Microalgae Biofixation Process:
Applications and Potential Contributions to Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Options
This report was carried out by TNO for the International Network on Biofixation of CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Abatement with Microalgae (the "Biofixation Network"), and was sponsored by EniTecnologie S.p.A., the R&D arm of the Italian oil & gas company Eni. It is intended as a strategic tool for R&D personnel and managers, policy makers, and others who are interested in evaluating the various technology options, including biological, for GHG abatement as well as related environmental and sustainability issues.
Biofixation systems based on microalgae mass cultures are multipurpose processes that can combine the direct capture of fossil CO2 and the production of renewable fuels with additional environmental services, such as wastewater treatment, the reclamation of water for agriculture and of production of large-volume co-products (i.e. biopolymers, fertilizers and animal feed). All these can significantly contribute to mitigate GHG emissions and are of social relevance, particularly in developing countries.
This study evaluated the applications and potential contributions, on a regional and global scale, of microalgae biofixation processes mainly in conjunction with the treatment of municipal and agricultural wastewaters, as these are considered the nearest-term applications of such technologies for GHG abatement.
Obtaining the report
The Report is available from Dr. John Benemann, Biofixation Chairman, (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) by sending an e-mail containing your NAME, ORGANISATION and E-MAIL ADDRESS.
The document will be sent as a PDF file and is 2MB in size so please ensure that the e-mail address that you submit can accept attachments of this size.
2005
Benemann, J., Manancourt, A., Pedroni, P. M., 2005
International Network on Biofixation of CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Abatement with Microalgae.
8th International Conference on Carbon Dioxide Utilization (ICCDU-VIII),
20-23 June, 2005, Oslo, Norway
2004
Pedroni, P. M., Lamenti, G., Prosperi, G., Ritorto, L., Scolla, G., Capuano, F., Valdiserri, M. 2004
EniTecnologie R&D Project on Microalgae Biofixation of CO2: Outdoor Comparative Tests of Biomass Productivity using Flue Gas CO2 from a NGCC Power Plant.
Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, 5-9 September 2004, Vancouver, Canada
Polle, J., Belay, A., Weissman, J., Huesemann, M., Pedroni, P., and Benemann, J. 2004.
Microalgae Culture Maintenance for Greenhouse Gas Abatement and other Applications.
Symposium "Algae, Global Environment and Human Welfare", ICCC-10, October 12, 2004, Tsukuba, Japan
Benemann, J., Manancourt, A., Pedroni, P. M., 2004
Biofixation of CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Abatement with Microalgae.
The 1st Latin-American Conference on Algal Biotechnology, 25th to 29th October 2004. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
EniTechnologie 2004. Responding to Climate Change (RTCC) 2004.
Biofixation of fossil CO2 by microalgae mass cultures.
2003
Benemann, J., Pedroni, P. M., Davison, J., Beckert, H., Bergman, P. 2003
Technology Roadmap for Biofixation of CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Abatement with Microalgae.
Second Annual Conference on Carbon Sequestration, May 5-8, 2003, Alexandria, VA, U.S.A.
Pedroni, P., Davison, J., Beckert, H., Bergman, P., and Benemann, J., 2003
CO2 Biofixation Technology Roadmap: Pathways to the Development and Application of Microalgae Systems for Greenhouse Gas Abatement,
Marine Biotechnology Conference 2003, 21-27 Sept 2003, Chiba, Japan
2002
Pedroni, P., Davison, J., Beckert, H., Bergman, P., Benemann, J., 2002.
International Network for Biofixation of CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Abatement with Microalgae.
Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, 1-4 October 2002, Kyoto, Japan
2001
Benemann, J., 2001
Microalgae Systems for Biofixation of CO2 and Mitigation of Greenhouse Gases.
Presentation to the Workshop on Formation of an International Network on Biofixation of CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Abatement with Microalgae, EniTecnologie, Monterotondo, Rome, Italy, 22nd–23rd January 2001
Pedroni, P., Davison, J., Beckert, H., Bergman, P., Benemann, J. 2001.
A Proposal to Establish an International Network on Biofixation of CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Abatement with Microalgae.
First National Conference on Carbon Sequestration, May 14-17, 2001 Washington DC, U.S.A.
http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications/proceedings/01/carbon_seq/p17.pdf
Pedroni, P., Davison, J., Beckert, H., Bergman, P., and Benemann, J., 2001.
An International Network for Biofixation of CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Abatement with Microalgae,
4th Asia-Pacific Marine Biotech
1998
Sheehan, J., Dunahay, T., Benemann, J., Roessler, P. 1998.
Look Back at the U.S. Department of Energy's Aquatic Species Program: Biodiesel from Algae; Close-Out Report. 325 pp.; NREL Report No. TP-580-24190
Full report available on: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/24190.pdf
National Renewable Energy Laboratory website (NREL): http://www.nrel.gov/