Biobased vegetable oils for industrial application

“A&A Fratelli Parodi S.p.a.” is specialized in the production and refining of vegetable oils, esters, waxes and butters, vegetable-based products that are used in the cosmetic and industrial sectors (lubricant, metal-working fluids, plasticizers, natural solvents). In addition, the company has activated a line dedicated to the biomass production from microalgae. To this end, the company collaborates with “Archimede Ricerche Srl”, member of EABA (European Algae Biomass Association), the first Italian enterprise entirely dedicated to the production and marketing of microalgae.

The process generates high quality biomass (up to 10 t/year) of different species of algae such as Nannochloropsis, Isochrysis, Tetraselmis and Chaetoceros.

The business model retains a great economic potential, in fact, these autotrophic microorganisms constitute a promising source of high added value raw materials, with employment in the cosmetic, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical sectors. Parodi S.p.a. has developed not only an industrial photo-bioreactors system (in collaboration with Archimede Ricerche and the University of Florence), but also an integrated and sustainable process: energy comes partly from sunlight, thanks to the algae photosynthetic function, and partly from the heat of an endothermic co-generative station, powered by vegetable oil (e.g. oil track sustainable soy, rapeseed oil).

The participation in European Research and Innovation projects such as “SaltGae” and “Biofat” have contributed to the realization of this Research, while encouraging the development of the current industrial plant.