Algae-based biofuel production: the new wave of green energy

The “green” trend has been around since the 1970s, when an OPEC boycott, gasoline rationing, and rising prices called into question our dependence on oil. The creation of suburbs and the expansion of cities led to more large gasoline-guzzling cars on the roads, and air pollution became more and more prevalent, raising the question: “How can we find renewable energy? , clean and cheap? “

Enter the biofuel revolution. Biofuel is any fuel produced from biomass or organic material. The challenge is to produce biofuel from biomass that can be renewed, so that it is not used as a fuel source as oil reserves will. With recent increases in the price of gasoline and the number of fuel-burning sports utility vehicles and inefficient vehicles on the roads today, the issue of biofuel production is once again at the forefront. Some recent biofuels, like ethanol, have had limited success: yes, ethanol waste is mostly water, and ethanol is cheap. But the amount of land and energy that goes into planting, maintaining, and harvesting corn for ethanol, in addition to ethanol production, makes it far less environmentally friendly than previously thought. Additionally, there are ethical considerations about growing food crop fields just for biofuel production.

Today’s energy investors are putting their efforts into a new solution: algae-based biofuel production. Algae use sunlight, the ocean, and sewage to grow and produce oil that is then harvested. The US Department of Energy estimates that the amount of oil that can be produced for biofuel in 15,000 square miles of algae farms is enough to replace all petroleum-based fuel in the country. That statistic is staggering: Algae-based biofuel production would use less than one-seventh of the land in the US devoted to corn production and produce up to 100 times more energy per square mile. Algae are also biodegradable and, unlike oil, they are relatively harmless if spilled. Best of all, algae don’t require high-quality soil, so farms that produce algae could use land that is unsuitable for food crops.

With the discovery of biofuel production from clean algae, what is holding the market back? The answer is the same as with many biofuels of the past: high prices. Capital investments to establish a farm are expensive. Over time, these investments will pay off and prices will drop, however. And with oil prices steadily rising, green biofuel may be competitively priced sooner than we thought. Good news for green energy.

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