What is Algae Biofuel?

Algae produces a large amount of the oxygen in this world. But algae also transforms beautiful, crystal lakes into pits of green slime. But many researchers are discovering that this pond scum might actually serve as a source of energy. The algae itself can be made into ethanol and the oils secreted by the algae can be converted into biodiesel.

Energy Sources

Oil has been one of the most efficient and effective fuel sources for decades. But due to the nonrenewable nature of oil and the pollution resulting from carbon emissions, scientists have raced to find a new fuel source. Hydrogen, biodiesel, solar, electricity and even water have been considered as potential fuel sources. Now, one of the newest renewable energy source hopefuls is algae biofuel.

Energy Gathering

Algae gather energy from the sun through the process of photosynthesis. A byproduct of this process is oil, which can be utilized to create biofuel. The algae itself can be transformed into ethanol through the process of fermentation.

Abundance

Algae is an incredibly large and diverse species. Algae can be found in most bodies of water including lakes, streams, ice, snow, and the ocean. This plant reproduces rapidly and would be very difficult to over-farm.

Cultivation

Cultivating algae in a consistent and predictable way is very difficult. Most companies would prefer harvesting algae to hunting down algae reserves. Photobioreactors are constructed to pump nutrient-filled water through tubes and expose this water to sunlight. Other have considered simply setting up algae-growing facilities at open ponds.

Contamination

Harvested algae runs the risk of being contaminated by other organisms, which can lower the oil content of the algae. Companies have attempted to create closed systems that do not expose the algae to contaminated air. But in order to grow this algae, sterile CO2 is needed. Sterile CO2 is costly.