Oddly enough, what this London-based company is basically doing and facilities scattered across Morocco and Oman is to grow algae in large quantities, separate them from salt water, dry them and then bury them in remote desert places. It aims to address global warming, improving both water quality and, above all, CO2 levels in the atmosphere.

And all with the help of a valuable ally: algae.

Sowing algae in the desert?

It may sound bizarre, but it has its logic. Brilliant Planet is dedicated to growing algae in ponds filled with water pumped from the depths of the ocean to, within a couple of weeks, collect them and return water to the sea. Then the biomass formed by the seaweed moves to a special tower that is in charge of spraying it through the hot air of the desert, in a way not very different from the way a snow machine does in a ski resort. As they fall on the sand, the particles dry and turn into "hypersaline flakes" that are collected and buried in places far from the sea, river basins or possible water leaks.

But for what purpose?

Remove CO2. Brilliant Planet recalls that if we want to avoid the most damaging effects of climate change, we will have to remove from the atmosphere between 5,000 and 10,000 million tonnes of CO2 annually until 2050. And to do so, he has identified a valuable ally in algae and its ability to absorb atmospheric CO2 and emit oxygen during photosynthesis.

"Coastal algal blooms are responsible for 20% of the global carbon cycle and, in terms of productivity, are 10 to 50 times more efficient in CO2 fixation than terrestrial plants per unit of surface," he stresses.

Why algae?

The system devised by Brilliant Planet takes advantage of that capability. Its logic is relatively simple: it allows algae to absorb CO2 and then dry them and bury them at a shallow depth, creating deposits capable of conserving carbon dioxide sequestered for "thousands of years", according to the company's own estimates. Thanks to this simple three-step process — cultivation, drying and underground in the desert — those responsible estimate that they can remove 30 times more carbon per hectare than a forest.

What data does it handle?

That for every 600 kilos of buried algae removes about a ton of CO2 from the atmosphere. Their estimates suggest that half of the CO2 removed is extracted directly from the pond environment. The rest, the water bicarbonate that fills your tanks with. "The process does not alter the alkalinity or chemistry of seawater," the company said. When the water is returned to the ocean, it quickly restores its bicarbonate reserve, removing the second half of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 85% of this rebalancing takes place in four days and we confirm it with measurements."

For its purpose, the company cultivates phytoplankton of local origin, which, argues, facilitates the adaptation to each space and eliminates the risks to ecosystems. As for water, it is taken from the depth of the sea thanks to a pumping system. Once the process is over, it is returned to a less sling layer to "promote the restoration of biodiversity".

What is your immediate goal?

At least in the short term the company wants to demonstrate the potential of its system. And keep growing. He explained it a short month ago, when he recalled that he has operated pilot plants in South Africa (2013), Oman (2014) and southern Morocco, where he has had facilities since 2018. Throughout the second quarter of 2024 he wants to start building a space to demonstrate his technology and start operating it soon after.

"Following the construction of the demonstration site, Brilliant Planet aims to modular its carbon removal capacity, reaching one million tons of carbon dioxide per year by 2030," the company said.