Latest Updates: algae growth RSS

• Coal Plant To Produce Biofuels
  Srikant Rajan 08:45:20 am on June 26, 2008 | 4 | # |
  Tags: algae, algae biofuel, algae growth, biofuel, carbon dioxide, Inventure Chemicals, israel, Seambiotic Limited

  Inventure Chemicals has entered into a joint venture with Israel based Seambiotic Limited to construct a pilot commercial biofuel plant.The biofuel plant will use algae as a feedstock that will be produced using the emissions from a power plant.The algae thus grown would be harvested to produce biofuels such as ethanol , biodiseal and other commercial chemicals.

  This joint venture will help in gauging the feasibility of carbon dioxide to algae to biofuel model.Additionally this conversion technology also provides an attractive option to reduce the carbon emissions of a coal plant ,a major environmental polluter.Furthermore, the biofuel obtained by algae processing can also act as a substitute power source in the coal plant,making it a win-win proposition all the way.

   

• Global Warming ??? Suck Up The Carbon !
  Srikant Rajan 01:59:11 pm on June 25, 2008 | 1 | # |
  Tags: algae, algae biofuel, algae growth, Algal Biomass Organization, biofuel, boeing, carbon dioxide, global warming, petroalgae

  Algae based biofuel provides a lot of advantages.This process of algae growth ,like a crop and further harvesting it to obtain biofuel leaves a very low carbon impact on the environment.The biggest advantage of algaaculture is that it can act as a source for removing carbon dioxide from air.Research has proven that algae growth in  CO2-enriched air can yield oil that can be converted into high grade biodiseal.Additionally the byproducts left behind after processing algae can be used as animal feed.PetroAlgae,is one of the organizations actively pursuing this endeavor.Fred Tennant, VP,PetroAlgae is overseeing the development of a process in which algae is harvested from fresh-water ponds , converted to oil and refined to biodiseal. The byproducts ,can be further used as a protein rich animal feed.

  The recently formed  Algal Biomass Organization for promoting renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae,is being promoted by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.Thus it seems that algae has enormous potential for developing as a sustainable energy source.

   

• Algenol’s "Ethanol Producers"
  Srikant Rajan 07:22:26 am on June 13, 2008 | 0 | # |
  Tags: algae, algae growth, algenol, biofuel, direct to ethanol, ethanol

  Its algae all the way for biofuels.Algenol Biofuels wants to put use algae to directly produce ethanol.This Direct to Ethnaol ITM process exploits the specific property of algae cells to produce sugar by using sunlight and carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.Algenol CEO Paul Woods says"Most algae have a really tiny ability to make ethanol, and we’ve enhanced it greatly. We take in sunlight, massive amounts of carbon dioxide, and we grow (algae) in what look like a huge soda bottle on its side".

  Algae has also found favor with biofuel developers who grow it up as a crop, harvest it and further process to produce "Renewable" gasoline.However in Algenol’s technology they are typically not grown but just utilized to produce ethanol.While it is certainly a unique and offbeat view ,this technology’s cost effectiveness and environmental impact still needs to be analyzed.

   

• "Renewable" Gasoline ?
  Srikant Rajan 09:19:58 am on June 10, 2008 | 0 | # |
  Tags: algae, algae growth, biofuel, ethanol, sapphire energy

  

  Forget biodiseal,or ethanol,if Sapphire Energy is to be believe you can actually produce gasoline rather than drilling holes in ground, extracting crude oil and further processing it.Sapphire ,has developed a radical new method for developing commercial grade gasoline from bio- feedstock.This process essentially employs algae as a feedstock ,which is grown and later processed to produce high octane gasoline.The advantages associated with this process are numerous such as the freedom to use non – arable land as well as  saline or brackish water for algae cultivation.Additionally Sapphire  says that the infrastructure required for his entire process is "modular, transportable and fueled by sunlight-not constrained by land, crops or other natural resources".

  This new development has given an ample demonstration regarding the viability of biofuels.However it remains to be seen if the cost associated with this entire process justifies the carbon free "renewable"gasoline so produced.

   

• Let There be Light !
  Srikant Rajan 05:35:55 pm on June 4, 2008 | 2 | # |
  Tags: algae biofuel, algae growth, biofuel, helix bioreactor, originoil

  Cultivating algae for subsequent oil extraction is a tricky process.Light ,is one of the major inputs desired to ensure continuous algae growth.Conventional methods of algae cultivation such as open ponds are unable to channel continuous  light to ensure rapid algae growth.Nicholas Eckelberry, Director of Development ,OriginOil believes that having multiple growth layers may provide an alternative to this challenge.Eckelberry,is  the inventor of the patent pending Helix bioreactor. This bioreactor features  a rotating vertical shaft with  low energy lights arranged in a  spiral pattern.This arrangement allows for algae cultivation in multiple layers.Furthermore each light source is specifically engineered to produce light waves at frequencies which allow optimal algae growth in the corresponding layer.

  Research shows that this reactor allows for rapid algae growth in a economical manner as compared to open ponds.Additionally,since this process involves cultivation of algae in a closed environment ,chances of external contamination are also eliminated.