University of Bielefeld and Forschungszentrum Jülich Launch BiAlDüB Project for Sustainable Wastewater Treatment

The BiAlDüB project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Home Affairs (BMLEH) with approximately €800,000, aims to develop sustainable wastewater treatment methods at the University of Bielefeld and Forschungszentrum Jülich. The project focuses on an innovative biofilm technology to recycle nutrients like phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium from municipal wastewater into algal biomass.

This biomass can be used as an ecological fertilizer and as a substrate for biogas and biomethane production, creating a closed-loop system linking agriculture, energy, and environmental protection. An automated pilot facility is being established in Bielefeld to optimize the system technically and economically.

The project is coordinated by Prof. Dr. Olaf Kruse and builds on previous research by Dr. Olga Blifernez-Klassen, which provided essential insights into algal biofilm stability.