The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) will showcase an algal biorefinery demonstration project that is designed to convert industrial pollutants into biomass.
The project is a collaborative research effort between the NRC’s Algal Carbon Conversion (ACC) program, Pond Technologies and Votorantim Cimentos' St Marys Cement.
NRC Life Sciences Vice President Roman Szumski said: "With the assistance of NRC's Algal Carbon Conversion program, this technology's tremendous potential will be unleashed in real-world applications to benefit our environment and our economy."
By using a 25,000 L photobioreactor within a pilot scale algal biorefinery, the project aims to recycle carbon dioxide and other airborne industrial pollutants into algal biomass that can be further converted into sustainable products, including renewable biofuels and biomaterials.
NRC experts and its partners are deploying a process that can rapidly recycle carbon dioxide (CO2) and other airborne industrial emissions into biomass through photosynthesis.
In November 2015, the Government of Canada joined a global effort to accelerate clean energy innovation, Mission Innovation.
The move was part of its commitment to the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21).
The government also committed to double funding for clean energy and clean technology research and development by 2020.
NRC said: “The Government of Canada is supporting clean energy research, development and technology demonstration at all stages of the innovation spectrum, from high-risk, early stage research that can deliver transformative energy solutions, to later stage technology demonstrations to help speed the commercialization and adoption of cleaner energy technologies.”