MBD Energy uses algae to recycle captured industrial flue-gas emissions, converting them into oils suitable for manufacture of high grade plastics, transport fuel and nutritious feed for livestock.

The process also produces algae meal which can be used as biomass for electricity production or feed for livestock. The algae meal makes up 65 per cent of the end product, and has the potential to create over 10 megawatts of power from a small-scale algal synthesiser plant. MBD is currently developing a business model for electricity generation using algae meal.

Bio-sequestration

In the bio-sequestration process, also known as bio carbon capture and storage (bio CCS), carbon is treated as part of a carbon cycle.

The conversion of carbon into oil and meal draws emissions that would usually be emitted to the atmosphere. The process also creates other carbon based products that can be used as energy. The alternative geo-sequestration process uses 50 per cent more coal to extract and liquefy the CO2, before injecting it into the ground. Furthermore, no useful forms of energy are produced.

MBD Managing Director Andrew Lawson sees a parallel between our storage of carbon and rubbish disposal in Australia.

“The last 200 years have seen landfill fill up with pollution and rubbish. This option is increasingly becoming more expensive and unsustainable. Recycling has started to reduce the quantity of landfill, by recycling rubbish into new, useful and sustainable products. Geo-sequestration is the landfill of the 21st century, while bio CCS seeks to provide a solution for the next millennia that is sustainable.”

The algal synthesiser

The algal synthesiser is an algae farm, in which greenhouse gas is cooled using cooling tower water, and then fed to the algae. Additional nutrients are added to the farm to complete the algae’s diet.

The algae selected are local strains that are high in oil and protein, and double their mass every 24 to 48 hours. Fifty per cent of the algae is harvested each day, dewatered and crushed to yield oil and nutritious meal. In this process, 100 per cent of the algae is used. The algae strain is also matched to the type of oil required.

MBD has focused on oil for fuel and plastic – however, strains rich in Omega 3 and other high value oils have been identified for future investigation. The remaining meal is 50 – 70 per cent protein, and when blended with carbohydrates, provides a drought-proof feed for livestock and aquaculture, year round.

Implementation

The algal synthesiser may be retrofitted to a majority of existing CO2 emitting industrial facilities provided there is sufficient space for installation of the modular and compact array of transparent tubing – the component at the heart of the process. The synthesiser can also be integrated into new emissions producing infrastructure and located on buffer land adjacent to the emitter.

MBD plans to harness the use of the greenhouse flue gas from an emitter’s smoke stack rather than the significantly more expensive and still-to-be-developed pure CO2 capture solution, geo-sequestration. MBD’s process is commercial and reduces the complexity, risk, cost and time frame of transforming an emitter to a low carbon footprint operator.

MBD’s projects

Full-scale plants at Loy Yang, NSW and Queensland

MBD has developed a fully operational research and development facility and is currently moving to develop full-scale display plants at a number of Australia’s major coal-burning power stations at Loy Yang A in Victoria, Eraring Energy in New South Wales, and a large Queensland-based emitter.

The company has also completed additional works at the Townsville-based research and development facility, and is in the process of inoculating the growth systems. Originally launched in 2008 by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, the new facility will be re-launched by Ms Bligh on 20 November as the largest micro-algae research and development facility in the world.

The bio-carbon capture and storage demonstration projects

MBD is also participating in a joint demonstration project that will aim to bio-sequester more than 25 per cent of emissions by 2020 in three high-emitting regions in Australia: Gippsland in Victoria; south Queensland; and Western Australia. The projects are privately funded, commercial projects. The other companies involved include Lawrie Co, Ignite Energy Resources, Plantstone Technology, CO2 Australia, New Forests, Spectrum Renewable Energy, Soil Carbon Australia and Licella.

“Biology has provided nature with ready-made filters – MBD’s bio-carbon capture and storage demonstration projects will harness these filters to demonstrate the commercial viability of speedily cleaning the air, improving water quality, and improving food outputs by ‘closing nature’s loops’,” says Mr Lawson.

International Support

MBD’s discussions in China and India in October 2009 were expected to result in the finalisation of several sites to develop bio-sequestration commercial demonstration projects.

“Both of these countries have severely depleted soils and looming food security concerns, and both are heavily dependent on coal for the near future. To a large extent, the battle against climate change will be won or lost in these countries,” says Mr Lawson.

Bio-sequestration – a viable climate change solution

Kyoto and the majority of subsequent investigation and world discussion have focused on transferring to a low carbon environment through geo-sequestration. However, policies that stabilise sequestrations through oceans and forests are also of key importance.

MBD considers that bio-sequestration has previously been marginalised as a solution to climate change in Australia.

Mr Lawson suggests that this is because bio-sequestration necessitates the difficult task of a comprehensive reassessment of the carbon cycle. While geo-sequestration proposes to store carbon, it is far less simple to track a path from greenhouse gases to fixation in oils, cellulous and other derivatives.

However, Mr Lawson says that regardless of their complexity, it is these processes that will provide commercial long term sustainable solutions and optimise the energy/resource balance.