Would you invest in Algae-based oil?

[$5 submissions]

Very interesting competitive edge: 1 Million barrels a day capacity?

http://money.cnn.com/video/technolog...algae.fortune/

[$5 submissions]

It would be nice to see this tech get price competitive with fossil fuels. If there's anything positive about $100+ oil it's the fact that it makes competing resources look more affordable. I don't see it staying at $100+ levels on a sustained basis though

[marlboroack]

I'd rather invest Gold and Silver

[Overload]

seen a docu bout it some weeks ago ... very impressive i must say

[Bill8]

engineers have been talking about algal based biodiesel for 30 years.

but we don't seem any closer to a production plant than ever before. Only very early stage demo plants.

one would think that if it can produce fuel at $30 a barrel we'd be seeing algal fuel entering the market.

there's a tiny demo plant in australia. a couple of acres of ponds.

http://www.oilgae.com/club/users/tomcatino/blogs/1138

The demonstration facility in Australia includes six one-acre raceway ponds, four 400-square meter ponds, and four 50-square meter ponds. Aurora Algae was awarded a $2 million grant by the Australian government under its Low Emissions Energy Development Fund to support the project. To date, the company has received $750,000 of the funding. McDonald said benchmarks that have been achieved to date will enable the company to collect an additional $1.1 million within the next two months. The $150,000 balance will be paid out in the future, as Aurora Algae works to develop its first commercial location.

While McDonald was unable to release specific information on the algae strain that is being employed by his company, he did note that it is a salt-tolerant variety that has been specifically selected and optimized for its high lipid content.

Aurora Algae currently expects to begin construction of its initial commercial-scale algae production facility in early 2012. According to McDonald, the facility is scheduled to be operational by 2013. Aurora Algae initially plans to partner with companies that will utilize its algae for the production of biofuels, omega-3 fatty acids, and animal feed. However, McDonald notes that the company may choose to process its own algae into end products in the future.

there was an american plant inoculated as I recall - lets check.

http://www.solixbiosystems.com/conte...ale-production

http://cenblog.org/cleantech-chemist...-changes-name/

The first two most difficult things about using algae as a feedstock for biofuels is 1) growing algae and 2) growing a lot of algae.

But growing some algae isn?t THAT difficult, it?s really just complicated. Solix BioSystems is aiming to solve that problem by marketing a complete system that will get you up and running. The system has a culture capacity of 4000 liters. Which gives the algal entrepreneur a test bed and growth area for one or more of his or her favorate strains. The outdoor arrangement grows algae in large narrow plastic bags suspended in a pool of water, with CO2 bubbles (and sunshine that you supply) to feed the algae.

It is interesting to note the additional support structure included to keep the algae growing and content. The support system trailer handles preparation, dosing, harvesting, cleaning? and features ?programmable sparge timing.? I don?t know what the cost would be to scale up this sort of system, but it seems it may be expensive.

So, growing algae ? check. Scaling up ? unknown. The second set of challenges includes separating the oil from the water and the algae. Origin Oil, which makes a very different sort of photobioreactor, has an answer for this one. I can?t explain it, but the video reminds me of a lava lamp and is very groovy.

well, as far as liquid fuels go, algal biofuels is one of teh few things that makes the list of future possibilities.

supposedly the military is very interested in it.

[crockett]

My uncle was working with University of FL on that stuff and been at it for several years now. They have several testing lakes on his property.

He's a smart guy and likely wouldn't be involved if it wasn't something worthwhile

[chronig]

Originally Posted by crockett

My uncle was working with University of FL on that stuff and been at it for several years now. They have several testing lakes on his property.

He's a smart guy and likely wouldn't be involved if it wasn't something worthwhile

[Bill8]

what's your uncle's specialty?

the fact that the military has, as I understand it, ordered that logistics build the capacity to fuel military jets and equipment with US produced "green" fuels by 2040 or thereabouts, and algal biodiesel is one of the few liquid fuels with serious potential for that purpose, makes algal fuels something we will see research funding flow to.

alcohols, such as the still mythical cellulosic ethanol, have too low a specific impulse for military purposes, so one hears.

if we ever do get around to being able to make cellulosic alcohols that is.