The story of algae biodiesel is one of those real trash-to-treasure stories. Most of us, if we have to clean out a septic tank, only think about getting the job done as soon as possible. Not many of us would stop to look closely or study the repulsive looking sludge in any detail. But there’s a very good chance that the sludge in a septic tank contains the answer – or one of the answers – to the rapidly dwindling supplies of crude oil/petroleum.
Algae biodiesel is one of several sustainable sources of biodiesel, along with biodiesel and biofuel produced from plants such as corn, potatoes or sugarcane. However, algae biodiesel is looking much more promising for the future, as problems have arisen with biodiesel sourced from crops. Biodiesel sourced from land-grown crops cause something of a problem for world food production, as the land (and the crops) that would otherwise have gone to grow food for people is being used to grow the feedstocks for biodiesel.
Benefits & Advantages of Algae Oil
Algae biodiesel doesn’t have this problem, as the algae used to produce the biodiesel grow in water. And, what’s more, the algae won’t take up your fresh drinking water. Waste water will do just fine for growing algae – yes, even in septic tanks, although they’re still working on the best way and place to grow a lot of algae quickly and efficiently.
Algae biodiesel is also more efficient than plant-sourced biofuels. According to one source, you can get the same amount of oil (which will be refined into biodiesel) out of an area the size of a double garage with algae as you can out of a football field planted in soybeans.
This is because, unlike plants, most of the algae produces sugars and oils. The sugars go to make ethanol (another biofuel) and the oils go into biodiesel.
What’s more, the algae used for biodiesel grow much more quickly than plants. You’ve probably seen how quickly pond scum can grow. Compare this to the 3 months or so that it takes for potatoes or corn to produce a crop to harvest, whether for food or for biofuel. Algae can double in mass in 24 hours or even quicker.
Producing algae does not take good, arable land away from food production. Yes, you do need space for growing algae for biodiesel, but this does not have to be on arable land. Marginal or otherwise unusable land is perfectly adequate. Desert areas (e.g. the Outback) work well, if you can get the water to them, especially as the warmer temperatures are probably conducive to algal growth. Many believe that pumping sewerage out to algae oil farms will be suffice.
Other Names for Algae Oil
Algae biodiesel is also known by several other names:
- algal fuel
- third-generation biofuel
- oilgae
Related Sites
Related Posts
- Benefits & Advantages of Algae Oil / Fuel
- How Biodiesel is Made Into Fuel
- Producing Algae Oil: Ultimate Renewable Fuel
- How to Use Biofuel or Biodiesel in Cars
- Identifying the Benefits of Biodiesel
- Biofuel Cars: How They Run From Green Fuel
- Alternative Fuels to Petrol / Gasoline
- Energy Links
August 5th, 2009 at 2:54 am
This is a very informative post on a very important topic. Algae biodiesel has the potential to be an invaluable asset to our planet and the various needs associated with it. I cannot wait until this source is fully utilized for the benefit of our planet.
December 3rd, 2010 at 5:33 am
Read this to learn what may be fueling your vehicle one day soon:
I would like to bring your attention to the University of Kansas (KU) Biofuels “Feedstock to Tailpipe©” Initiative. This Initiative seeks to cut the world’s dependence on fossil fuels, reduce pollution, and generate strong potential for economic gains.
Why this Initiative is different from others:
o It focuses on the development of a total biofuel production system that is low-cost, and that can be operated continuously.
o It grows multiple species of algae in natural ecosystems, and uses the algal production process to remove chemical pollutants from the wastewater stream. Nitrogen and phosphate from the inflowing wastewater are absorbed during algal growth, and then removed during algal harvesting, thereby reducing the discharges of these pollutants into the Kansas River, via a close partnership with the Lawrence, Kansas, Wastewater Treatment Plant. To read more please visit (http://www.kutri.ku.edu/news/11-9-09/)
o It is developing cost-effective, low-energy demand algae dewatering systems.
o It is developing continuous flow, low-energy demand lipid extraction techniques that can provide algal oils for downstream biodiesel production.
o It has the laboratory testing facilities to verify that the team-produced biodiesel will meet existing ASTM quality standards as well as EPA emission standards.
o Real-world testing of a variety of team-produced biodiesel (soy, corn, canola, etc.) is already underway across multiple internal combustion engine platforms.
o In addition to liquid fuels, efforts are being made to convert algae into solid fuels that can be directly combusted for energy production.
What it is: An Initiative to develop liquid and solid renewable fuels as well as marketable, high-value co-products from algae grown in domestic wastewater effluents.
How it works: This Initiative uses ecological approaches to maximize algal biofuel production, as well as to minimize both waste and cost.
Who is involved: This Initiative is made possible by a highly interdisciplinary team that works at multiple scales, ranging from single cells to entire ecosystems. Scientists from chemical, mechanical, and environmental engineering, as well as ecology, biology, and geography are collaborating on this project.
For more information please review the video at http://www.kutri.ku.edu/fttvideo.html or contact KU TRI Director Bob Honea at bobh253@ku.edu (phone: 1-785-864-1828).
February 9th, 2011 at 4:43 am
I am one of the officers and a director of BioMass Alternate Energy Company. We are a newly formed company in Florida to provide turn-key Biomass Boilers for the generating electricity in specific areas with sufficient biomass to burn on a 24/7/265 basis. Wood is always the best in the biomass world until we started looking at the algae and the application of providing both the natural algae for pellets and the new modified algae for biofuel. the energy in bio-pellets is 4 or five times greater than cut-dried-chipped wood.
Our application is for a 35 to 40 KW generator powered by an algae fueled biomass boiler. The additions to this project are water and sewer to the 54,000 acre development that is both residential, business and industrial. There has just been an announcement about an Indian Tribe moving back from Oklahoma and moving the remaining tribal members all to Georgia. The Casino will also be built and operated with the assistance of the other Casino operators.
We will sign the agreement today or tomorrow to supply all of the utilities for the project and with the directive to be a totally GREEN Community. This will include recycle of trash and algae for sewage treatment.
i look forward to talking and working out the details of our project. Also, about the possibility of your assistance or partnership in Georgia.
Tom Wilkerson 804 387 5151