June 12, 2026

ALGAESOL Reaches Key 2-Year Milestone: Highlights from our Bi-Annual Consortium Meeting in Copenhagen 🇩🇰

This week, the ALGAESOL consortium gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark, from June 9th to June 10th, 2026, for our Month 26 Bi-Annual Consortium Meeting. Hosted by the Danish Technological Institute (DTI) , this meeting marked a vital halfway checkpoint for our project as we push forward the boundaries of sustainable aviation and shipping fuels from microalgae and direct solar bioelectrochemical systems (BES).

At the project’s mid-way point, we are thrilled to report outstanding progress. Our first reporting period concluded with all objectives achieved, all 4 milestones reached on time, and 14 high-quality deliverables approved by the European Commission. With less than a year left in our current timeline, the collaborative energy across our entire multi-national partnership is stronger than ever 🤝✨.

WP2 – Direct Solar Conversion (LEITAT): Major advances in sunlight-driven pathways to turn CO2 into fuel. Optimized photocathodes are achieving high production rates of methane and methanol.

WP3 – Microalgae Route (DTI): Optimized strains are drastically boosting lipid productivity while keeping contamination under control. The team is also testing new microfiltration membranes to improve lipid extraction.

WP4 – Fuel Assessment (SOCAR): Catalyst development is officially underway to transform our purified methane, methanol, and algal lipids into certified sustainable aviation and maritime fuels.

WP5 – Simulations & Scale-Up (SIMTECH): With the process simulation data framework active, work is focused on building inventory databases to estimate the cost, efficiency, and energy consumption of the system at an industrial scale.

📢 Growing Visibility & Strategic Synergies

From international conference stages to active online engagement, ALGAESOL’s impact is continuously expanding:

An Ever-Growing Community: Our digital presence and stakeholder network keep scaling up as we share our two-year milestones and progress toward sustainable fuels.

🧪 Experiencing the Science & Bonding in Copenhagen

Beyond the conference room tables and hybrid online connections , Day 2 brought a fantastic hand-on experience. The consortium participated in an extensive site visit of the DTI Laboratories, guided by Nikola Medić. It was incredibly inspiring to witness the microalgae testing facilities and physical setups that are driving our daily research forward.

Of course, no productive meeting is complete without a bit of team bonding! The consortium wrapped up Day 1 with a wonderful shared social dinner at the Food Club Rådhuspladsen in the heart of Copenhagen, celebrating the milestones we’ve shared over the last two years.

👏 A Huge Thank You!

A successful meeting requires meticulous planning and dedication. We would like to extend our warmest gratitude to:

  • Nikola Medić and the entire Danish Technological Institute (DTI) team for their incredible hospitality and for welcoming us into their labs.
  • Our outstanding External Advisory Board (EAB) members for providing invaluable strategic feedback during our review sessions.
  • Our incredible project leadership: Dorinde Kleinegris (Project Coordinator, NORCE) and Xavier Ponte (Project Manager, NORCE) for keeping the consortium aligned, organized, and inspired.
  • And finally, to all of our consortium partners who joined us in Copenhagen and online —thank you for your tireless work, brilliant contributions, and collaborative spirit.

Let’s keep up the fantastic momentum as we cross into the final stretch of the ALGAESOL journey! 🚀🌱