SoCalGas, Scripps to develop algae system to capture CO2

Jul 31, 2012 - Southern California Gas Co (SoCalGas) said today it would work together with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to research and develop a process that will use algae to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and turn them into biofuel.

Scripps, part of the University of California, San Diego, has been researching such technologies for a while. Now, together with SoCalGas, Scripps is to conduct an investigative research and a systems engineering study to see how the algae production solutions that are currently being developed can most effectively capture CO2 emissions from industrial processes. The companies intend to use emission from natural gas power plants, from large engines used in natural gas compression or water pumping and from steam boilers for industrial processes.

If the first phase of their collaboration shows that algae CO2 capture systems are safe and ecological, SoCalGas and Scripps may extend their partnership to a phase II agreement. Under the second phase Scripps will help SoCalGas build and run a module of a commercial-scale algae system in southern California and test on site its capabilities.

SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE).

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