oil_from_algae : oil from algae: "Is it feasible to grow algae, harvest the oils, and use the algae oil for fuel? Discuss techniques, research results, and future directions. "Thanks to OfA group moderator (?) Tom Catino for the heads-up on this one.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Oil from Algae?
Ever wondered if you could get OIL from ALGAE? Do you wonder now that I mentioned it? Check out the "Oil From Algae" Yahoo Group described below:
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Thanks for the article...it is heartening to see algae getting a lot of publicity, something I feel they deserve.
ReplyDeleteI co-ordinate Oilgae, a site that explores use of algae as a feedstock for biodiesel, and I can say with some amount of confidence based on my researches that algae appear to be one of the most qualified candidates for biodiesel production.
While the math certainly appears to favor algae, there are a number of issues to be overcome. These have to do with (1) choosing optimal algal strains, (2) issues faced in cultivation and harvesting (believe me there are some serious bottlenecks here), and (3) cost-effective methods to extract oil and transform it into biodiesel.
So yes, there is still a long way to go before it can be proven with certainty that algal biodiesel can be cost-effective on a large scale, but it is gratifying to see brilliant minds (not to forget VC money) getting into this field. And with institutes like MIT (Boston) getting into the act, I'm optimistic most of the above-mentioned issues will be overcome.
Time will tell if algae are our future source of energy, but for now, they certainly appear to have many of the qualifications required for the same.
Narsi from Oilgae - Oil from Algae