The first phase of the Alguex project, led by the Eranova company, was unveiled on February 18, 2022. Indeed, the development work on the demonstration site for the production of plastics from green seaweed stranded, on land of 1.3 hectares located in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône (Bouches-du-Rhône), have come to an end. The inauguration ceremony of the platform was held in the presence of Martine Vassal, the president of the Department and of the Metropolis, of Martial Alvarez, the mayor of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, of Isabelle Campagnola -Savon, regional councilor, as well as many personalities of the territory.
Created in 2016, the innovative company Eranova chose to set up in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône to implement its Alguex industrial project, aimed at producing biodegradable plastic substitutes from green algae washed up around the Etang de Berre and on the seaside. It raised 6 million euros, including 2.3 million from fundraising and 120,000 euros in subsidies from the Métropole, to finance the demonstrator. This demonstration site includes algae ponds and a factory where the drying, grinding and transformation of algae into biomaterials is carried out. An annual production of 300 tons of biosourced plastics is planned. Eranova intends to continue its development and aims to build a 100-hectare factory not far from the demonstrator, allowing the production of around 20,000 tonnes of biomaterials by 2023 or 2024.
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