The GF Piping Systems unit of Georg Fischer (GF, Schaffhausen / Switzerland; www.georgfischer.com) has made a significant contribution to the first bioreactors for algae production available in Europe and the USA. The high-performance pipes and fittings for the bioreactors were developed by GF Piping Systems and are manufactured in transparent plastic.

GF Piping Systems engineers achieved a balance between light transmission of the pipes and durability of the material, as many plastics undergo changes when exposed to sunlight over long periods. They developed a piping system made of transparent PVC, which allows sufficient light of the correct wavelength to pass through to the inside of the pipe, so that microalgae can grow. The algae cultivated in the bioreactors are harvested to produce biomass and biofuel. The result is a system with high UV resistance that promotes and accelerates biomass production through photosynthesis.

The development was achieved through collaboration with algae production systems specialist LGem (The Hague / The Netherlands; www.lgem.nl), the Technical University Wildau (TH Wildau, Wildau / Germany; www.th-wildau.de), Texas University (Austin, Texas / USA) and algae growth process developer AlgEternal (Weimar, Texas / USA; www.algeternal.com).

In cooperation with LGem, tests for cultivating special aqueous algae in bioreactors have been running successfully since 2007. In 2010 the Technical University Wildau joined the project as another development partner.

Professor Franz Xaver Wildenauer of TH Wildau said: “The potential of the new biotechnology is huge and so are the necessary investments, which is why we are conducting applied research together with our partner GF Piping Systems.”

GF Piping Systems demonstrated the reactors for the first time at “Achema 2012” in Frankfurt am Main / Germany in June.