Utilizing CO₂ in industrial off-gas for microalgae cultivation: considerations and solutions

Abstract

The utilization of microalgae to treat carbon dioxide (CO₂)-rich industrial off-gas has been suggested as both beneficial for emissions reduction and economically favorable for the production of microalgal products. Common sources of off-gases include coal combustion (2–15% CO₂), cement production (8–15% CO₂), coke production (18–23% CO₂), and ore smelting (6–7% CO₂). However, industrial off-gas also commonly contains other acid gas components [typically nitrogen oxides (NO_X) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂)] and metals that could inhibit microalgae growth and productivity. To utilize industrial off-gas effectively in microalgae cultivation systems, a number of solutions have been proposed to overcome potential inhibitions. These include bioprospecting to identify suitable strains, genetic modification to improve specific cellular characteristics, chemical additions, and bioreactor designs and operating procedures.

In this review, results from microalgae experiments related to utilizing off-gas are presented, and the outcomes of different conditions discussed along with potential solutions to resolve limitations associated with the application of off-gas.

Keywords:

• Microalgae
• carbon dioxide
• industrial off-gas
• sulfur dioxide
• nitrogen oxides
• strain selection
• acidification

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Mitacs Accelerate Program (IT14311) and Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (a Glencore company).