Uk Research Projects on Algae Based Co2 Mitigation for Coal- Fired Power Plants

Introduction The use of microalgae-based bio-mitigation (AEN-116) suffers from a range of challenges primarily related to system complexity and scale-up issues that are driven more by economic constraints than technical limitations. It should be noted that only biological carbon capture and recycling has the potential to generate a revenue stream to offset, at least in part, the overall cost of implementation. When considerations such as local climate, political and economic constraints, and the geographical location of most coal-fired power plants are included, the development of a rational strategy for microalgal carbon capture is even more urgent. Combining these considerations with the abundance of native coal resources and the preponderance of coal-based power generation, the use of microalgae for CO2 mitigation for Kentucky based coal-fired power plants is an attractive option. A conceptual schematic of such a process can be seen in Figure 1.