Dr Isaac Berzin at the Michigan Institute of Technology has established algae farms that feed on CO2 emissions sourced directly from the smokestack of MIT's 20MW cogeneration power station.
According to Berzin, his algae farms are able to absorb up to 40% of CO2 emissions and 86% of nitrogen oxides using the single cell plant's natural processes.
Given the emphasis placed on clean energy technologies by countries such as the United States and Australia, Berzin said organic solutions such as his "algae scrubbers" can often be overlooked, but the scientist has chosen to commercialise the technology by offering power producers a second revenue stream – biofuels.
Berzin – a rocket scientist – claims the process is quite simple; and is attempting to commercialise the technology through US company GreenFuel, providing emissions-to-biofuels services to energy companies.
In July 2004, GreenFuel installed 30 bioreactors on the roof of the MIT cogeneration plant, which provides steam, chilled water and electrical power for MIT facilities, to beta test the emissions-to-biofuels system.
Each bioreactor is composed of clear, triangular polycarbonate tubing, designed to let sunlight in and let the algae photosynthesise the CO2 and other pollutants.
Algae is collected from the smokestack-fed algae farms on a daily basis, harvested and dried into a charcoal-like substance that can be used immediately as a biomass fuel.
Alternatively, the biomass can be further processed to create biodiesel and ethanol, creating another revenue stream for power plants choosing to implement an algae-based emissions reduction solution.
In December, GreenFuel successfully completed a second round of venture capital investment, securing another $US11 million, with more than half of the investment coming from VC group Draper Fisher Jurvetson.
GreenFuel chief executive Cary Bullock said the major drawback to implementing the technology is the land requirement, but the company would use funds from the latest investment round to demonstrate its proprietary emissions-to-biofuels processes can be scaled for large-scale power plants.
