[Greenbuilding] OT: Algae

[Tim Vireo Keating]

How does the algae "sequester" the CO2 if it's then used for animal feed?

CO2 sequestration must be long-term. It sounds a 
bit like tree plantation companies suggesting the 
same thing, but with a plan to harvest the trees 
for paper. Of course, in the harvesting and 
processing of the trees, the carbon is lost, 
except for the small amount that's still in the 
paper. When this is used it will either be 
recycled or, more likely, incinerated (whereby 
all the carbon is back in the atmosphere) or 
landfilled (whereby the carbon will be broken 
down anaerobically, thus generating methane, 11 - 
25 times more power as a GHG.

tim keating


At 9:04 PM +1100 2/23/11, Lance Collins wrote:
>Recently the list wandered off into space 
>exploration.   Assuming some on this list are 
>interested in 'green' beyond building I'm using 
>this as an excuse to go a bit off-topic and draw 
>your attention to the exciting topic of using 
>algae for bio-sequestration of coal-fired power 
>station emissions.
>
>I belong to an Australian group called the 
>Alternative Technology Association.and at our 
>February branch meeting in Melbourne we heard a 
>presentation from a company called MBD Energy ( 
>www.mbdenergy.com).  Don't go there until you 
>look at the presentation slides (link below).
>
>MBD is a small company by US standards and there 
>are companies in the USA spending billions on 
>algae.   According to MBD their emphasis is more 
>on GM algae for fuel production whereas MBD 
>think the more important products are food for 
>people, animals and fish farms.  Recently on a 
>visit to China the speaker said the Chinese were 
>not interested in oil but in food for 
>aqua-culture.  Has MBD been able to supply they 
>were offered an immediate order for a million 
>tons a year.
>
>Apologies for going off-topic
>
>Lance
>
>
>Topic: CO2 to energy: The Power of Algae
>
>Convenor: Peter Wonfor
>Guest Speaker: Tony St. Clair (Agri Business manager at MBD Energy Ltd.)
>
>meeting description: The Sustainable Production 
>of Fuel and Food Using Algae to Capture and 
>Convert CO2 Emissions.
>
>Tony St. Clair treated us to an insight into the 
>vast potential of algae not only to provide oil, 
>eminently suitable for biodiesel production and 
>high quality protein meal for animal feed, but 
>also for significantly reducing the greenhouse 
>gas emissions from industrial plants including 
>fossil fuel power stations. A win-all-round 
>scenario all as a result of the photosynthesis 
>power of algae.
>
>Tony described the range of algae strains and 
>their preferred environments that are currently 
>available and the processes by which the desired 
>results are achieved. He also outlined the 
>exceptional efficiency of algae as a means of 
>Biological Carbon Capture and Storage for CO2 
>and the production of oil.
>
>We also heard about the success of pilot plants 
>and the status of 1Ha (10,000 m2) 
>proof-of-concept plants located at coal-fired 
>power stations.
>
>Discussion: This presentation generated a lively 
>and spirited discussion both during and after 
>the session. A lot of the discussion centred on 
>the ultimate ìCapture and Storageî outcome of 
>the technology. One strand of the argument 
>pointed out that many of the products finally 
>re-release their CO2 emissions into the 
>atmosphere. In this sense, the process does not 
>capture the emissions in the long term. The 
>other strand of the argument pointed out that 
>the products still serve the legitimate role of 
>reducing emissions that would otherwise have 
>been generated twice over.
>
>This was a very interesting and stimulating 
>session, with some good spirited discussion.
>
>Presentation:
>Click 
>http://www.ata.org.au/wp-content/uploads/sustainable_algae_production_presentation.pdf.pdf 
>for Tonyís presentation slides
>(the double pdf is not an error).
>
>
>
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