From urban waste to the production of biofuels and animal feed.
The startup Allgie transforms landfill or dumpsite waste into biofuels, protein for animal feed, and cooking oil.Â
Using the sun, water, and waste, Allgie cultivates microalgae.
From the microalgae, we extract biofuels, protein for animal feed, and cooking oil.
Allgie's technology and patents enable this process to be very rapid and continuous, transforming 55 tons (110,000 pounds) of urban waste into 5,300 kg (11.684 pounds) of protein for animal feed and 12,370 liters (3,266 gallons) of oil for biofuel or even human consumption in just ONE DAY, with ZERO emissions of pollutants.
Landfills and dumpsites around the world are reaching their maximum storage capacities due to the fact that modern society produces much more waste compared to previous generations.
Plants that generate electricity by burning waste emit large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, even when using filters.
Only 50% of methane gas can be collected from landfills.
The separation of materials for recycling exposes workers to many risks such as rats, insects, fungi, and bacteria.
Most urban waste ends up polluting nature.
To handle large quantities of urban waste, the startup developed a patent using converted maritime containers as a pyrolysis furnace.
Maritime containers have well-known logistics technology along with their accessories, machinery, and equipment.
In landfills, common heavy machinery quickly fills the containers with waste.
Using well-known technologies makes the process:
 easy
 fast
 cheaper
for both the transportation from the landfill and the waste management on-site.
Only the container is adapted for the process.
Os containers are modified and transformed into a pyrolysis furnace.Â
What is pyrolysis? It's burning without oxygen. Only with heat.
Steam output are condensed
Dry and hot air enters
below the waste.
Temperature range:
350°~550° Celsius
Hot air carries the vapors
and moisture from the
waste inside the container.
Adapted floor with metal sheets
Inside the cradle, there is a furnace where
the charcoal produced from a previous
process is burned.
Air valves capture external air and control the
flow, regulating combustion and temperature.
The container is placed on top of the cradle, receiving the heat from the burnt charcoal below.
Heating the container, moisture and gases are produced and extracted to a condenser, transforming them into liquid, drying the air.
The dry air returns to the container in a circular process. This loop air process accelerates the pyrolysis process, allowing it to occur in a few hours instead of days.
The condenser, patented by the startup, uses the heat from the furnace to produce cold in a process similar to kerosene refrigerators
The CO2 produced in the furnace inside the cradle is cooled and directed to the cultivation of algae, where it is diluted into micro and nano bubbles in the water through a patented nanobubble generator.
The liquid from the condensed gases, rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, is collected and destined for algae cultivation.
The startup patented a nanobubble generator to feed the microalgae with CO2.
Nanobubbles are bubbles so small that CO2 dissolves in water, allowing the feeding of microalgae not only on the surface but also throughout the water volume. The algae can feed on CO2 even at the bottom of the tank.
Microalgae require nitrogen, phosphorus, light, and CO2 to grow and replicate. Open tanks of
microalgae can only feed them with CO2 at the surface of the tank.
CO2 available only at the surface.
The CO2 is injected into bubbles and microbubbles that rise to the surface.
To prevent water evaporation and contamination, the bioreactor is like a big and closed bag. All water is recovered and CO2 is contained.
It is made with available and cheap material, cheaper than conventional greenhouses and faster to assemble. Similar technology and materials used in the production of methane biogas.
The startup's bioreactor model measures 1 hectare (10,000 square meters) or approximately 107,639 square feet (2.471 acres).
At the same temperature, the oxygen produced by the algae is lighter than CO2; it accumulates at the top of the greenhouse, and is released into the atmosphere through valves that also control internal pressure.
50% of the water with microalgae undergoes electrocoagulation and aeroflocculation, transforming them into a paste.
The remaining water and microalgae are fertilized by the nitrogen, phosphorus, and CO2 from the container.
The microalgae paste passes through a dewatering machine and dried resulting in a algae powder
Oil for human consumption or for biofuels
Algae meal for animal feed, containing 72~56% protein.
Below, we analyze and compare the water consumption required for each crop, the water need per hectare, and the production:
1 hectare of wheat requires between 3,500,000 and 6,000,000 liters of water and produces 3000 kg in an annual harvest cycle.
1 hectare of soybeans requires between 4,500,000 and 8,000,000 liters of water and produces 3362 kg in an annual harvest cycle.
1 hectare of microalgae requires 1,000,000 liters to fill the tanks only in the initial stage and produces 26,500 kg of algae per day, of which 2/3 of this biomass is water, which returns to the tank after dehydration, totaling 17,666 liters per day.
This implies that 8,833 liters are withdrawn daily from the 1-hectare tank, totaling 264,990 liters per month or 3,224,045 liters per year, resulting in an annual production of 3,224,045 kilograms.
In some regions of the world, such as Argentina or Brazil, climatic conditions and soil fertility exceptionally allow for up to two harvests per year on specially productive land. This is particularly notable in areas where agriculture is highly developed and soil management practices are advanced.
The table below presents detailed projections for two harvests on such lands, including water consumption and annual production for two soybean and wheat crops. Water Consumption per Kilogram Produced (liters)
That is, the water consumption of microalgae is equivalent to 1/1000 of the water consumption of crops like soybeans and wheat.
Oil from plastics that can be used as fuel to generate electricity at the plant
Bio Char (30%), used as fuel for the next pyrolysis process in the burning oven.
The remained biochar (70%), used as a fertilizer activator in agriculture (retain moisture and allows a good environment for bacteria of the soil).
Metal and glass separated for post recycling