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Todays Fuel For Tomorrows Future
Peering into the future seldom produces a clear picture. But this is not the case with biodiesel. Its long-term impacts on the global economy appear to be pretty clear. The future of biodiesel is secure. The question is what feedstock for biodiesel is sustainable and profitable in the long term. As sustainable alternatives are sought in a bid to enhance energy security as well as reduce carbon emissions, the focus of researchers has shifted to "second- generation" Biodiesel – those not made from food crops such as soy or palm. It has been conclusively established that, in terms of per hectare oil yield, algae could be the most efficient source of feedstock for Biodiesel industry.
Every drop of oil on earth comes from millions of years of buildup from algae and other natural residue... buried, compressed, and eventually drilled--supplying our energy since the late 1800s.
Now, consider that we're going to deplete, in less than 300 years, what took hundreds of millions of years to form. And with the inevitable global depletion of oil, alternative forms of energy are destined to emerge.
Algae, ironically, is one of them...
Research at leading universities suggests that algae could supply enough fuel to meet all of America's transportation needs in the form of biodiesel... using a scant 0.2% of the nation's land.
In fact, enough algae can be grown to replace all transportation fuels in the U.S. on only 15,000 square miles, or 4.5 million acres of land.
That's about the size of Maryland.
How is this all possible?
Technology exists right now to cultivate algae that can be used as fuel, using human and animal waste as fertilizer.
Oilgae – Oil & Biodiesel from Algae
While a number of bio-feedstocks are currently being experimented for biodiesel (and ethanol ) production, algae have emerged as one of the most promising sources especially for biodiesel production, for two main reasons (1) The yields of oil from algae are orders of magnitude higher than those for traditional oilseeds, and (2) Algae can grow in places away from the farmlands & forests, thus minimising the damages caused to the ecology and food chain systems. There is a third interesting reason as well: algae can be grown in sewages and next to power-plant smokestacks where they digest the pollutants and give us oil!
Though research into algae oil as a source for biodiesel is not new, the current oil crises and fast depleting fossil oil reserves have made it more imperative for organizations and countries to invest more time and efforts into research on suitable renewable feedstock such as algae.
Just by way of history, petroleum is widely believed to have had its origins in kerogen, which is easily converted to an oily substance under conditions of high pressure and temperature. Kerogen is formed from algae, biodegraded organic compounds, plankton, bacteria, plant material, etc., by biochemical and/or chemical reactions such as diagenesis and catagenesis. Several studies have been conducted to simulate petroleum formation by pyrolysis. On the basis of these findings, it can be inferred that algae grown in CO2-enriched air can yield oil that can be converted into biodiesel. Such an approach can contribute to solving two major problems: air pollution resulting from CO2 emissions, and a future crises due to a shortage of energy sources.
Relatively high oil prices, advances in technology, and the worlds governments increased emphasis on renewable fuels are attracting new interest in a potentially rich source of biofuels: algae. A number of start ups are now demonstrating new technology and launching large research efforts aimed at replacing hundreds of millions of gallons of fossil fuels by 2010, and much more in the future.
Algae makes oil naturally. Raw algae can be processed to make bio-crude, the renewable equivalent of petroleum, refined to make gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and chemical feed stocks for plastics and drugs. Indeed, it can be processed at existing oil refineries to make just about anything that can be made from crude oil.
Could This Be The Future Of Biodiesel?
Why This All Seems To Make Sense
Algae Farm on Unusable Desert Land
Algae on its way to be processes into biodiesel
Algae mixing with co2 the perfect combination
Algae being grown in a 'vertical farm' This processe works well in urban areas to have a maximum 'harvest' using minimum space
Process of Making Biodiesel From Algae
Algae Up Close & Personal
In Conclusion
What we need is an incredibly fast growing, biodegradable crop with enormous oil yields. Algae therefore came forward as potentially the most efficient crop to grow for biodiesel. It's oil content is a whopping 50+% formed as it converts carbon dioxide from the air and sunlight into energy, and it has enormous growth rates.
Studies suggest that algae is capable of yielding 30 times more oil per acre than the crops currently used in biodiesel production. Algae can create 5,000-20,000 gallons of oil per acre per year, far in excess of palm oil which yields a paltry 635 gallons despite being one of the best crops presently for biodiesel production.
Algae can also be economically converted into solid fuels, methane gas, or bio-ethanol. It can also be used to generate electricity which in turn can be used to obtain hydrogen fuel to power hydrogen fuel cells. Another advantage is that algae can even be fed on liquid human sewage and on streams polluted by fertilizer run off reducing pollution.
Top Five positive points about using algae to produce biodiesel and other alternative fuels;
Why Now?
Algae being processed into biodiesel
In a prepared statement, Solazyme CEO Jonathan Wolfson said, "Biodiesel from algae changes the landscape of renewable fuels. The concept of algal biofuel has been discussed for decades, and Solazyme's technology finally provides a scalable solution based on proven industrial processes. This fuel is just the first example of how algal oil will help the
At the Sundance film festival this week, Solazyme is promoting its scalable process that makes biodiesel from algae by driving a car through the busy streets of Park City, Utah. The Mercedes is fueled by Soladiesel, the Algae biodiesel that is "biodegradable, nontoxic and safe" and made using algae.
Making Biodiesel From Algae
Mercedes Benz C320 diesel will be the first real-world road test of biodiesel made from algae. The car is straight off the showroom floor
environment through new products that offer attractive economics and performance, as well as environmental benefits."
- Uses far less land then what is used to grow traditional feed stocks
- Feeds on CO2 to grow then releases oxygen
- Uses waste water and human/animal sewage to grow
- 30 times more oil per acre of land then current feedstocks
- Algae can be economically grown for biodiesel and many other forms of alternative fuels.