Researchers from BRAIN AG and RWE Power have created exclusively-engineered micro-organisms that consume flue gases containing CO2 from power stations powered by lignite and these even grow at 60ºC temperatures.
Exactly two years back, the biotechnology company and the electricity producer entered into a joint project at the Niederaussem power station. CO2 is converted directly into secondary raw material using micro-organisms grown exclusively to analyze synthesis pathways and CO2 conversion.
Industrially usable products as well as biomass can be available as bio-plastics, bio-materials and intermediate chemical products. These may find applications in insulation and construction materials or in the manufacture of specialty and fine chemicals or bulk chemicals.
Firstly, BRAIN researchers screened samples from flue from the power station Niederaussem BoA 1 as well as from their own BioArchive for micro-organisms that can grow in flue gas conditions using CO2. They observed over 3000 micro organisms. The micro-organisms that qualified for further analysis was just one out of three. Secondly the most effective utilizers of the greenhouse gas were determined and characterized. The researchers succeeded in choosing 29 candidates with considerable growth properties, of which ten were totally new micro-organisms that were not known till now.
RWE Power plans to evaluate other carbon-rich wastes such as by sewage water or during refinery or food production processes. RWE plans to form an Innovation alliance of 21 companies, which will include medium-sized, small enterprises and also academic research institutes to enhance waste stream utilization projects through team work.