12,000 m2 seawater tank for growing algae in the middle of the Sahara desert

Morocco British startup builds pilot facility in Sahara desert to grow microalgae, absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen.

Microalgae farming pilot facility in Akhfenir, southern Morocco. Photo: Brilliant Planet — Microalgae farming pilot facility in Akhfenir, southern Morocco. Photo: *Brilliant Planet*

Brilliant Planet, a London-based startup, has leased 6,100 hectares of land in the coastal town of Akhfenir, southern Morocco, which is located between the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Sahara Desert to the south. The land is being used to grow algae, CNN reported on August 18. Algae help absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and release oxygen through photosynthesis.

Brilliant Planet has developed a method for growing algae at lightning speed, starting in a beaker in a lab and ending in 12,000-square-meter seawater tanks, according to Brilliant Planet CEO Adam Taylor. The process mimics natural algal blooms (rapidly reproducing algae that discolor the water), and a single test tube of algae can multiply to fill 16 giant tanks—the equivalent of 77 Olympic-sized swimming pools—in just 30 days, Taylor said.

The algae is extracted from the water, then pumped up a 10-story tower and sprayed into the desert air. As it falls to the ground, which takes about 30 seconds, the hot air dries out the biomass, leaving behind super-salty pieces of algae that can be collected and buried shallowly, sequestering the carbon they contain for thousands of years.

“Nature-based solutions are a great way to sequester carbon,” Taylor said. He said the desert is an underutilized environment. “It doesn’t cost much to lease the desert, and the government is very keen on economic activity. Plus, you’re not competing with farms or forests, you’re in the middle of nowhere, and you don’t bother people,” he added.

Taylor claims that Brilliant Planet’s solution could permanently remove 30 times more CO2 per hectare from the atmosphere than a typical European forest. Environmental engineer Fatna Ikrame El Fanne, co-founder of Youth For Climate Morocco, calls the approach promising but cautions against it.

“Large-scale production of microalgae can be harmful to local ecosystems, depleting water sources and altering habitats. It requires proper regulation, sustainable land management practices, efficient water use, ecological restoration, community participation and continuous monitoring,” says El Fanne.

Algae grow in a pilot tank at Brilliant Planet's facility in southern Morocco. Photo: Brilliant Planet — Algae grow in a pilot tank at Brilliant Planet's facility in southern Morocco. Photo: *Brilliant Planet*

Brilliant Planet’s pilot site is 3 hectares, which is expected to grow into a 30-hectare facility in Akhfenir next year. The company also plans to build a 200-hectare farm, followed by a 1,000-hectare farm there.

Brilliant Planet has received more than $26 million in funding to date. The company’s goal is to eliminate one million tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to the annual emissions of 217,000 cars, by the end of the decade. Taylor said that would require a deployment of 10,000 hectares across multiple locations and an investment of about $1 billion.

Thu Thao (According to CNN )

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