Algae Harvesting – HFT™
Hydronucleation Flotation Technology
BlueCycle’s HFT™ system physically and efficiently removes algae, nitrogen, phosphorus, organic carbon, and cyanotoxins from waterbodies.
Co-developed by BlueCycle and refined through years of field deployment, HFT™ provides measurable water-quality improvement, reducing bloom risk and nutrient cycling.
Targeting the Nutrients Already There
HFT™ focuses on what’s already in the water. By physically extracting algae from the water column, it breaks the cycle of recurring blooms, reduces internal nutrient loading, and accelerates ecological recovery.
Proven in the Field
BlueCycle brings extensive real-world experience in full-scale HFT™ operation, optimization, and adaptive management - supporting municipalities, water districts, and state agencies during both emergency response and long-term restoration programs.
Physical Nutrient Removal Through Algae Extraction
By removing algae cells, HFT™ captures the nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon contained within the algae, removing those nutrients from the system rather than allowing them to recycle back into the water column.
This distinction matters. Conventional approaches like algaecides, mixing, aeration, and ultrasound may suppress algae temporarily but leave nutrients in place, setting the stage for the next bloom event. HFT removes the source of the problem, not just the symptom.
The harvested biomass becomes feedstock for downstream resource recovery, closing the loop between water restoration and renewable value.
What We Return Matters
HFT™ doesn’t just remove algae, it returns water that supports ecosystem recovery. The treated water is clear, highly oxygenated, and low in suspended solids, nutrients, and organic carbon. When returned to the waterbody, it improves light penetration, increases dissolved oxygen, and helps stabilize conditions needed for healthy aquatic habitat.
Carbon Reduction & Biomass recovery
Harvested algae biomass doesn’t go to waste. Its carbon- and nutrient-rich composition makes it an ideal feedstock for HTL™ conversion into renewable biocrude oil, or as a nutrient-dense input for organic fertilizers and soil amendments. What enters HFT™ as a water quality problem, leaves as a resource with real value.
Accelerating Nature
By performing the heavy lift of nutrient and biomass removal, HFT™ gives natural processes the space to do what they do best. Oxygen dynamics stabilize, ecological succession resumes, and microbial communities begin rebuilding healthier, more resilient water conditions. Instead of fighting nature, we reset the system so it can recover.