The GEA Westfalia Separator Group, locally represented by GEA Westfalia Separator South Africa, is supporting the development of biotechnology by providing innovative equipment for the cultivation of algae. To this end, the company has designed a new generation of separators to operate the core processes in the harvesting of this diverse organism.

The range of SSD separators is used to concentrate the algae, and then wash it with fresh water in a second stage. The concentrated algae are then pumped to a second washing tank. The second wash improves the product quality and removes any leftover bacteria and salts in the algae. At this stage the algae reaches a higher solids concentration than in the first stage, and can then be spray dried. The end product results in a dry algae powder that can be used in food, pharmaceuticals, agricultural feed, aquacultures, etc.

The separators are able to attain very high levels of dry matter, provide gentle treatment for the sensitive cells, and offer good value for money. The separators can also process 24 000 ℓ of algae suspension per hour, making it highly efficient and economical.

The separators are suitable for use in open ponds, or closed systems that utilise photo-bioreactors in order to grow the algae. Each separator in the range offers its own benefits and advantages, depending not only on the capacities of algae to be handled, but also on the product's viscosity, the solids content, the pH value in the fermentation broth, and the particular cell structure.
The development of the SSD separators by GEA Westfalia Separator Group is opening many future areas of application in the industrial sectors, and the opportunity to create a more sustainable future.

[algae biomass jpg] GEA Westfalia Separators can process 24 000 ℓ of algae suspension per hour, making it highly efficient, economical and environmentally responsive.