV : Ultraviolet Water treatment

BIO-UV, France's leading manufacturer of ultraviolet water treatment equipment and European leader in the private and public swimming pool and spa market, is a limited company created in May 2000.

On its production sites in Lunel (France) and Los Angeles (USA), the BIO-UV Group designs, manufactures and markets ultraviolet (UV-C) disinfection systems and concepts.

European leader for designing, manufacturing and marketing of systems and concepts for ultraviolet (UV-C) water disinfection:

- private pools

- dechlorination of commercial pools and spas

- drinking water

- industrial process water

- waste water

- legionella prevention

- aquarium and zoo water treatment solutions

The company signed with the IFP (French Petroleum Institute) on March 16 a partnership agreement aimed at improving the technology of UV reactors. 

Objective: Improving the energy efficiency of processes for wastewater treatment by UV.

As part of its tool for technology to support innovative SMEs, the IFP will use its expertise in the field of hydraulic modeling technology for water treatment. This partnership should enable and accelerate the development of reliable performance of UV reactors. 

A new range for mid-2009 

BIO-UV relies on this partnership to develop a new line of disinfecting wastewater UV less energy and more efficient. 

Planned from the second half of 2009, the marketing of this new offer is made for the development of business opportunities to the processing of industrial and drinking water in France and abroad. An activity that is under Xavier Bayle, CTO of BIO-UV, 45% of the turnover of the company.

Source : Bio-uv

ALGIEPLUS : From the sea to the hearth

AlgiePlus is french company created in April 2007 to exploit the results of research undertaken over several years at the Center for study and development of algae (CEVA) Pleubian and the Technical Center for Agricultural Syntec Pleumeur-Gautier. AlgiePlus was accompanied by regional Emergys incubator from December 2006 to December 2007 and by the Industrial Development Agency of Trégor. 

Through collaboration with Ceva, AlgiePlus has developed and patented bread culture assets for above ground crops (flowers, tomatoes and strawberries), it will be marketed. It operates for the outcome of this research on active principles contained in the marine plants, mainly zoster present mainly in the Arcachon basin. 

These assets and biodegradable substrates replace rockwool and coir currently used by producers, but which are not biodegradable and can present problems related to bacteria. These substrates stimulate the natural defense system of the plant and reduce the adhesion and the development of pathogenic microorganisms in the soil-less cultures. 

AlgiePlus also leads a research plant on the use of active molecules of algae in other applications such as the fight against the attacks of fungi. To accelerate its development, AlgiePlus conducted in March 2008 a waiver of 300 000 euros from Ouest Ventures. This first round of financing package will enable it to market its first product and continue its program innovations.

Source : Algieplus

SP3H : Smart on-board fuel sensor

Car manufacturers today face the dual challenge of addressing the impact of automotive emissions on the environment while remaining competitive in a geographic enlargement growing automotive market. Solutions based on new combustion modes or downsizing technology are constrained by the variability of fuels qualities. This variability due to worldwide as well as local distinct specifications, is impacted by the coming proliferation of new fuels like biofuels (1st generation) and synthetics (2ndgeneration). For a given specification, quality variations are explained first by the crude oil disparity, then by the various existing refining process tools and finally by the large range of blending recipes used to adjust the final product.

Regarding this issue, accounting for quality fluctuation provides the solution that would adjust engine tuning based on the fuel engine combination, in order to optimize consumption, emissions and performances.

SP3H, patented system offers the only existing solution to manage variability, through real time dertermination of fuel quality.

SP3H is a French startup developing a smart on-board fuel sensor that analyzes the molecular structure of a fuel and transmits the information to the engine ECU to allow real-time optimization of injection, combustion and post-treatment for a wide range of liquid fuels. The variability of existing fuels poses a problem for automakers as they try to minimize emissions and fuel consumption. Exacerbating this problem is the coming proliferation of new fuels (biofuels, synthetics) that create even more variability, combined with the push for new combustion modes that, while offering emissions. A microanalyzer has been developed by SP3H and its capability was successfully proven. This smart fuel sensor is based on combination of infrared technology and specific data treatment software.

A new breakthrough

This system uses the patented HydroCarbon Profiler technology (HCP) which measures the molecular structure of the fuel. This method allows an innovative way to determine fuel components. Compared to current methods of analyses, HCP give accurate information matching more the chemistry aspect of combustion.

This information, transmitted to the engine ECU, allows real time optimization of injection strategies, combustion and post treatment for all possible diesel and gasoline fuels.

Source : SP3H

3MW : Sea water desalination technology

Water seems to be a superabundant natural resource on the planet earth. However, only 0.3 per cent of the world's total amount of water can be used as clean drinking water. Man requires huge amounts of drinking water every day and extracts it from nature for innumerable purposes. As natural fresh water resources are limited, sea water plays an important part as a source for drinking water as well. In order to use this water, it has to be desalinated. So, sea water desalination is a real challenge for western civilisation. The base method for sea water desalination is distillation. Approximately 620 kWh of evaporation enthalpy is necessary to obtain 1 t of drinking water.

Sea water desalination with high capacity (>1000 m³/day) faced an accelerating development.

3MW is a french company which chose to develop a simple, autonomous solution for small

communities: MEDC technology (multiple-effect drying & condensation) produces fresh water from sea or brackish water with a full solar energy feed.

EDC technology offers many key advantages:

      •  A very small power consumption

      •  A process fully integrated with solar thermal energy

      •  Very simple operating and maintenance requirement

   Founded by Antoine Gourdon, 3MW is now building on-site demonstration in France and worldwide.

Source : 3MW 

What have the Cleantechs to do with the Biotechs ?

Next monday, Biosquare will organise a workshop in Lyon on what have the Cleantechs to do with the Biotechs ?The Cleantech industry comprised of companies focused on alternative energy, recycling, waste, air pollution..but much of this growth is being fueled by entrepreneurs with biotech credentials.

So this session would try to expain how these two industries are tightly interwoven.

WORKSHOP N°3 – The Cleantech Market in Europe
Monday, March 9, 10.45 am to 12.00 pm, Venue: "Saint Clair 3 A"  hall,  Lyon Convention Center,  France

Session presentation:
What have the Cleantechs to do with the Biotechs? This question is much less academic than it may appear at first glance. The speakers of the Workshop N°3 will debate along two different lines of relation between those two Markets. Do Cleantechs and Biotech compete, or even maybe cannibalize each-other, for funding? How is triggered this competition? What are the latent synergies between these two markets, set on the same technological roots and tools? How can the Biotech Entrepreneur take the best out of theses synergies?

Confirmed speakers:
François Houssin, Senior Development Manager, European Listing, NYSE Euronext, France
Peter Rosholm,  Vice President Biopharma area  - Novozymes
Adbelkader Guellil, Akaeno
Moderator : Albin Jourda - Managing Director, Gallium Moore

Source : Biosquare

FORCE-A : Optical sensors for plant sciences and Diagnostic tools & solutions for agriculture

FORCE-A is a french company, which opens new opportunities for actors of the agricultural world through its innovative diagnostic solutions and support real-time management of cultures. 

These new tools implement optical sensors of vegetation that provide information with high added value and in real time, the market steering of chemical inputs and control the quality of spraying, and also the measurement of parameters quality. 

Force-A offers:

• Two families of Optical Sensors, Dualex® and Multiplex®,
• Tools to help and facilitate decision-making for farming and other cultures

FORCE- A technology is based on natural plant emissions, which allows the real-time and field signatures of new and robust state of growth and health of vegetation. 

With their inherent advantages, their products enable stakeholders of the agricultural world to meet the new standards of environmental protection and the specification of agricultural sectors, to enhance their products by quality, and limit the impact of inputs fertilizers and pesticides. With investors as SGAM AI, Scientipole Ile de France capital, IXCore, FORCE-A aims to be a global leader in its market. 

Source : FORCE-A