Marine Algae Making a Comeback in Biofuel Research

January 6th, 2009

During the oil crisis of the 1970’s the U.S. government provided funding for research evaluating the prospects of new fuel sources derived from terrestrial plants such as corn and soybeans, as well as algae. When prices dropped, and the uproar started to die down, so did the funding for such research.

Now that we are all experiencing outrageous gas prices again, as well as everyone becoming even more Earth conscious, the screaming for alternative fuels is once again at a high. In particular biofuel development is shifting more from soil-based plants to the sea in the form of algae.

Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, and researchers from UCSD’s Division of Biological Sciences, are part of an emerging algal biofuel consortium that includes academic collaborators, CleanTECH San Diego, regional industry representatives, and public and private partners.

Scripps’ researches consider algae to be something of a “green bullet”, or as I like to call the current all-in-one super source of ultimate energy independence, the next “miracle fuel”. They believe that both science and society’s best hope for a clean bioenergy source that will help loosen broad dependence on fossil fuel, counteract climate warming, and power the vehicles of the future. Like I said, “miracle fuel”.

Scripps biologist Greg Mitchell is what you would call a plant freak. His entire career has been dedicated to the study of photosynthesis. As he relaxes in a room under Moroccan lanterns, he had dreamed of the days when algae would once again be considered as an ultimate biofuel source. He has kept close tabs on any experiments that were working on the area. Even after funding began to slow down in the 1990’s.

Mitchell points out that marine algae are the most efficient organisms on Earth for absorbing light energy and converting it into a natural biomass oil product, the biofuel equivalent of crude oil.

“Algae yields five to 10 times more bioenergy molecules per area, per time, than any terrestrial plant,” said Mitchell, a native of oil-rich Houston, Texas. “Nothing else comes close.”

Since algae requires carbon dioxide for growth, algae are inherently carbon neutral, and they can suck up CO2 directly from industrial pollution sources. Algae can feed off the nutrients in discarded wastewater. Adding yet another layer to their allure, the rich protein left over from algae harvests can be converted to animal feed. “Miracle fuel”. Wouldn’t be surprised if it were able to pick out the coolest Moroccan lanterns for you either the more I read about it.

“There is still a lot of work to do, but algal-derived biofuels have the potential to become a major source of transportation fuel,” says Bernard Raemy, executive vice president of Carbon Capture Corporation, a company growing algae in ponds for biofuel research in California’s Imperial Valley desert.

“Given their advantages, I believe marine algae are not only the most promising option for bioenergy fuel, but the only option that can scale up massively at the global level,” said Mitchell. “Most scientists who understand these processes are concluding that algae has the best chance. There is no silver bullet when it comes to energy, but there is a green bullet, or rather a green missile.”

“Green Missile” now is it? All these violent terms. Tsk, tsk.