Plantations International Information

The University of Kentucky Establishment for Applied Power Study (CAER) is partnering with Lianhenghui Investment Co. to construct a five-acre algae production center in Zhengzhou, China.

The establishment will feature the center’s unique photobioreactor innovation for growing algae, which will certainly be made use of for the manufacturing of gases, nutraceuticals, as well as bioplastics.

Lianhenggui is also constructing a second, smaller sized center in Zhengzhou, which will certainly use the very same technology to grow algae for the production of nutraceuticals.

Microalgae have actually attracted considerable interest in the last few years as a high-yield sustainable feedstock for the production of gases as well as chemicals.

In addition, algae have been recommended as a way to catch and also make use of power plant exhausts, as photosynthetic algae could use the Carbon Monoxide2 in flue gas as a carbon source.

CAER’s Algae and also Biofuels group, led by Mark Crocker, is one of the globally leaders in microalgae research study, being experts in photobioreactor style, building and also procedure, integration with power plants, as well as algae cultivation, harvesting as well as dewatering.

The initial funding for the photobioreactor growth was supplied by the Kentucky Department for Energy Growth as well as Independence, as component of a task to investigate the capacity of algae for the capturing and also reusing of power plant CO2 emissions.

After years of study, the laboratory partnered with Fight it out Energy’s East Bend Station to install a photobioreactor at the site in late 2012.

Crocker said the brand-new China task is “an exciting development” and also the next stage of the team’s research study.

“Getting to see our innovations go from the lab to exercise at Duke Energy’s East Bend Station in Boone County, Kentucky, and also now on to an international market is gratifying,” he said.

In June 2014, CAER licensed its photobioreactor innovation to Lianhenghui.

With each other, College of Kentucky as well as Lianhenghui have patented the initial and also 2nd generation photobioreactor innovation in China, and also they remain in the procedure of patenting the second generation.

Biofuels Plantations International