The plant will convert algae into biodiesel fuel using a series of saltwater pools that cover 1100 acres. The company estimates that the ponds will create 4.4 Million gallons of algae oil for use in biofuel. After the fuel is created, there will be about 110 million pounds of leftover algae that can be used for either cattle feed or converted into ethanol.
So why are companies looking at algae for making biodiesel fuel? Under some conditions, algae will double it’s volume every day. Growers can harvest it daily, unlike corn and soybeans, the other two primary biodiesel fuel sources. While oil-palm trees are currently the biggest source of biofuels, only about 20 percent of their weight is oil. 50 percent of the weight of algae is oil.
As far as yields go, soybean yield is about 50 gallons per acre, canola gives 150 gallons, and palm a whopping 650 gallons per acre. While 650 gallons an acre of oil seems pretty good, but algae produces 10,000 gallons per acre.
One leader in the algae to biofuels field believes that if all the diesel that the United States used was replaced with algae biodiesel, it could be done on one half of one percent of the farm land currently in use.
“There are several options for solving the world’s energy problem, but at this point, none of them are realistically viable for long-term use.”
Biodiesel is a clean and carbon-dioxide-neutral fuel that is becoming more popular, but most of the current product comes from soybean and corn oil. As supply and demand grows, so does the price of soybeans and corn. People and animals rely on soybean and corn as a food commodity, eventually causing competition between commodities and growing enough product. Meeting this demand would require the world to use virtually all of its arable land, said Lance Seefeldt, Utah State University professor of chemistry and biochemistry.
If you haven’t caught on to the fact that food prices are going through the roof, there’s a two-fold reason. The record high oil prices have made processing and transportation costs increase rapidly. Adding to the problem is the thousands of acres of corn and soybeans that are being used to grow biofuel crops rather than food crops.
“This has moved from a purely environmental issue to a global economics issue,” said Seefeldt.
Pond scum may be the solution to the problem as companies convert algae into biofuel.
