A unique strain of algae thrives in liquid as alkaline as bleach to suck carbon dioxide from the sky.
Algae farming traditionally requires expensive systems to pump concentrated CO2 gas into the water to keep the plants growing. The SLA-04 strain survives in extreme pH levels above 10, which allows the water to naturally absorb carbon from the surrounding air. This shift to passive capture slashes the operating costs of biofuel production by an incredible 60 percent. The high alkalinity also acts as a natural shield, killing off invasive species and bacteria that usually ruin commercial algae ponds. Using this biology-driven carbon capture could make green fuels and carbon removal economically viable for the first time.
High-Alkalinity Algal Cultivation with Direct Air Capture: An Economic Feasibility Analysis
EarthArXiv · 10.31223/X5JN32
Weather variability and CO₂ supply costs remain key barriers to the commercial viability of algal biofuel production. Recent experimental work has demonstrated that the algae Chlorella sp. strain SLA-04 achieves high productivity in extreme alkaline growth media (pH greater than 10), where the solution chemistry enables direct capture of atmospheric CO₂, eliminating the need for costly CO₂ sparging. The extreme alkaline medium also provides resistance to microbial contamination and culture crash