British startup Arborea is launching a pilot project to test out its “BioSolar Leaf” technology. The first ever system uses microscopic plants to eliminate pollution from the air while simultaneously producing food ingredients.
Arborea’s system involves growing microscopic plants, such as microalgae or phytoplankton, on solar panel-like structures that can be installed practically anywhere solar panels would go.
With photosynthesis, these plants remove carbon dioxide (C02) from the air while generating oxygen. According to the source, just one acre of their system does as much to clean the air as 100 acres of trees.
Cleaning the air is just one benefit of the BioSolar Leaf technology, though the microscopic plants also produce an organic protein that Arborea extracts and uses to create plant-based food products.
“This pilot plant will produce sustainable healthy food additives while purifying the air, producing oxygen, and removing carbon dioxide from the surrounding environment,” Arborea CEO Julian Melchiorri said.
“It will provide the opportunity to fully harness Arborea’s BioSolar Leaf dual action in real operating conditions and help to unlock the technology’s full potential.”