Carbon Recycling Forum

Carbon Recycling Forum
Scottsdale, Arizona
September 17 & 18, 2008

The National Energy Technology Laboratory, in association with Arizona Public Service (APS) and IF, LLC, co-hosted the Second Annual Carbon Recycling Forum in Phoenix, AZ on September 16-18, 2008. The forum provided information, exchange of technical and operational perspectives and progress toward lowering implementation barriers to carbon recycling systems using algae technology.

NETL, in its capacity as the nation’s leader in carbon management, engages its stakeholders: utilities, industry, academia, non-governmental organizations and public interest groups on a regular basis regarding the challenges of large scale carbon management.  Algae is an enabling technology which offers opportunities to capture and process CO₂ from fossil fuel combustion without interfering in power production.

With an expert industrial team led by APS, NETL is working to conduct field trials of algae systems.  These will demonstrate, for the first time in the United States, the successful interface of algae technology with electric utility power generating stations.  NETL is the first national laboratory to undertake a systemic analysis of algae within the industrial context of the existing fossil fuel infrastructure. These field trails have achieved many firsts, including the successful breeding of algae to directly handle the flue gas emissions from operating coal and natural gas-fired plants and the production of algae-based biofuels. The feasibility of carbon recycling has thus been demonstrated.

NETL and APS (a leader amongst utilities) are aggressively supporting the growth of the national knowledge base and have continued to engage an ever growing number of stakeholders seeking Value-added participation in this promising energy chain. The Carbon Recycling Forum has over the last two years enlightened over 40 utilities - each facing large scale carbon liabilities from the emergence of carbon regulations. Clearly the prospect of transforming a carbon emission liability into an asset (algae biomass) by using free solar power through use of algae technology is an empowering concept.  Forum participants have enthusiastically endorsed these meetings as inclusive, professionally structured, and data rich.  The NETL website includes all the presentations given.  To allow individual follow-up, contact information is provided at the conclusion of each powerpoint presentation.