Carbon capture in fermentation

Abstract

The invention relates to a steel mill adapted to provide gas stream(s) comprising CO to a microbial fermentation, the steel mill comprising a steel mill structure containing apparatus for a steel manufacturing process wherein said apparatus produces waste gases during various stages of the steel making process, said waste gases being directed into the atmosphere by a waste stack, wherein the waste stack is connected to a fermentation system by a transfer means connected to the waste stack to divert at least a portion of the waste gases to the microbial fermentation system.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A steel mill adapted to provide gas stream(s) comprising CO to a microbial fermentation system comprising providing a steel mill structure, the steel mill structure containing apparatus for a steel manufacturing process wherein said apparatus produces waste gases during various stages of the steel making process, said waste gases being directed into the atmosphere by a waste stack, wherein the waste stack is connected to a fermentation system by a transfer means connected to the waste stack to divert at least a portion of the waste gases to the microbial fermentation system. 
     
     
         2 . The steel mill of  claim 1  wherein the transfer means is selected from the group consisting of piping and conduit. 
     
     
         3 . The steel mill of  claim 1  further including a scrubber apparatus wherein the waste gases are passed through water to remove particulate matter before passing to the waste stack. 
     
     
         4 . The steel mill of  claim 1  wherein the waste gases are driven into the waste stack by one or more fans. 
     
     
         5 . The steel mill of  claim 1 , wherein the waste gases comprise 20%-60% CO by volume. 
     
     
         6 . The steel mill of  claim 1 , wherein the fermentation system produces ethanol and/or acetate. 
     
     
         7 . The steel mill of  claim 1 , wherein the anaerobic bacterium is  Clostridium autoethanogenum, Clostridium ljungdhali  or  Clostridium carboxydivorans.    
     
     
         8 . The steel mill of  claim 1 , wherein the anaerobic bacterium is  Clostridium autoethanogenum.    
     
     
         9 . The steel mill of  claim 1 , wherein the  Clostridium autoethanogenum  is a  Clostridium autoethanogenum  having the identifying characteristics of the strain deposited at the German Resource Centre for Biological Material (DSMZ) under the identifying deposit number 19630. 
     
     
         10 . The steel mill of  claim 1 , wherein the gas stream comprises less than 1% H2. 
     
     
         11 . The steel mill of  claim 1 , wherein the steel manufacturing process comprises a decarburisation process. 
     
     
         12 . The steel mill of  claim 1 , wherein the decarburisation process is carried out in a basic oxygen furnace. 
     
     
         13 . The steel mill of  claim 1 , wherein the gas stream comprises 43-50% CO, 17-20% CO2, 2-3% H2 and 27-34% N.