Euglena Co., Ltd. (Head office: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, President: Mitsuru Izumo), with the cooperation of Okinawa Electric Power Co., Ltd. (Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture), uses the exhaust gas from thermal power plants to produce "Euglena" microalgae. We conducted a demonstration test to cultivate.

　Euglena" that we research and develop has excellent photosynthetic ability and can absorb even high concentration carbon dioxide of 15 to 20%. Since the exhaust gas of a general thermal power plant contains about 15% carbon dioxide, it is Euglena using the exhaust gas of a thermal power plant will lead to carbon dioxide reduction. I did. However, until now, there has been no example of confirming the growth of Euglena using the exhaust gas from a thermal power plant.

　Euglena culture tank (capacity 500 liters) at the Kinbu Thermal Power Station of Okinawa Electric Power Co., Ltd., and built a demonstration test device that ventilates the Euglena culture tank by connecting a pipe to the flue of the power station. During the period from January 19, 2009 to February 13, 2009, an experiment in which exhaust gas was aerated was conducted for 3 weeks, and then an experiment in which air was aerated was conducted for 1 week.

　Euglena can grow even if the exhaust gas of the thermal power plant is aerated, and (2) the exhaust gas of the thermal power plant is aerated and cultivated more than when culturing with the air aerated. It was Euglena is faster in the case, and (3) the growth of organisms other than Euglena is suppressed by lowering the pH in the culture medium by aerating high-concentration carbon dioxide. did.

　Based on the results of this research, we will work on the development of carbon dioxide emission reduction technology by Euglena

[Conceptual diagram of verification test equipment]

[Demonstration test equipment photo]

[Inside the Euglena culture tank after exhaust gas ventilation]