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Aquasearch Inc. has been selected for a U.S. Department of Energy award to use its technology to demonstrate ways of fighting the "greenhouse effect" that causes global warming. Aquasearch awarded
Energy Dept. contractStar-Bulletin
The department will provide $1.7 million for the three-year project and another $690,000 will come in the form of goods and services provided by the other participants, Physical Sciences Inc. of Andover, Mass., and the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii.
The Kona-based microalgae business said the idea is to use certain capabilities of microalgae to trap and store gases, such as carbon dioxide, that are produced by burning fossil fuels.
Aquasearch uses microalgae grown in Kona ponds to produce a range of medicinal and nutritional products.
One intent of the Energy Department project is to show that carbon dioxide, normally a waste product, can be taken out of the atmosphere and put to industrial use.
Most of the research and development will take place at the Aquasearch technology and product development center in Kona and the project will be administered by Takashi Nakamura, who researches fluid dynamics and solar energy at Physical Sciences Inc.
The Hawaii Natural Energy Institute's Steven Masutani will work on large-scale applications for processes resulting from the research and development project.