Using Algae to Treat Water and Create Fuel

Jan-31-13 A team at Cal Poly is working on a project that would use algae to create biofuels from human waste.

The algae biofuel project, which was recently awarded a $1.3 million grant, will take place at the “raceway” style algae ponds that over half an acre of the San Luis Obispo Water Reclamation Facility. Since algae release oxygen while absorbing nutrients and CO2, they would be able to treat the wastewater to current standards using only energy from the sun, and the nutrients recycled from algae biomass could be processed into sustainable algal biofuels.

The Cal Poly team, also called the Algae Technology Group (ATG), estimates that algae biofuels could save California residents $240 million a year.

Image: Jim Conrad

More Info about this Invention:

[CLEANTECHNICA.COM]
[CAL POLY]

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