Algae biofuel

From Green Wiki

[edit] Introduction

Many consider algae to be an attractive alternative to current biofuel materials—such as corn, soybeans, and palm—because the slime has a high lipid density (read: it’s oily) and could theoretically produce far more oil per acre, reducing the cost of biofuels. Martin Tobias, CEO of biodiesel company Imperium Renewables, said algae could theoretically produce 10,000 gallons of oil per acre, compared with 680 gallons per acre for palm, the current highest-oil-yielding crop (see Biofuels Smackdown: Algae vs. Soybeans). This is an important issue because a major obstacle to biodiesel is the fact that the same land used to grow biodiesel crops is also needed to grow food. And, as Rona Fried, editor of the green investing newsletter Progressive Investor, said: "People need to eat more than they need to use fuel”

[edit] About

Algal fuel, oilgae, algaeoleum or third generation biofuel, is a biofuel from algae. Compared with second generation biofuels, algae are high-yield high-cost (30 times more energy per acre than terrestrial crops) feedstocks to produce biofuels. Since the whole organism converts sunlight into oil, algae can produce more oil in an area the size of a two-car garage than an entire football field of soybeans.

[edit] Why Algae biofuel?

[edit] Advantages

As exciting as the possibility of harnessing algae’s potential has been, it still seemed like one of those technologies that everyone talks about, and looks great in the lab and on paper - but something nobody is brave enough to actually try commercially. Well, it looks as though that is no longer the case!

1. Incredible space-efficiency (far more fuel can be produced per unit area)
2. No soil requirements
3. No fresh water requirements
4. Certain algal technologies have even been designed to absorb CO2 from smokestacks!

[edit] Producers

• New Zealand’s Aquaflow Bionomic Corp has become the World’s first producer of biofuel from sewage-pond-grown algae. According to a brief blurb on Radio New Zealand, Aquaflow thinks this approach has the potential to fulfill up to 80% of New Zealand’s diesel needs.

• Green Fuel Technologies announced in the beginning of April (2008) that they had begun construction of their commercial scale algae plant

• PetroSun announced they’d be taking their pilot algae farm commercial on April 1st (2008).

• Circle Biodiesel & Ethanol Corporation: Clean energy company specializing in renewable energy and manufacturing and consulting for algae biodiesel and algae biofuel processors for algae oil, biodiesel processors, jatropha biodiesel, bioethanol, ethanol stills and methane digesters for the production of biogas.

[edit] Source

ecosherpa.com