A Power Plant Fuelled by Algae
30 March 2009
Venice Plans for a Green Port On March 23 the Venice Port Authority presented a project for the realization of a power plant fuelled by algal biomass. The aim would be to make the port energetically autonomous with green energy at zero CO2 impact.

The project should be carried on by eNave, a company owned for 51% by the Venice Port Authority and for 49% by the private company Enalg Srl, which works in the planning, building and managing of power plants applying the algal technology developed by Solena Group Inc. (Washington, USA).

The power plant is expected to produce 40MW of green energy, equal to half the average consumption of the city of Venice. It should cover 10 hectares and be composed of two sections: the first to host the plastic cylinders for growing the Diatoms which will be used to produce biomass; the second to transform the biomass into electric energy by the plasma torch technology, a high temperature reaction which turns biomass directly into H2 and CO (syngas). Hydrogen would then be used to fuel a special turbine to produce electric energy, while Carbon would be reinjected in the cylinders used for the algal production, thus fertilizing the growing substrate and realizing a zero emissions cycle.

Moreover, a solar park might possibly be built to support the biomass power plant, in order to reach 72 MW of total electricity production.

This project is part of a wider program of the Venice Port Authority for a “Green Port”, which aims at reducing CO2 emissions by using renewable energies. Once available, the green energy would be used for port activities, and especially to provide energy to the ships while moored at the docks, allowing them to turn off their engines and thus help reduce fuel consumption and air pollution."
 

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