Taiwan Cement Corporation has found a business potential to reduce carbon emissions with the help of microalgae. As microalgae can produce astaxanthin, a key ingredient used in medicines and high value skin care products, the company is seeking business partners to promote skincare uses for astaxanthin, instead of launching its own brand. However, the pilot […]

Scientists at James Cook University, Australia have found that cows when fed with small amounts of seaweed along with their normal diet of grass could reduce methane emissions by up to 99%. The researchers tested 20 species of seaweed and found that Asparagopsis taxiformis, a species of red algae effectively reduced cows’ methane emissions by […]

Here is a new and interesting exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Developed by Alison Hiltner, “It Is Yesterday” demonstrates the concept of carbon capture using algae. The main room is filled with clear plastic sacks hanging from wires. Each contains gallons of cyanobacteria. On one side is a microphone like apparatus, into which […]

The University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research’s (CAER) Biofuels and Environmental Catalysis Group has received $1.2 million US DOE grant for their novel work in utilizing CO2 from coal-fired power plants to manufacture bioplastics. The DOE funding will allow the CAER team to investigate a combined photobioreactor/pond cultivation process to decrease the cost […]

Researchers from US performed a study to quantify the growth and inorganic carbon utilization of mixed freshwater green algal culture at high pH. Algal cultures were supplied with different initial media inorganic carbon concentrations and maintained in a controlled environment with an initial pH of 10.3. Characteristic and comparative studies indicated that the determined stoichiometric […]

Highly alkaline solutions (pH ≥ 10) absorb CO2 rapidly from atmosphere. Hence, alkaliphilic microalgal strains, which thrive and grow in alkaline media, constitute an efficient means of atmospheric CO2 capture. In this study, scientists from Toledo performed an experiment where effect of increasing the media alkalinity on algal growth and the resulting improvement in CO2 […]

The government of Canada is supporting clean energy research, development and technology demonstration at all stages of the innovation spectrum, from high-risk, early-stage research that can deliver transformative energy solutions, to later-stage technology demonstrations to help speed the commercialization and adoption of cleaner energy technologies. Canada’s first algal biorefinery demonstration project, a collaborative research effort […]

Researchers performed an experiment to analyse the efficiency of Chlorella sp. in carbon capture from the biogas produced. In the biological CO2 capturing process, biogas was pumped to the water recycling culturing medium, only CO2, not CH4, could get dissolved efficiently with the sprayer and recycling medium system. Results showed that the microorganisms could resist […]

Researchers at Arizona State University have received a $1 million grant from the Energy Department for research on enhancing algae cultivation using captured carbon di oxide. Their work focusses on using a special material to capture carbon di oxide from the atmosphere and release into vessels growing algae to enhance algae’s growth. Source

Researchers at Symbiosis Centre, Denmark are conducting an experiment to convert carbon dioxide to protein with the help of algae. The algae float in bubbling CO2 infused water, encapsulated in 10-meter tall glass panels. The panels revolve in sunlight to ensure the optimal growth of algae. The algae use up CO2 and produce valuable biomass […]

Scientists from India performed an experiment to optimize the different algae cultivation parameters to increase the CO2 utilization efficiency by the microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus SA1. SA1 strain was cultivated in a cylindrical glass photobioreactor under 15% CO2 concentration at various operational conditions. Results showed that at a light intensity of 4351 lx, a maximum specific […]

Michigan State University and PHYCO2 have entered into an agreement to develop algae technologies produced from PHYCO2’s patented concept that promotes algae growth and captures carbon dioxide from power plant emissions. Under the agreement the team will investigate PHYCO2’s algae growth, carbon absorption technologies and algae processing technologies. PHYCO2 will be testing its algae photobioreactor […]

An inter-university research team have developed a microalgae based carbon capture technology and established the nation’s largest pilot microalgae farm at a University in Tainan.  The goal of the team is to exhaust emissions and wastewater from factories to breed microalgae and use that to capture carbon dioxide. The researchers have found that 1 kg […]

NREL researchers are conducting an experiment to produce ethylene directly from genetically modified algae.  The experiment was conducted by introducing a gene that coded for ethylene producing enzyme. This allows the organisms to convert carbon dioxide into ethylene. As ethylene is a gas, it can be easily collected.  The CO2 used for this conversion can […]

Researchers from Canada performed an experiment to optimize the biological fixation of CO2 using Chlorella kessleri cultivated in oil sands process water (OSPW). A lab-scale closed raceway photobioreactor was designed for the cultivation of Chlorella kessleri. A model-based optimization method was used to calculate the optimal feeding strategies for CO2 phosphate and light intensity. Results […]

Two new bloom-forming algal species, Ulva paschima Bast, and Cladophora goensis Bast have been discovered off the west coast of India. The two species are endemic and have the ability to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reduce global warming. The main criteria used to discover these species is a mix of morphological as well as molecular […]

Researchers from Washington University have found a fast growing cyanobacterial strain called Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973 capable of competing with the growth of other contaminating strains and also eventually to synthesize large quantities of biofuels or other valuable products. The newly identified strain is also very useful for quick experimental work due to its rapid […]

Thousands of CO2 emitting power plants and industries are facing a major problem of reducing their CO2 emissions. The best solution for this problem is algae-based CO2 capture technology. This technology is dealt with in detail in Oilgae’s Comprehensive Guide for Algae-based CO2 Capture The report- focuses on carbon dioxide sequestration opportunities using algae and […]

Researchers from Korean Institute of Science and Technology and Korean University have developed a technology to produce succinic acid from microalgae, in order to make bioplastics. The researchers used a genetically engineered bacteria Corneybacterium glutamicum that is capable of producing amylase enzyme to disintegrate starch in algal biomass. It is an expensive and complicated process […]

Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Plc (RATCH), the largest independent power producer of Thailand is hoping to start commercial production of Spirulina using the carbon dioxide emitted from its power plant. The company has been doing research on this for the past two years ans has spent about 70 million baht for the testing phase. According […]

Carbon capture using algae may not be a new idea, but the idea of using algae to power street lights for cutting carbon emissions is certainly innovative. French biochemist Pierre Calleja has developed a street lighting network that operates on a battery that is charged during the day by microalgal photosynthesis aided by sunlight, while […]

Algae-based CO2 capture and the subsequent production of biofuels is a practicable way of reducing the emission of the green house gas in the atmosphere. Professor Michael Aresta, a specialist in CO2 utilization studies, at the sustainable research conference in Barcelona, stated that CO2 capture could be used in a far better way for the […]

The recent increase in private and public funding for the algae research underscores the growing global interest in the algae sector. Key executives of top companies keen to explore new algae commercialization opportunities and receive latest industry updates are meeting in Singapore for 3rd Algae World Asia conference on 19-20 October 2010. Press Release Singapore, […]

Sequestering carbon-dioxide by growing algae next to power plants has been happening for quite some time now. Research efforts are underway to make possible a economically viable model to capture CO2 from power plant emissions. Some of the challenges faced are: 1.There are no comprehensive and authoritative estimates of cost of sequestering CO2 from power […]

The cement industry contributes about 5% of total global carbon dioxide emissions. Due to the dominant use of carbon intensive fuels, e.g. coal, in clinker making, the cement industry is also a major emitter of CO2 emissions. Hence growing algae next to these cement plants can be a fantastic opportunity to convert these stack gases […]