CO2 being turned into biofuel at Arizona power plant

Arizona Public Service Company (APS) and GreenFuel Technologies say they have successfully recycled the carbon dioxide (CO2) from the stack gases of a power plant into transportation grade biofuels.

Using GreenFuel’s Emissions-to-Biofuels™ algae bioreactor system connected to APS’ 1,040 megawatt Redhawk power plant in Arlington, Ariz., GreenFuel was apparently able to create a carbon-rich algal biomass with sufficient quality and concentration of oils and starch content to be converted into transportation-grade biodiesel and ethanol.

“This is the first time ever that algae biomass created on-site by direct connection to a commercial power plant has been successfully converted to both these biofuels,” said Isaac Berzin, GreenFuel’s founder and Chief Technology Officer, who also claimed the conversion and certification of the fuels were conducted by respected, independent laboratories.

GreenFuel’s emissions-to-Biofuels technology uses naturally occurring algae to recycle carbon dioxide from the stack gases of power plants and other commercial sources of continuous CO2 emissions.

At the Redhawk Power Plant, specially designed pipes captured and transported the CO2 emissions coming out of the stack. The gas was then transferred to specialized containers holding hungry algae. In the presence of sunlight, algae consumes CO2.

“We estimate that this process can absorb as much as 80 percent of CO2 emissions during the daytime at a natural gas fired power plant,” said GreenFuel CEO Cary Bullock. “Unlike typical agricultural biofuel feedstocks such as soybeans or corn which have a limited harvest window, algae multiply every hour and can be harvested every day.”

GreenFuel and APS have been conducting a field assessment program over the past 18 months, and have moved into the next phase of study with the construction of an Engineering Scale Unit that will be completed in first quarter of 2007.

APS is Arizona’s largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serving about 1 million customers.

GreenFuel has more than a dozen pending patents on its recycling of CO2 streams from power and/or manufacturing plant flue gases to produce biofuels such as biodiesel, ethanol or methane.