This paper presents results from a thermogravimetric analysis and modelling based study using a fresh water alga, Chlorococcum humicola, and a Victorian Brown Coal and their blends at different proportions. Pyrolysis was studied using the pure coal and pure algae as well as their blends to a final temperature of 1000 degrees C at different heating rates to understand the kinetics. The kinetic data of pure algae and pure coal were used to predict the pyrolysis characteristics of coal-algae blends at various heating rates using a modified distributed activation energy model which closely matched the experimental data. The experimental results also indicate that there is no chemical interaction between the algae and coal during pyrolysis. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.