Biofuels

Fuel from… Algae?

Emerging research suggests that algae may prove to be a valuable component in the solution to the planet’s growing energy demand. According to scientists from ExxonMobil, photosynthetic algae have many advantages that make it a compelling alternative fuel source.

• Algae produce fatty, lipid cells containing oil that can be used as fuel.
• Growing algae consume carbon dioxide, offsetting greenhouse gases.
• Algae can be grown in areas that are deemed unsuitable for growing plants or crops. This is a benefit over other biofuels, which are produced on farmland that could be used for food crops or forest land that has been cleared of trees (causing environmental concerns).
• Algae may yield greater volumes of biofuel per acre than other sources. For example, algae could produce more than 2,000 gallons of fuel per acre per year as opposed to corn’s 250 gallons per acre per year.

California-based company Sapphire Energy aims to produce 1 million gallons of algae-based diesel and jet fuel by 2011 and 100 million gallons a year by 2018. Even NASA is interested in the algae-based fuel business with its proposed “Sustainable Energy for Spaceship Earth” project. The project would use semi-permeable bags floating on the ocean’s surface to grow algae. The bags would collect ocean sewage, which would give the algae inside nutrients. When the process is completed, the algae will be rich with biofuel.

Brazil: Sweet on Ethanol

Brazil is second only to the United States in ethanol fuel production: In 2008, Brazil produced more than 37% of the ethanol used around the world. The country’s thriving ethanol industry relies on its agricultural technology, large amount of cultivatable land and abundance of inexpensive sugarcane that can be used in ethanol production.

Brazil’s use of biofuels took off in the mid-1970s after the first global oil crisis. The Brazilian government put a plan into motion in 1975 to phase out fossil fuel-based fuels in favor of ethanol made from sugarcane.

The sugarcane-based ethanol industry in Brazil is more cost effective than the US’ corn-based industry. The process costs more in the US because corn starch much be converted to sugar before it can be distilled into alcohol.

According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme, Brazil’s sugarcane-based ethanol production can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and can even lead to “negative emission,” which means that carbon dioxide is actually pulled out of the atmosphere.