Algal Fuel One Step Closer To Becoming A Conventional Oil Alternative
A new milestone was reached recently in the race to make fuel from algae a conventional oil alternative: high-octane gasoline that is compatible with any gas-guzzling vehicle. The feat was performed by Sapphire Energy, a company that manufactures “green crude”. Sapphire uses single-cell algae to produce a chemical mixture that contains extractable fuel for cars and other transport vehicles. While the green crude is chemically identical to crude oil, it is completely carbon neutral.
The algal energy doesn’t require the use of agricultural land and water, and it deliver 10 to 100 times more energy per acre than crop-based biofuels. The company hopes that their green crude will ultimately be injected into normal crude pipelines.
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Fortunately for consumers, Sapphire isn’t the only company looking into “Oil 2.0“. Silicon Valley company LS9 is working on genetically modifiying single cell organisms to excrete carbon neutral oil. Like Sapphire’s green crude, the LS9 oil will also work in conventional vehicles.
Whether these efforts come to fruition as oil replacements remains to be seen—and it mostly hinges on questions of efficiency. But we should find out soon. Sapphire expects to start producing their green crude within 3 to 5 years.
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- First Algae Biodiesel Plant Goes Online: April 1, 2008 : Gas 2.0
- Chevron Backs Solazyme’s Algae Biodiesel Production Process
Algae: The New Biofuel
Collaboration is the motivating force of the National Algae Association of The Woodlands, Texas. Algae oil production companies, researchers and the investment community are coming together to find solutions for the oil crisis. Leading-edge technologies are discussed in the commercialization of algae oil and biomass. Interest in algae-to-biofuel is coming in from all over the United States and the world.
We need to bring “energy security” back to the US and reduce our dependency on foreign oil immediately. Current high oil prices, the collapse of food-for-fuel initiatives and concerns about increased levels of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere have all created awareness of the need for alternative fuel solutions. Collaboration, commercialization and acceleration are key to the fast growing secondary algae-to-biofuel industry.
Algae has emerged as one of the lowest cost feedstocks for the biofuels and cellulosic industries. It is considered to be a promising source of renewable oil which can be processed and refined into a variety of transportation fuels. Recent breakthroughs in raceway pond development and closed end loop systems put algae oil production companies on the leading-edge of the renewable oil industry.
Algae can be refined to make biofuel, jet fuel, bio-gasoline and cellulosic materials such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, bioplastics and green packaging.
For additional information contact:
http://www.nationalalgaeassociation.com
Why is this not ALL over the news? I think this is great, the only thing I am waiting for now is all of the crazy PETA folks trying to save the living Algae.
Let’s see if McCain or Obama gets on this.
[...] Algal Fuel One Step Closer to Becoming a Conventional Oil Alternative [...]
So when/where can we get this?!!!!