Algae for biofuel

So what does the scummy stuff that grows on the sides of fish tanks have to do with energy production? A LOT.

The biofuel debate is a classic dilemma. On the plus side, biofuels offer a clean, renewable source of energy to replace fossil fuels. But the drawback can be summed up in one word: space. Growing more biofuel requires space and there’s only so much arable farmland to go around. With fears of rising prices and global food shortages, striking a balance is difficult.

One promising solution is algae.  Solix Biofuels is planning an algae farm capable of producing thousands of gallons of bio-gasoline and biodiesel using much less land than current biofuel projects. The algae are converted into “biocrude” which is the biofuel equivalent of crude oil.  

Compared with other biofuels, even second generation, high-concept ethanol, algae are incredibly efficient biofuel producers. Since the whole organism uses sunlight to produce oil, algae can produce more oil in an area the size of a two-car garage than an entire football field of soybeans.

Algae is amazingly prodigious stuff. That translates to 30 times more energy per acre than “traditional” biofuel crops such as corn.  What’s more, researchers are still working on improving algae cultivation techniques. 

And with at least 15 start-up companies in the US working on turning algae into fuel, it seems algae biofuel is catching on. At least in theory.