Used in conjunction with other carbon abatement solutions and strategies, algal photosynthesis is a real and viable option for industrial decarbonisation right now – and one that delivers profit. Remediiate offers the first commercially available, scalable solution.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, the annual average level of CO₂ grew from 377.1ppm in 2004 to 423.9ppm in 2024. Furthermore, these concentrations grew by 0.8ppm per year to 2.4 ppm per year in the decade from 2011 to 2020, but the global average concentration of CO₂ surged by 3.5 ppm between 2023 and 2024, the largest increase since recording began 1957.

This was accompanied by an increase in wildfires, a strong El Niño, and one of the warmest years on record, which reduced land and oceanic absorption of CO₂. Clearly, there is a need for innovative solutions to meet this challenge.

There are currently two main trains[1] of thought for tackling carbon emissions – carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilisation (CCU).

There are concerns that the former is expensive to transport carbon to the designated geological site, perform mineralisation, and inject it into appropriate locations – it also has high energy costs. In addition, there could be leakage, displacement of groundwater, and this method could be prone to seismic activity – so, is it just delaying the problem for future generations?

Industrial decarbonisation using algal photosynthesis

CCU, on the other hand, captures carbon and then converts it into reusable products, such as building materials, agricultural products, biofuels, and even feedstock.

One of the cleanest ways to achieve this is a natural biological process that uses algal photosynthesis. Research has shown that the use of microalgae can improve the efficiency of CO₂ capture and sequestration by between 40% and 93.7%.

Microalgae are far more efficient than plants at absorbing and sequestrating CO2 – the end products are oxygen and biomass, which can be converted into useful and important products.

The efficiency of microalgae in capturing and sequestering carbon is estimated at 10 to 50 times higher than that of plants. Algae have significant benefits over plants:

• They grow faster – they can double their biomass within a few days
• Microalgae fix carbon continuously under the right conditions
• They do not require soil
• Convert CO₂ into oxygen and carbohydrate biomass (which can then be reused)

In sum, microalgae have a large tolerance to CO₂-rich environments, contribute zero carbon and pollution to the environment, and are suitable for heavy industry applications.

Algal photosynthesis: part of a multi-pronged approach to industrial decarbonisation

That’s why they are the perfect solution (or at least one in a multi-pronged armoury) for industrial decarbonisation. Alone, they are not going to solve the climate change crisis, but in conjunction with other strategies, microalgal photosynthesis offers a powerful way forward as part of a multi-pronged strategy for industrial decarbonisation.

So, are microalgae a viable option for industrial decarbonisation? The answer is unequivocally ‘Yes’. They can be used to fix CO2 from industrial waste gases, such as power plants, mineral processing plants, flue gases, cement plants, and more. They have been measured to convert 1.8 kg of carbon dioxide into 1 kg of algal biomass, which can then be used for commercial financial gain.

Until now, one of the limitations of algal photosynthesis has been scaling it to industrial levels. However, Remediiate has solved this challenge. We provide a complete, TRL8-ready solution for Scope 1 CO₂ emission abatement – captured at source. We have been independently verified to be the first commercially available CCU solution that has been independently proven at scale.

Remediiate offers the first commercially viable, scalable option for algal photosynthesis

Captured CO₂ is converted to carbohydrates and water (which is then purified and can be reused). This results in an enriched algal offtake that can be harvested and utilised for a wide range of purposes – such as animal feed, building materials and more. We fully support compliance with national and international legislation and carbon mitigation regulations, and are approved for deployments in COMAH-compliant facilities.

Our first commercially viable CCU solution has been proven at our foundation client Vale Nickel, which emits 36,000 tons of CO₂ / year. We are the only CCU provider that does not require REE (rare earth elements) or critical minerals as part of our solution. Our solution requires less electricity than other CCU solutions, which reduces costs in countries with high energy prices.

We provide an end-to-end solution from site evaluation to one-site deployment to the sale and distribution of offtake products. To find out more visit our website or contact us for a consultation.

[1] Yes, there is the option for Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), but this is very much in its infancy, so out of scope for this discussion