Monday, May 14, 2007

GreenFuel & The Math on Turning Algae into Fuel

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The math on turning algae into fuel

Posted by Michael Kanellos, May 10, 2007

A number of companies have sketched out plans to convert algae into a feedstock for transportation fuel, but GreenFuel Technologies is farther along in bringing the concept to market than most.

The Cambridge, Mass.-based company recently trotted out reasons to illuminate why the idea is getting so much attention.

1. First off, algae grows rapidly and grows constantly
2. A hectare pond filled with algae can produce 15,000 to 80,000 liters of vegetable oil a year. Only about 6,000 liters of palm oil a year
3. Algae can also be converted into a variety of materials, insulating producers from changes in commodity prices to some degree. It can be turned into alcohol for ethanol, biomass that can be burned in a furnace, or animal feed (which can also be sold under the Soylent Green brand name in grocery stores).
4. GreenFuel plans to produce algae in ponds next to coal-fired power plants. The carbon dioxide from the plants is captured and provides the food for growing the algae.

So far, GreenFuel has only opened demonstration plant...By 2012, the company hopes to hit revenues of $100 million, and plans to license the technology...

Read the full news report from here @ Tech News Blog

Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again

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algOS - Biodiesel from Algae Open Source

Oilgae has a focus on biodiesel production from algae while also discussing alternative energy in general.

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