Pond Technologies move towards a sustainable future is often seen as a zero-sum proposition, forcing us to choose between business and the environment. But one Markham-based company is doing things differently, using action on climate change as an opportunity for collaborative, and profitable, innovation. Pond Technologies is a Canadian cleantech company using algae to help existing industry transition to low-carbon operations. Pond’s multi-leveled system not only captures CO2, but derives value from these emissions by producing a valuable natural byproduct. For over a decade, the team at Pond has been fine-tuning their proprietary growth technology, gathering data and building
The Algae is on its way to becoming a sustainable raw material of the future
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Markham VOICE Winter 2020
AI systems, perfecting conditions for optimal algae growth.
Hungry for CO2
Expelled from our factories, power plants, and cars – CO2 is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. While algae, like plants, grow via photosynthesis, consuming CO2 at impressive rates. Here’s how it works: Emissions from smokestacks and other industrial facilities are redirected to large tanks, called bioreactors. The reactors are “plug and play”, container-size tanks that integrate easily with existing industrial facilities. The emissions are moved through the algaefilled reactors where Pond’s technology capitalizes on algae’s natural appetite for