Microalgae-based Carbon Dioxide Capture and Recycle for the Production of Fuels and Plastics

Based on the foregoing, the specific objectives of the proposed project are as follows: (i) Optimize UK's current technology with respect to cost and performance, particularly with regard to harvesting and dewatering operations; (ii) Examine pulsed electromagnetic field technology as a means of lysing algae cells, thereby facilitating the extraction of lipids without the need for costly solvent-based processes; (iii) Develop a biomass utilization strategy which simultaneously produces lipid feedstock for the direct upgrading to fuels and a proteinaceous feedstock for the production of algal-based bioplastics, thereby maximizing the value of the algal biomass; (iv) Perform techno-economic analyses to calculate the cost of CO2 capture and recycle using this approach, and lifecycle analyses to evaluate the greenhouse gas emission reduction potential. By realizing these objectives, we aim to provide a definitive answer regarding: (i) the minimum cost of CO2 capture that can be realized using microalgae cultivated in PBRs, (ii) the actual greenhouse gas (GHG) emission benefits that can be realized for both system approaches, and (iii) the feasibility of producing bioplastics (from algal biomass grown using flue gas) as a means to partially offset the costs of CO2 capture. The principal deliverable from this project will be a report, in which each of these issues is addressed on the basis of data collected under real-world conditions at East Bend Station.