QLD:Algae trial could lower carbon emissions

AAP General News (Australia)
12-13-2011
QLD:Algae trial could lower carbon emissions

By Darren Cartwright

BRISBANE, Dec 13 AAP - A ground-breaking experiment that uses algae to absorb carbon
dioxide emissions could have the rest of the world green with envy.

Government-owned power corporation Stanwell will trial the clean energy technology
developed by James Cook University at its coal-fired plant at Kingaroy, in southeast Queensland.

The trial involves trapping carbon emissions from the power station and pumping them
into water which is used solely to grow algae.

Because of the high concentration of Co2, the algae doubles in mass every one to two
days and in vast quantities it can be used to produce either bio-diesel or cattle feed.

The university spent three years developing and trialling the technology on a much smaller scale.

MDB Energy will oversee the trial at Stanwell over a one hectare plot and determine
its long term viability and commercial prospects.

If successful it could be a major breakthrough in lowering carbon emissions.

"It's a one hectare blueprint, using the gasses from the power station to produce commercial
products," MBD managing director Andrew Lawson said.

"It's a really great step to using commercial ways of using Co2."

He said the algae was from local rivers and the water was purified so if there was
spillage into any waterways it wouldn't damage the environment.

"Algae has been sourced from the local streams, it's not modified in anyway," Mr Lawson said.

"So if any breaks its bags or there is any leaking into local waterways, it's algae
from those waterways.

"It's really just taking the algae and giving it the perfect conditions to grow."

Mr Lawson said producing feed for cattle could be a highly profitable by-product of
the experiment.

"Queensland imports a billion dollars of soy meal from overseas (for cattle)," Mr Lawson said.

"This is an opportunity to offset that import."

Premier Anna Bligh said the project had huge potential because the idea and the algae
products could be exported.

"This is world first technology, using algae and innovations created at James Cook
University," Ms Bligh said.

"If it is successful over the next 12 months we can take this technology to the world."

Stanwell boss Helen Gluer said the experiment also had a spin-off for customers.

"Any carbon that the algae uses is less carbon tax we have to pay," Ms Gluer said.

AAP dac/gd/wf

KEYWORD: ALGAE (WITH AAP VIDEO)

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