A study for the biological CO2 fixation and utilization system

Increased CO2 in the atmosphere is such a serious problem for mankind that many research and development approaches are implemented to reduce CO2 emis sions. One is a biological CO2 fixation using the photosynthetic function o f microalgae like Chlorella and Synechocystis sp, The target of the project is to achieve a CO2 fixation rate of 50 g CO2/m(2).d, which is 10 times as large as that of the temperate forest. The purpose of this study is to cla rify the possibilities of the biological CO2 fixation system in view of the CO, balance, energy balance, and payback period. The amount Of CO2 fixatio n of the system should be larger than the emission of CO2 by operating. Fur thermore, the energy consumption of the system should also be less than the biochemical energy (enthalpy) of glucose, which is made by photosynthesis. After CO2 fixation was completed by the microalgae, the biomass must be ut ilized practically for many markets and the initial investment in the syste m construction could be regained. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.