EnAlgae scientists recently held a project showcase at the European Parliament in Brussels with the aim of informing politicians about how algae can play a role in a more sustainable future.

Funded by the European Union under the INTERREG IVB North West Europe programme, the EnAlgae project unites experts and observers from 7 EU member states to determine the potential benefits of algae as a future sustainable energy source.

"We were delighted to have been given this opportunity to engage with politicians at the highest level and tell them about EnAlgae and what we are achieving," said project coordinator Dr Shaun Richardson.

"Our hosts for the evening were Richard Ashworth MEP for South East England and one of our local representatives for Wales, Derek Vaughan MEP. Both spoke very highly about the quality of the project and also about how important the work we are doing is for the future of a sustainable Europe.

"EnAlgae has less than a year to run and so this is the most exciting time for the project as our results come together. This will then enable us to offer sound advice to our MEPs and other stakeholders on how algae can be integrated into the European bioeconomy, both in terms of their bioenergy potential and their role in reusing liquid and gaseous wastes including reducing CO₂ emissions."

In addition to the MEP hosts, the event was attended by Kay Swinburne, MEP for Wales, Timothy Kirkhope, MEP for Yorkshire, and Lambert Van Nistelrooij, MEP for the Netherlands.  Also present were representatives from various European Commission departments, political advisors and several NGOs.

Mr Vaughan said: "Dr Richardson and the team at Swansea University are doing fantastic work and I'm pleased we were able to showcase their research at the European Parliament this week.

"This project is an excellent example of how EU funding is being used in innovative ways to develop sustainable energy sources."

Swansea project staff were joined by colleagues from Queen's University Belfast, Wageningen University, Gent University, Karlsruhe Institute for Technology and the European Biomass Industry Association.

Anyone wishing to learn more about the EnAlgae project can visit www.enalgae.eu.