By Sandeep Pattnaik

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Bhubaneswar: Odisha became the maiden state to pilot carbon sequestration through microalgae technology successfully, a method that helps in capturing the carbon from flue gas of power plants very substantially and generates algae biomass which can be put to further industrial use. The technology has been adopted at Nalco captive power plant (CPP) at Angul on pilot basis for the first time in the state.

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Inaugurating the International seminar on Carbon Sequestration organized here on Tuesday, Chief Secretary Sri Pati advised to develop a network approach among the national and international laboratories to carry on further studies about various use of algae biomass. Chief Secretary has also advised Forest and Environment department to draft a policy for upscaling use of the technology in power plants and utilization of algae biomass under climate change action plan.

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Speaking on the occasion Sri U.N.Behera Development Commissioner said that this technology is highly beneficial to curtail the present rate of carbon emission to a large extent and Govt will support such initiatives in all possible manner.

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“The project has been piloted and demonstrated in the captive thermal power plant of NALCO at Angul,” Sidhant Das, Principal Conservator of Forests and former member OSPCB said on the occasion.    “The algae biomass generated through this technology has the potential to be used as bio-gas, bio-diesel, bio-oil, alcohol, fertilizer and protein for animal feed. It can also be used as additional fuel for power plants along with coal,” Das added.

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CMD NALCO Ansuman Das said that NALCO is committed to take up all initiatives for reduction of carbon emission from power plants since it has one captive power plant for its steel producing plant at Angul. The project has been conceptualized, commissioned and completed within a record time of 2 years and 4 months with the investment of Rs.94 lakhs under the joint aegis of State Pollution Control Board, NALCO and Indocan Technology Solutions.

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