Grant: Engage Grants Program

Finding a beneficial use for CO2, by product of ethanol production, to produce value-added products has agreat potential to offset the cost of CO2 removal to a level where a business case can be made based oneconomic benefits rather than environmental regulations alone which will make Spectrum highly competitive.Microalgae, CO2 loving plants, converts CO2 into oil that can then be converted into biodiesel. Usingrenewable microalgae instead of fossil fuels as a source of hydrocarbon fuels provides a negative CO2emissions route. The objective of the proposed project is to develop an enzymatic process for converting theCO2 captured from flue gas streams into liquid hydrocarbon fuel. Specifically, a single step low cost, active,selective and stable enzymatic process will be developed to accelerate CO2 enhanced bio-oil extraction fromrenewable microalgae and subsequent conversion to biodiesel fuel. Combining renewable bioenergy withcarbon capture and utilization would result in a net-negative reduction of atmospheric CO2. If the processproves feasible, fuel created from CO2 may become a major source of energy. Also, success in the proposedproject will produce a cost-effective option for Spectrum to offset greenhouse gas emissions and helpSaskatchewan and Canada to grow as a world leader in both energy production and environmental stewardship.