The growth and on-site bioremediation potential of an isolated thermal- and CO2-tolerant mutant strain. Chlorella sp. MTF-7, were investigated. The Chlorella sp. MTF-7 cultures were directly aerated with the flue. gas generated from coke oven of a steel plant. The biomass concentration, growth rate and lipid content of Chlorella sp. MTF-7 cultured in an outdoor 50-L photobioreactor for 6 days was 2.87 g L-1 (with an initial culture biomass concentration of 0.75 g L-1), 0.52 g L-1 d(-1) and 25.2%, respectively. By the operation with intermittent flue gas aeration in a double-set photobioreactor system, average efficiency of CO2 removal from the flue gas could reach to 60%, and NO and SO2 removal efficiency was maintained at approximately 70% and 50%, respectively. Our results demonstrate that flue gas from coke oven could be directly introduced into Chlorella sp. MTF-7 cultures to potentially produce algal biomass and efficiently capture CO2, NO and SO2 from flue gas. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.