First Commercial Algae-to-Biofuels Facility Goes Online
by Jesse Fox, Tel Aviv, Israel on 03.31.08
PetroSun's saltwater pools in Rio Hondo, Texas (image courtesy of maps.google.com).
Energy company PetroSun's algae-to-biofuel facility in Rio Hondo, Texas is expected to begin functioning tomorrow, April 1. The farm consists of 1,100 acres of saltwater ponds, of which all but 20 acres will be dedicated to producing biofuel from algae. The other 20 acres will be used to develop an experimental jet fuel. The facility is expected to produce some 4.4 million gallons of algal oil, plus 110 million pounds of biomass a year.
Says PetroSun CEO Gordon LeBlanc, Jr.:
Our business model has been focused on proving the commercial feasibility of the firms' algae-to-biofuels technology during the past eighteen months. Whether we have arrived at this point in time by a superior technological approach, sheer luck or a redneck can-do attitude, the fact remains that microalgae can outperform the current feedstocks utilized for conversion to biodiesel and ethanol, yet do not impact the consumable food markets or fresh water resources.
According to the company's press release, PetroSun is working on plans to establish algae farms and algal oil extraction plants in several US states, as well as in Mexico, Brazil and Australia during 2008.
Algae is considered one of the most promising options for future biofuel production. Yielding 30 times more energy per acre than its closest biofuel competitors, algae require neither fresh water nor arable land for cultivation. It is estimated that if all of the fuel in the USA were replaced with algae biofuels, an area no larger than the state of Maryland would be required to produce it - making algae a much more efficient user of land than corn or soy ethanol, for example.
For information about other companies working on algae biofuels, see 15 Algae Biofuels Startups to Watch.
See also: Chevron Backs Solazyme to Develop Algal Biodiesel Technology, What's Jimmy Carter Got To Do With Algae Bio-Diesel?
Via:: Yahoo! Finance, gas2.0
Woo-Hoo!!!!!!
Incredibly exciting, assuming this isn't an April Fool's joke a day early. This is one of the few bio-fuel models that actually works without screwing up something else (like food prices)...
You mean without screwing something up so bad that it becomes obvious in the first few months. Because there will be consequences. Action=reaction.
This is great news.
I read about algae biofuel a while ago, but didn't heard much about it again so figured it simply wasn't viable. But this? This is a terrific step forward toward a greener future. There are bound to be problems with fuel from plant matter - not least in the amount of matter needed to grow, where to grow it, and how to feed it so that it grows - but algae cleverly sidesteps many of those problems to be a much more efficient fuel.
It's about time technology gave us something like this. I don't expect technology to 'save us', that we must do ourselves through self-discipline and forsaking our throwaway culture, but I have been sorely disappointed that technology has seemed to do so little to help us. Finally, it seems things may be going in our favour and science is starting to pay its way again.
Great story.
Steve N. Lee
author of eco-blog http://www.lionsledbysheep.com
This sounds absolutely devastating. I can think of a million consequences... we just need to go with solar and wind power. The only real clean energies.
Does anyone know more about the inputs required to raise the algae or the waste streams? Still, it has to be a damn sight less than corn!
Like Tania, I'm interested to know about the waste streams etc - any way we can get hold of information that will give a totally independent SWOT analysis?