Rodney Andrews Said Fuel From Algae Costs $18 to $30 per gallon

You are at: Oilgae Blog.

Rodney Andrews, Director of the UK Center for Applied Energy Research, said the country's demand for energy means fossil fuels like coal won't be going away anytime soon. And while algae may strike some as science fiction, it has been drawing attention on several fronts:

Sapphire Energy of San Diego announced in September that it had raised more than $100 million to bring its algae-derived "green crude" to market. Investors include Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.The U.S. Energy Department, which got out of algae research in 1996, has jumped back in with a partnership between its National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Chevron to collaborate on algae-based fuels for jets and other uses.

"The real question that needs to be resolved," he said, "is can you do this at a commercial scale?" That answer, for now, is "no," Andrews said. Fuel from algae currently would cost consumers $18 to $30 per gallon, he said.

By the way, have you subscribed to the Oilgae Blog?; How about joining the Oilgae mailing list?; and our forum to discuss on with others?