Why algae?
Given current developments, the world has to search and push for alternative transportation fuels.
- Climate changes are becoming the challenge of the twenty first century for the global community.
- Crude oil prices have increased dramatically over the last decade putting pressure on economic growth.
- Crude oil production is expected to peak within the next decade leading to sustained high price levels.
First generation biofuels are not without problems
The current biofuel industry is based almost exclusively on food crops with major feedstocks being sugar cane, corn, rapeseed oil and palm oil. However, many non-governmental organizations and scientists are criticizing current developments.
- Simply speaking, there is just not enough land to provide both food and fuel and this is especially true for oil crops.
- Plantations for biofuels lead to increased deforestation of tropical forest and accelerate the loss of our unique biodiversity.
- The increase of food prices is impacting the poorest of the world.
Algae - the best feedstock for next generation biofuels
Algae alleviate many of the problems related to first generation biofuels.
- Algae can be grown in both open ponds and closed bioreactor systems and agricultural land is not a requirement for production of algae biomass.
- Algae can reach yields that are more than 10 times higher than even then the most productive current crops.
- Algae sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide as they grow.
Algae can be distinguished into macro algae and micro algae. Macro algae are the weed like plant found in the ocean, whereas micro algae are so small that you can see them only under microscope. In order to be able to optimize process design, Algasol Renewables has chosen micro algae as the preferred source of biomass.
Scientists estimate that there are more than 100,000 micro algae species allowing us rich opportunity to find the optimal species depending on the chosen product, location and other factors. Many attempts have already been made to grow micro algae, but none of them has successfully reached industrial-scale production. The main reason for this is the lack of a technology for the production of micro algae biomass with low investment and operating cost, no contamination and high efficiency.
Algasol Renewables has developed a low-cost photobioreactor technology, which will significantly reduce the production cost of micro algae biomass, while at the same time avoid contamination, which is a common problem in other low-cost systems. More about technology »