Laurentian University researchers are taking on a wide-ranging study to capture carbon dioxide from a Sudbury Xstrata smelter to use in making biodiesel and natural health products.
The project entitled, Mining Sites as Incubators for Green Energy and Other Value-Added Products, received $250,000 in funding from the Networks of Centres of Excellence program.
The research team is led by Ashley Scott of Laurentian's School of Engineering and Greg Ross from the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and Xstrata Nickel.
AI Consultants and Sussex Research are also part of the project team.
The research involves working on an innovative concept of producing microalgae for use in biodiesel production.
Microalgae produces up to 30 more times oil feedstock for biodiesel production per hectare compared to other crops.
The research involves capturing carbon dioxide from a smelter to make energy that could significantly enhance algal growth rates.
The algae can also be used to make high-value chemicals to produce natural health products.
One of the outcomes of the research will be the development of a complimentary web-based tool to allow mining operators to easily assess greenhouse gas emissions.
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