Algae-based Biofuels Made From Unlikely Source: Coal Power Plants
Posted by CITIZEN POWER ALLIANCE at 5:34 PMWe’ve written about the enthusiasm for algae-based biofuels a number of times, but this is first time I’ve seen reference to this angle on the green fuel’s production. Using waste carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants to grow the algae.
Given that it is green conventional wisdom (as well as my personal belief) that we should be doing everything possible to reduce coal burning as much and as quickly as possible, I am torn by this development.
CO2 from coal burning absorbed by algae
The practice, which is being tested by NRG Energy from Louisiana runs like this: rather then sending carbon emissions up the smokestack, the CO2 is used to grow algae, which then can be harvested and used as biomass for re-firing in the plant or converted into liquid biofuels for transport. Renewable Energy World estimates that two million tons of algae would be required to capture one million tons of CO2.
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