High-Rate Algae Ponds for Wastewater Treatment and Protein Production

High-rate algal ponds (HRAP) under proper climatic conditions can produce annually over 150 tonnes of dry biomass per hectare of which 60 percent is photoautotrophic algae. This result in production of approximately 150 ton/ha-yr of oxygen, in addition 15 ton/ha-yr of nitrogen and 3 ton/ha-hr of phosphorus are removed by incorporation into the biomass which contain between 45 to 50 percent proteins. High quality effluent is produced following physico-chemical separation of the suspended biomass by alum flocculation and flotation.