MacroFuels is a project that is part of Horizon 2020, the European Research Program 2014-2020, and the project began at the beginning of the year. Matís participates in this project, which aims to develop fuels from seaweed, for example butanol, ethanol, furanic substances and biogas (methane).
The project covers all aspects of the production chain: Algae cultivation of different species, harvesting technology, pre-processing as well as the development of chemical and biological transformations of seaweed sugars into fuel molecules.
Participants are universities, research institutes and companies from Iceland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Scotland, Belgium and Germany. Matís will develop and study enzymes and microorganisms to break down this biomass and use it to make fuel.
The first workshop lasted two days, reviewing the first six months of the project, what had been done and what had been achieved. One day was so well used in the organization of work in the project's work packages.
After the meetings, the participants went together to Reykjadalur, and got to know Icelandic nature and bathed in hot pools.
Reykjadalur
For more information dr. Guðmundur Óli Hreggviðsson and dr. Bryndís Björnsdóttir at Matís.