This project is aimed to develop technologies to fix CO2 in the flue gas from the generation sources such as power plants and factories, with more of ten times higher efficiency than natural vegetation does, and to produce the useful substances from the fixed CO2.
1990-1999
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| Project Center for | | Project Cener for |
| CO2 Fixation & Utilization |--| CO2 Fixation & Utilization |---|
| Secretary General | | Vice Secretary General | |
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I. Shimizu N. Shigemori | ------------------
---|Administration |
| ------------------
|
＜Project for Biological CO2 Fixation & Utilization＞
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--| Technical Dept. |
| | General Manager M. Ikenouchi |
| | Deputy General Manager K. Tochigi, H. Tsutao |
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|
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---| Chairman, Technology Committee Y. Ikegami |
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|
------ Laboratory[ Name (Company)，Chief ]----------------
| Hitachi Labo. N. Hakutoh |
| (Hitachi, Ltd) |
| IHI Labo. T. Otsuki | Joint Research
| (Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.) |
| SHI Labo. M. Kondoh | --------------------------------------
| (Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd) | |Research Center for Advanced Science|
| Mitsui Labo. Y. Fukuju --|and Technology, |
| (Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.) | |The University of Tokyo |
| TEC Labo. K. Takada | --------------------------------------
| (Toyo Engineering corporation) | --------------------------------------
| MHI Labo. K. Matsumoto | |Shikoku National Industrial |
| (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.) --|Research Institute |
| KHI Labo. M. Hayashitani| --------------------------------------
| (Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.) |
| Taisei Labo. T. Oshikata |
| (Taisei Corporation) |
| HZ Labo. T. Miyazawa | Re-Entrustment
| (Hitachi Zosen Corporation) |
| Asahi Glass Labo. J. Takeuchi | --------------------
| (Asahi Glass Co.) --┤Kansai University |
| MBI Labo. M. Nonaka | --------------------
| (Marine Biotechnology Institute Co., Ltd) |
| Idemitsu Labo. N. Murakami |
| (Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd.) |
| NPRC Labo. H. Takeda |
| (Nippon Petroleum Refining Co., Ltd.) |
| SCC Labo. H. Nakazawa |
| (Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.) |
| MCC Labo. H. Yukawa |
| (Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) |
| OITPA Labo. Y. Matayoshi |
| (Okinawa Industry And Technology Promotion Association)|
| Kyoto Labo. H. Yukawa |
| (Research Institute of Innovative Technology |
| for the Earth) |
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- The search are being executed for the photosynthetic microorganisms capable of fixing CO2 at higher rate and of producing useful substances under the severe condition of temperature 30 - 40℃ and CO2 concentration 10% in the area of the inland water field such as lake/marsh, river, hot-spring etc and ocean field including the coral reef. Breeding of the photosynthetic microorganisms by employing the molecular bio-technology are also being studied. The study of optimized culture conditions for these microorganisms on CO2 fixation are also being carried out.
- R & D of photosynthesizing culture system are being performed for high-density and large-volume CO2 fixation to maximize the photosynthetic capability. The study are being executed for the technology of the highly concentrated sunlight collection & transmission system into the photo-bioreactor system, the technology to separate & use the infrared sunlight, and the technology to control sophisticatedly the culture condition in the reactors to allow the microorganisms to photosynthesize at the highest efficiency under the collected & transmitted sunlight. The technologies are also studied to convert the photosynthetic product into the energy substances such as hydrocarbon, lipid etc and to useful substances such as manure, feed, amino acid and polysaccharide. Improvement of the whole the systemization above of CO2 fixation and utilization system is being studied.
- Botryococcus converts CO2 to fuel
Botryococcus that is well-known to produce a hydrocarbon was selected and isolated, and was studied on its capability of CO2 fixation rate and productivity of the hydrocarbon. The picture is showing that the colony of Botryococcus is pressed and the drop of hydrocarbon is formed around the colony. It seems that Botryococcus contain high percentage of hydrocarbon. Comparing with heavy oil class C, the extracted oil from this Botryococcus braunii SI-30 shows almost same calorie with very few N and S contents. Therefore, the extracted oil could be called as "environmental friendly oil".
