French launch 160 million Euro biofuel plant

A new biofuel project has been launched by a French agricultural research organisation aimed at developing efficient biofuels and high added value substances.

The biofuel composition will utilise micro-algae feeding on nutrients contained in waste and industrial emissions of carbon dioxide.  The Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) hopes that this160 million Euro collaborative platform will deliver significant returns in a sustainable manner.

Researchers from the institute said that microalgae has shown significant potential to offer low carbon energy, chemicals, food and feed owing to their unique composition. However, they also note that the potential of algae in this field has yet to be fully realised, which is why the researchers hope to take it a step further.

Until now, most of this research has taken place in the US. But European nations have shown increased interest in developing the technology themselves, with INRA hoping to become the European hub for algae research and innovation.

Posted by Claire Manning