diesel fuel
Algae: A Renewable Source of Diesel Fuel?
29 January 2008 10:31 AM Filed in: Alternative Energy
By Kat Vaughan
When you think of algae what comes to your mind? Your fish tank in dire need of cleaning? A pond after a long dry spell? What about a source of renewable fuel? Yes, fuel! Solazyme, a start-up in Northern California (where else?!) has recently partnered with Chevron to perfect its cutting edge technology of converting algae to fuel . They forecast that within 2-3 years, Solazyme will be able to produce biofuel at a competitive price, even if crude oil drops in 1/2 from the current $89 a barrel.
The idea of converting algae to fuel is not new. In fact, scientists have explored the idea of producing methane gas from algae since the 1950's. Beginning in 1978, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory invested 20 years in the research of more than 3,000 strains of algae to see which one had the most potential of producing significant volumes of oil. After twenty years of intensive research and experiments, they ran out of funding and were forced to shut down. Instead, the federal Energy Department plunked money into the study of cellulose ethanol.
In light of this knowledge, imagine where we'd be if we continued down the road of algae research to a viable alternative energy solution? Wars could have been averted, lives could have been saved, our economy could have been more stable, our planet could be greener, and oil companies and their shareholders would be far less wealthy.
We must ask ourselves why our government and or oil companies refused to continue this research and development of much needed alternative fuel. It is not enough to say that the price of oil was "cheap". We knew then as we know now that oil is non-renewable.
When you think of algae what comes to your mind? Your fish tank in dire need of cleaning? A pond after a long dry spell? What about a source of renewable fuel? Yes, fuel! Solazyme, a start-up in Northern California (where else?!) has recently partnered with Chevron to perfect its cutting edge technology of converting algae to fuel . They forecast that within 2-3 years, Solazyme will be able to produce biofuel at a competitive price, even if crude oil drops in 1/2 from the current $89 a barrel.
The idea of converting algae to fuel is not new. In fact, scientists have explored the idea of producing methane gas from algae since the 1950's. Beginning in 1978, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory invested 20 years in the research of more than 3,000 strains of algae to see which one had the most potential of producing significant volumes of oil. After twenty years of intensive research and experiments, they ran out of funding and were forced to shut down. Instead, the federal Energy Department plunked money into the study of cellulose ethanol.
In light of this knowledge, imagine where we'd be if we continued down the road of algae research to a viable alternative energy solution? Wars could have been averted, lives could have been saved, our economy could have been more stable, our planet could be greener, and oil companies and their shareholders would be far less wealthy.
We must ask ourselves why our government and or oil companies refused to continue this research and development of much needed alternative fuel. It is not enough to say that the price of oil was "cheap". We knew then as we know now that oil is non-renewable.
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