Can algae be used to reduce carbon emissions?

A demonstration project at one of the state’s largest power plants, Tarong, may potentially hold the secret to reducing carbon dioxide emissions from heavy-polluting coal- and gas-fired power stations.

So-called clean-coal technology is expensive and a long way off, as well as being potentially dangerous.  The latest and greatest is the ”algal synthesiser”.

The idea of storing carbon dioxide from coal-fired plants by recycling it through algae or in the soil is a likely solution to the problem of carbon pollution from power stations, smelters and refineries.

Carbon emissions from coal fired power stations can be used to grow algae which can then be turned into plastics, biodiesel for transport and, more likely, animal feed.

This is still early days and whether is will be cost-effective is still unsure.  Other questions also remain like how much land is needed for a commercial operation and what long-term trials of the animal feed will show. The big question and even if how much it will reduce carbon emissions.

Much of the carbon dioxide stored in the algae could end up being released back into the atmosphere if it is used to produce feed for cattle or biodiesel transport fuel.  But the carbon is being used twice before being added to the atmosphere.

The difficulty with producing biodiesel from algae economically is that it needs a very high carbon dioxide input. You basically need to put your algae farm next to a power station, refinery, ammonia plant or sewage farm.

Algal recycling may reduce emissions more than by replacing coal-fired power stations with gas or wind power

It is hoped that the company’s algal project at Tarong would be scaled up to become an 80-hectare demonstration plant within a few years.

envirojean

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This entry was posted on Sunday, November 22nd, 2009 at 6:59 am and is filed under Global Warming, Climate Change & Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.