Algae air

Did the Wright Brothers ever picture a future where we would be flying around in jets fuelled by seaweed? Probably not.

One of the very first test flights using a 50 percent blend of algae biofuel to power a Continental Boeing 737-800 proved that anything is possible. Just like the Wright Brothers first flight, this was also an innovation.

Not only was it the first flight by a U.S. carrier to use an alternative fuel source, but it was also the first in the world to use a twin-engine commercial aircraft to test a biofuel blend. A series of tests was conducted during the 90-minute flight and the airplane passed with flying colours. Airlines hope to be using biofuels by the year 2014.

But is algae a viable alternative? Absolutely.

Work is being done to create algae farms that will produce thousands of gallons of biofuel at a rate that exceeds current biofuel projects. Solix Biofuels in Colorado, for example, has raised $15.5 million in capital and will soon begin with a five-acre plot to produce “biocrude.’’ That will in turn be shipped to an oil refinery in place of crude oil.

So far, soybeans have so been the main source of biodiesel in the United States and yield about 50 to 70 gallons per acre. Solix has already achieved production of 1,500 gallons an acre of algae per year, with expected yields of 2,500 to 3,000 gallons an acre per year.

Soon, travellers everywhere could be flying the friendly skies…with seaweed.