FERMENTALG : Green light for the Trans'Alg consortium dedicated to green chemistry and first tranche of funding of EUR 2.4 million from Bpifrance

information fournie par Actusnews •16/09/2015 à 16:05

Libourne – 15 September 2015 – Fermentalg, an industrial biotechnology company that specializes in the production of oils and proteins from microalgae, has announced that it has signed the consortium agreements needed to launch the Trans'Alg programme. A €31.2 million collaborative programme over 5 years, Trans'Alg will see major French groups including Arkema and Soprema work with lead manager Fermentalg on the industrial production of substitutes for petroleum products destined for the world's chemical and fuel markets (see press release of 20 January 2015).

The goal of the Trans'Alg programme is the mass production of low-price replacement raw materials for petroleum products (€1 to €5/kg) that have numerous uses (bioplastics, plasticizers, polyol plasticizers, industrial lubricants, waterproof membranes, thermal insulation foams, fuels, etc.) on markets that generate a demand of several hundred thousand tons each year. An 80m ³ pre-industrial demonstration unit will be set up on Fermentalg's Daniel Thomas Industrial Development Unit (IDU) site in Libourne.

Trans'Alg also includes companies Condat (industrial lubricants) and Pierre Guérin (industrial fermentation equipment), the Union Coopératives Viticoles d'Aquitaine, and partner laboratories the CEA (LCPV), the CNRS (Bioteam ICPEES) and the ITERG. It has been accredited by competitive clusters Xylofutur, Alsace Energivie, Mer Méditerranée and Trimatec.

Trans'Alg's budget of €31.2 million over 5 years includes the €13.9 million in funding provided by the “Programme d'Investissements d'Avenir” (Program of Investments for the Future, PIA) supported by France's General Investment Commission (CGI) and managed by Bpifrance. Fermentalg's assigned financing of €8.3 million includes €2.7 million in the form of subsidies and €5.6 million in the form of repayable advances.

The launch of the Trans'Alg programme will see Fermentalg allocated a 1 ^st tranche of financing of €2.4 million from Bpifrance.

About Fermentalg

Founded in 2009 by Pierre Calleja, Fermentalg is an industrial biotechnology company that specializes in producing sustainable oils and proteins derived from the exceptional properties of microalgae. Its patented technology allows it to target a range of fast-growing global markets, from nutrition and animal feed to cosmetics and health, green chemistry and energy. Fermentalg has already signed its 1 ^st industrial and commercial joint-venture for the production of Omega-3 oils rich in EPA and DHA as well as several other partnerships with leading industrial groups. Fermentalg shares are listed on Euronext in Paris (FR0011271600 - FALG). For more information, visit the Fermentalg website at: www.fermentalg.com.