Production of fuels and chemicals from marine microalgae using carbon recycling

Electric Power Development Co.,Ltd.

Outline

Among various methods for carbon recycling, we put a particular focus on the photosynthesis in microalgae. Microalgae can be used to produce green oils that can be converted to fuels or chemicals as well as high value-added substances such as pharmaceutical ingredients from CO2 by photosynthesis. The expected annual CO2 fixation capacity of microalgae is 15,000 t/km2, about 17 times higher than that of Cryptomeria japonica. To fully exploit the potential of this productive resource, we need technologies to stably mass cultivate them. We aim to develop such technologies by establishing outdoor cultivation technologies by using marine diatoms that can be used to produce green oils that can be converted to fuels or chemicals, and establish them as element technologies for carbon recycling using microalgae.

Description

Carbon recycling using marine diatoms requires a technology for stably mass cultivate them. But many microalgae species are unsuitable for such cultivation because they are easily affected by bacteria contamination or changes in the culture environment. Another issue is that they cannot be produced year-round due to the vulnerability to seasonal water temperature changes typical in Japan. To solve these issues, we are making efforts in the following two areas:

1. Establish outdoor cultivation technologies using two marine diatoms that can respond to the seasonality (i.e., changes in water temperature).
2. Develop an integrated production process for green oils that consume less energy and emit less CO2.

Through these efforts, we aim to put the technologies into practical use by around 2030.