An algae biofuel specialist's job today is not exactly easy, whether she/he is in R&D, marketing or investing. So I thought, why not have a bit of fun. Fun? Well, sort of. I thought I might as well throw up a few interesting possibilities (some might be tempted to call them cool)  Closed Loop Power Generation Using Algae as Fuel Biomass Based Power Generation Coupled with Algae-based CO2 Capture Using Algae for Capturing CO2 from Vehicle Tail pipes Using Algae in CO2 Capture for Ships Macroalgae-based Gasification for Oil and/or Power Algae-covered Buildings for CO2 Capture and Oil Production Harvesting Algal Blooms from the…

So what’s up in the north? Well it’s Algae! In the 1970s, around 200 species of tiny organisms, algae and zooplanktons flourished on the ice floes, bottom of icebergs and the open water of Arctic Ocean. These organisms are on the first level of the food chain. Walruses would feed on their carcasses once it fell to the bottom of oceans. Here we will be looking at two research articles which talk about algae living in the Arctic. Smallest Algae Thrive As the Arctic Ocean Freshens – by William K. W. Li,* Fiona A. McLaughlin, Connie Lovejoy, Eddy C. Carmack  A…

Harvesting is one of the most critical aspects of microalgae based fuel production.  It is the process of separating the algal biomass from its growth medium, drying and processing it further to obtain the desired product. The harvesting depends on the type of algae: for instance microalgae are separated by microscreens, centrifugation, flocculation or froth floatation while macroalgae require manpower to carry out the separation.There are many other methods like “autoflocculation”, wherein the algae begin to flocculate on their own by interrupting the carbon dioxide supply to the system. Let us now leave all these sophisticated technologies for a while…

For power plants and other entities which are large-scale emitters of CO2, capturing it using algae will help a great deal in monetizing the carbon- credits as well as providing algae biofuels. Key advantages of algae-based CO2 capture are as follows: Has the potential to provide a sustainable pathway for CO2 capture and partial or full sequestration. Algae can grow in any temperature and environment, thus power plants anywhere in the world can use the process. In theory, the entire process can be configured to become a renewable cycle if the algae produced are used as feedstock for power, in place of…

Funding and venture funding activities for algal energy companies have accelerated significantly starting 2008. Oilgae gets a number of enquiries from the algae biofuel fuel startups regarding venture capital investment possibilities. I felt it would be useful if I could list the venture capital firms which had already funded some of the top companies in this domain. Here’s a list of venture capital and private equity firms that have made investments in algae fuel ventures (and the companies they have invested in): Venture Capital Firm Algae Firm Aardvark Investments SA (www.aardvarkinvestments.com)   Cequesta Algae Access Private Equity GreenFuel Technologies Arch Venture…

While biodiesel by far is the most obvious energy product, it is not the only one that can be obtained from algae. Algae can also be processed to derive a whole basket of energy products such as ethanol, Hydrogen and methane. Apart from these “usual suspects”, some other unique fuel products are also possible from algae: Syngas JP-8 fuel Gasoline Butanol This post will discuss about these unique products that can be derived from algae. It goes without saying that very few companies are actually producing these products from algae currently – the exception being JP-8 fuel which a handful…

PBRs / closed systems are costly Lack of economies of scale Complexity of the process - the current processes are quite complex, hence making them a lot more simple and down-to-earth should work Drying could be costly. Why not eliminate drying all together if the end result desired is oil? Lack of efficiency of production and harvesting. Strain selection - selecting the most efficient strain that is native to the cultivation environment could result in much lower costs Harvesting is a costly exercise CO2 could be quite costly, and so could be water. Costs to avoid contamination are high In…

The latest topic in the algae fuels industry is about a research study published by a University of Virginia faculty which found that the environmental footprint of algae fuels is much larger than what is being projected. See more about this research study here - http://bit.ly/6SeWYW . Essentially, the research concludes that according its finding, algae production can be energy intensive and can end up emitting more greenhouse gases than assumed yet far. See a review of the research here - http://bit.ly/by7HOQ . Not surprisingly, the algae fuel companies and the industry are up in arms. They point out that the data used for…

United States Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) and Mike Crapo (R-ID) have introduced bipartisan legislation in the U.S. Senate that would help level the playing field for advanced biofuels including algae by reforming the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) to make it more “technology neutral. The RFS includes a traditional ethanol standard of up to 15 billion gallons by 2015, originating mostly from corn feedstock, and a separate advanced biofuels standard, known as RFS2. Currently, the majority of the advanced biofuel standard is limited by law to only cellulosic biofuels. While cellulosic biofuels are an emerging technology, the current RFS2 creates an…

Algae is a one-celled plant that can grow in your pool if conditions are favorable There are over 20,000 known varieties of algae Algae are mainly found in marine or freshwater environments Algae produce oxygen which other aquatic life uses. Algae are important to humans in the form of food and medicine. Algae are vital in many food chains acting as the primary producer of organic matter. In some areas of the Indian ocean the sea surface lights up at night. It is so bright that one can read a newspaper. This light is caused by tiny sea algae, the…