Denso is researching certain algae that it believes could absorb carbon dioxide emissions from its factories.
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A Denso spokesman told AFP that Denso is looking at minute green algae called “pseudochoricystis,” which can be found places such as hot springs.
“The main purpose of the study is to make the algae absorb CO2 emissions from our factories and facilities,” the spokesman told AFP.
He said the algae also produced “light oil or biodiesel” but that Denso had no firm plan to mass-produce light oil at the moment.
The algae uses water and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and makes fat and light oil, the report said.
The company’s laboratory estimates the algae could produce light oil equal to a maximum of 30 percent of its weight, but the spokesman said that process was costlier than refining light oil from crude oil.
The Asahi newspaper reported earlier that Denso will mass-produce diesel made from algae by 2013. The company, based in central Japan’s Kariya city, will extract neutral fat and light oil materials to make diesel from the algae, the paper said.
