Excursion to Algomed

On 23^rd of September 11 graduate students of the BBW ForWerts Graduate Program visited the largest European algae farm in Klötze, Saxony-Anhalt. The farm was built in 1999 and sold to Roquette, a French family-owned company with focus on starch-based products in 2008. 

Algomed cultivates different microalgae species, especially Chlorella vulgaris. The cultivation of the algae is done in closed, tubular glass photo-bioreactors (PBR), which have a total volume of 600 000 l. 

Dipl. biologist Jörg Ullmann, managing director of Algomed, gave participants a presentation on the development of the company and a tour around the plant. During the visit of the PBRs, Mr. Ullmann explained the life cycle of microalgae from “kindergarten to adulthood”. In addition students were able to have a closer look at the harvesting and spray-drying processes and Mr. Ullmann answered questions at the end of the tour.