Intel Corporation recently became the first technology company to obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for its Ocotillo campus in Arizona. In addition to meeting the green building requirements for LEED, Intel has been doing many innovations towards sustainability approach.

As a part of innovations, a team of researchers at Ocotillo campus have determined that the CO2 emissions produced by the fabrication facility is very well-suited to grow algae, that could be used to generate clean-burning biofuel.

Partnering with Arizona State University (ASU), the team erected a pilot scale proof-of-concept model on the roof of their companies fabrication facility. The boiler emissions were captured to and used to grow algae and convert them to biofuel. The carbon recycling could help to reduce the overall carbon emissions of the fabricating facility, by creating a sustainable alternative fuel, thereby displacing the carbon emissions of burning fossil fuels from the Intel boilers. The team has planned to make the research results available publicly under the open, collaborative research model the team has established.

The researcher’s further plan to determine the meaningful measures of the amount of carbon captured options for implementing the concept on a larger scale. It could be expected that Intel’s efforts would help recognise algae based carbon recycling under various regulatory regiments and would also project the benefits of algae based carbon capture in a much bigger level.

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