Phone:
+49 711 685 66212
According to a feasibility study funded by the Ministry of the Environment of Baden-Württemberg, there are a number of companies in the state of BW that release large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere as point emission sources. In principle, acetogenic microorganisms offer the possibility of converting CO2, CO and H2-containing waste gases into valuable substances such as short-chain alcohols and organic acids.
Acetogenic microorganisms are strict anaerobes that react very sensitively to O2 and stop growth and metabolism. In order to be able to apply the technology to exhaust air streams containing O2, the residual O2 content must first be removed. One possibility to remove O2 from the exhaust air of these point emission sources is the 'sub-shot' oxidation of methane (CH4) into CO and H2. This would not only remove microbially unwanted O2, but also provide attractive electron sources (CO and H2) for the microbial valorisation of CO2 to alcohols and acids.
View of the laboratory for the valorisation of CO2/CO/H2-containing gases through fermentation with microorganisms.
Photo: IBVT, University of Stuttgart
