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Algal biodiesel will be subject to the Law of Receding Horizons, which simply means that energy sources that require high energy inputs will always see their point of economic viability pushed farther out as energy prices rise.
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I would like to draw attention to the fact that a very large part of the energy required to produce microalgae is elctricity for agitation and harvest of the biomass. Electricity that in many places can be produced with windmills and other electrcity generating sustainable energy production methods. So even with a negative energy balance, there is actually a point in producing liquid, high energy density fuels with microalgae. This of course should not stop the development towards more energy efficient microalgal production methods.
ReplyDeleteAlso the windmills were introduced in bold violation of your law of receeding horizons (I don't think Denmark ever ratified it...): a point made in the 1980'ies was that the windmills in their lifetime never would yield more energy than it took to prouduce them in the first place....