Blatant Reality

Yesterday, the DOE announced another multi-million dollar grant with large portions going towards algae research. The goal of this latest round of grants focuses on carbon capture. Here are some of the details:

DOE announced Thursday $106 million in Recovery Act funding for six corporate projects that will research the potential to use CO2 as an inexpensive raw material.

(…)

DOE describes the projects, in six different states, that will provide $156 million in private matching funds:

1. Alcoa, Inc. (Alcoa Center, Pa.)—Alcoa’s pilot-scale process will demonstrate the high efficiency conversion of flue gas CO2 into soluble bicarbonate and carbonate using an in-duct scrubber system featuring an enzyme catalyst… Alcoa will demonstrate and optimize the process at their Point Comfort, Texas aluminum refining plant. (DOE Share: $11,999,359)
2. Novomer Inc. (Ithaca, N.Y.)—Teaming with Albemarle Corporation and the Eastman Kodak Co., Novomer will develop a process for converting waste CO2 into a number of polycarbonate products (plastics) for use in the packaging industry….Novomer has secured site commitments in Rochester, NY, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Orangeburg, SC and Ithaca, NY where Phase 2 work will be performed. (DOE Share: $18,417,989)
3. Touchstone Research Laboratory Ltd. (Triadelphia, W. Va.)—This project will pilot-test an open-pond algae production technology that can capture at least 60 percent of flue gas CO2 from an industrial coal-fired source to produce biofuel and other high value co-products….The host site for the pilot project is Cedar Lane Farms in Wooster, Ohio. (DOE Share: $6,239,542)
4. Phycal, LLC (Highland Heights, Ohio)—Phycal will complete development of an integrated system designed to produce liquid biocrude fuel from microalgae cultivated with captured CO2…. Phycal will design, build, and operate a CO2-to-algae-to-biofuels facility at a nominal thirty acre site in Central O’ahu (near Wahiawa and Kapolei), Hawaii…. (DOE Share: $24,243,509)
5. Skyonic Corporation (Austin, Texas)—Skyonic Corporation will continue the development of SkyMine® mineralization technology—a potential replacement for existing scrubber technology…The project team plans to process CO2-laden flue gas from a Capital Aggregates, Ltd. cement manufacturing plant in San Antonio, Texas. (DOE Share: $25,000,000)
6. Calera Corporation (Los Gatos, Calif.)—Calera Corporation is developing a process that directly mineralizes CO2 in flue gas to carbonates that can be converted into useful construction materials. An existing CO2 absorption facility for the project is operational at Moss Landing, Calif., for capture and mineralization. (DOE Share: $19,895,553)

Here is the DOE’s original Press Release