Algae biofuels race hots up

Cape Cod refinery could produce one million gallons per year
The race for algae-based biofuels is heating up across America, with new biorefineries planned across the country. In the largest announced so far, Plankton Power of Massachusetts has formed a public-private consortium to build a new plant in Cape Cod that could eventually produce one million gallons of biofuel per annum – or 5% of the state’s diesel and domestic fuel demands.

It’s part of a strategy which has seen it team up with the Regional Technology Development Corporation, the Marine Biological Laboratory and the Cape Cod Commission with the aim of developing an industry that will be cost-competitive with petroleum and with vegetable-based biofuels.

Algae have been hailed as an important source of ‘third generation’ biofuel: one that would not otherwise be cultivated for food or other commodities, such as timber. Nor do they compete for space with food crops on arable land or in freshwater. Thought to be the most efficient organisms on earth in terms of growth, algae can produce over 2,000 gallons of biofuel per acre per year of production – compared to just 50 gallons for soy, according to research by ExxonMobil.

For algae to flourish, all that’s required is a constant optimum temperature, water and plenty of concentrated CO2. The cost of equipment for large-scale production is the key limiting factor.

With global biofuel use to double by 2015, according to Hart Energy Consulting, Massachusetts could be well placed to lead the game. – Ed Gould

27 October 2009

Ed Gould

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