About Us

The AlgaeBioGas project is run by two partners: AlgEn, algal technology centre and KOTO, biogas plant operator.

AlgEn is a start-up established to do development and system integration of algae technology based systems and providing consulting and engineering services in relation to algal technologies. The two initial projects are development of a generic photobioreactor control system and a pilot project of algae-bacterial wastewater treatment plant. AlgEn is being engaged in a number of biogas wastewater projects recently in pilot phase. This resulted in an on-going AlgaeBiogas project of market introduction of algal-bacterial treatment of biogas digestate and feedstock production. AlgaeBioGas uses an innovative technology which has significant economic and environmental benefits to biogas operators. Within this project we are setting-up the first application as a demonstration centre at KOTO biogas plant in Slovenia, where we will be able to demonstrate the technology in full size and provide on-site support for customer’s testing, analysis, evaluation, training and other activities required as part of a complex project. AlgEn has also set-up a moderately sized Spirulina production with partners. AlgEn is an active participant in the European Algae Biomass Association.

Other activities include preliminary testing of the biogas digestates as an algae nutrient, design and planning of an combined alga-cultural and aqua-cultural plant, algaecidity tests for paint and varnishes, and similar. AlgEn operates a modestly equipped lab for photobioreactor testing, culture growth and analysis. Some pilot plant construction and operation is facilitated by own electronics and mechanical workshop, with many activities also outsourced to partners. Some software development is done in-house. AlgEn has four founding partners: a biologist, two microbiologists and a mathematician, three of them are full-time employed. AlgEn is strongly connected to many academic and commercial institutions and occasionally hosts some educational activities connected with algae technology.

AlgEn as a start-up has limited funding experience. AlgEn is a partner in the on-going AlgaDisk FP7 project and has been a subcontractor (via ICP Ljubljana) in a Cornet project (since the project started well before AlgEn was founded). Partners in AlgEn have, however, more experience in FP6-FP7 (Windect FP6 506746, PPlane FP7 233805) research projects. AlgEn itself has a start-up founding from Slovenian Entrepreneurship Fund.

KOTO d.o.o. is Slovenian production and trading company, a SME with 165 employees located in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Company created annual turnover 32 M€ in year 2011. It was founded in Ljubljana in year 1947 and has a long tradition in rawhide collection and rendering. Company’s main activity is collection, transportation and treatment of animal by-products category ABP 1, 2 and 3. Other activities are: collection and treatment of rawhides, treatment of biological waste, biogas production with cogeneration of electricity and heat, collection and treatment of waste and other trading activities. Systems are certificated under standards ISO 9001 and ISO 14001.

Production sector is operating in connection with the food-processing industry processing Animal by products (ABP). Rendering plant in Ljubljana was built in year 1966 and is the largest such factory in Slovenia. Activities are collecting, rendering and trade of ABP, processing of the kitchen waste and other bio degradable waste and biogas production. Treatment of Animal by products ABP takes place in two factories CAT 1/2 and CAT 3. Biogas production and sludge drying are part of production activities.

Rawhides sector is operating in connection with leather industry. Collecting and treatment of hides is company’s activity from the beginning, since year 1947.

Marketing sector markets animal fats and oils for animal feed and other industries. It deals with meat bone meal of category 3 and other bio degradable waste.

Recycling sector deals with sorting of waste on location Novo mesto. Sector works in connection with municipalities and industry.

Logistics sector deals with transport of raw materials and products with approx. 35 vehicles.

Development and investment sector deals with investment and R&D projects.