Tuesday, March 26, 2024

This algae-based bioreactor absorbs as much CO2 as an acre of trees

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a particularly a big contributor to global warming. The CO2 produced as a result of the burning of fuels such as oil and natural gas makes up the majority of greenhouse gas emissions. And if this continues to rise, things (like the effect of climate change, global warming) will get even worse than now. So it becomes necessary to do something quickly.

Many companies are putting efforts in this regards; for instance, we recently have seen an artificial tree capable of absorbing as much air pollution as 368 real trees. And now Texas-based company Hypergiant Industries has come up with a green energy solution that captures and sequesters carbon from the atmosphere using algae.

By using the carbon-absorbing abilities of algae, they have developed an Eos Bioreactor that can absorb as much carbon from the atmosphere as an acre of trees. This device uses AI to optimize algae growth, carbon capture, and algae output, creating a product that is more sustainable.

The algae is placed inside a tube system within the device.
The algae are placed inside a tube system within the device.

In the process of photosynthesis – plants or trees use energy from the sun to turn carbon dioxide into oxygen – here, the aquatic plant algae suck up carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to grow and produce energy. As algae consume CO2, it produces biomass. This biomass can then be harvested and processed to create fuel, oils, nutrient-rich high-protein food sources, fertilizers, plastics, cosmetics, and more.

Every part of the growth process is tightly controlled and optimized with machine intelligence to maximize CO2 consumption. The Eos Bioreactor is a 3’x3’x7’ cube that can be easily fit within office buildings, where it captures and sequesters carbon from the atmosphere, and produces clean bio-fuels. This could be used to reduce a building’s carbon footprint further.

The A.I. monitors light, heat, growth, water speed, pH, CO2, oxygen output and more.
The A.I. monitors light, heat, growth, water speed, pH, CO2, oxygen output and more.

The company claims that its Eos Bioreactor is 400x more effective at capturing carbon than trees. A machine learning software helps it to monitor the entire process, managing light, temperatures, and pH levels for maximum output and more to ensure optimal growing conditions.

However, Hypergiant Industries is not offering a commercial product currently. It also hasn’t yet announced where its solution will initially be deployed. But later this year, it plans to release blueprints for the Eos Bioreactor to the online maker community in the hope that it will inspire others to come up with similar solutions.