Algae is the Bio Fuel of the Future

1224 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: State two benefit of algae

Algae: Bio Fuel of the Future

Bio Fuels are clearly the most suitable alternative energy of the future as oil and coal are both rapidly vanishing and increasingly out of interest for nations wishing to avoid terrorist nations. Recently, algae has been discovered as an extremely suitable bio fuel because of its surprisingly high ratio of yield to area required for growth.

In 1960 Oswald and Golweke proposed the use of large‐scale ponds for cultivating algae on wastewater nutrients and anaerobically fermenting the biomass into methane fuel. Algae, like all bio fuels, harvests the energy from water and sunlight to produce oil which can be converted into biodiesel as well as the carbohydrate content to be fermented into ethanol (Benemann, Olst, et al. 1). The concept of using vegetal oil as an engine fuel likely dates back to when Rudolf Diesel (1858‐1913) developed the first engine to run on peanut oil, as he demonstrated at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 (Biodiesel 1). Using algae, however, is only a very recent concept as the first algae biodiesel plant only opened this year on April 1, 2008. The company, PetroSun, is expected to produce ≈4.4 million gallons of algal oil and 110 million lbs of biomass per year in their 1,000 acres. Fuel will not be produced immediately, but they will be building or acquiring ethanol and biodiesel production plants in the near future (Cornell 1).

With the ever‐rising prices of fossil fuels and the realization that our supply is severely limited, the need for an alternative energy source is rising steadily. Clearly the most efficient of the alternative options lies in bio fuels because they are naturally grown and thus have an unlimited supply, have virtually zero emissions, and can be us...

... middle of paper ...

...n, Olst, et al. “The Controlled Eutrophication Process: Using Microalgae for CO2 Utilization &

Agricultural Fertilizer Recycling”. June 2004. Accessed July 28, 2008.

“Biodiesel”. Accessed July 27, 2008

Briggs, Michael. UNH Biodiesel Group. “Wide scale Biodiesel Production from Algae”. August 2004.

Accessed July 28, 2008

Cornell, Clayton B. March 29, 2008. “First Algae Biodiesel Plant Goes Online: April 1st 2008”.

Accessed July

28, 2008

Haag, Amanda Leigh. March 29, 2007. “Pond‐Powered Bio fuels: Turning Algae into America’s New

Energy”. < http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4213775.html> Accessed July 22,

2008.

Show More
Related

  • Pros and Cons to Biofuels

    1144 Words  | 3 Pages

    As stated earlier, the burning of fossil fuels to produce energy is one of the largest contributors to global warming. This non-environmentally friendly energy source has to be replaced in order to keep the world going. There is a type of energy source that seems easy to create and doesn’t require radical changes: Biofuels. Biofuels are a greener version of diesel and oil. They are any solid, liquid, or gas fuels produced from organic matter; the range of organic materials used for biofuel production includes plants such as corn, sugar cane, soy, and wheat; vegetable oils and animal fats; ...

    Read More

  • Algae: Plant to Bio-Fuel

    898 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is a lot of talk about the world’s source of energy going on these days and people are starting to ask questions about our sources of energy. Is it environmentally friendly? Does it make sense economically? For years the world has been highly dependent on fossil fuels that are extracted from the ground. These fuels power things from power plants, cars, plains, and many of the other modern conveniences that we enjoy. There is a lot of energy expended in the extraction and transport of these fuels as well as many negative environmental impacts. Scientists are busy finding alternative ways to power our world that are cost efficient and ecofriendly. One idea that is being explored as an effective replacement is producing oil from algae. Algae have a high content of oil, about 50 percent of its weight, and science is finding a way to use it as a clean fuel source.

    Read More

  • Future of Ethanol Mandates

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    Cellulosic ethanol will not be able to meet its mandated output because in the past four years since demonstration and pilot sites started popping up it has only just started t...

    Read More

  • Should Corn Ethanol Be Used For Fuel?

    2514 Words  | 6 Pages

    Tyner, Wallace. “The U.S. Ethanol and Biofuels Boom: Its Origins, Current Status, and Future Prospects.” BioScience. August 2008. Vol 58 (7):646

    Read More

  • Summary Of The Science Of Bread Yeast

    1662 Words  | 4 Pages

    University of Virginia. (2008, August 19). Algae: Biofuel Of The Future? Retrieved from Science Daily: How many regular-sized helium-filled balloons would it take to lift someone?

    Read More

  • Biofuels Essay

    3324 Words  | 7 Pages

    Introduction:The idea of biofuels is a old concept, reaching as far as the ending of the 19th century. Solid in its idea but flawed in its presentation. Biofuels are a alternative energy to fossil fuels that are made from natural methods such as plants and crops and are key in solving the apparent flaws of fossil fuels. While fossil fuels have been in use for over a century, Biofuels have now risen to the popularity and been exposed to the press. At one point of time biofuel were being considered by some of the most brilliant minds ever in human history such as Henry Ford and Rudolph Diesel who believed that biofuels had the potential to be the new evolution s on only to reappear a century later. Now the world faces the struggles of global warming and the depletion of fossil fuels slowly dimming by day. Throughout the last century biofuels have proven to have a place in our society as a new alternative fuel source. Specializing in Being Natural and healthier than fossil fuels, biofuels have had a rough beginning against its competitor due to key situations such as pricing, Side effects, to fuel power. However the idea was passed on a to the later generations, and continued to pasand prolong usage. However through the last decade they have been highly advertised by politicians and Government officials claiming it to be the future of a powerful working society, and to help in making a new energy free world. Through belief Some even claiming that “By 2050, a new generation of sustainable biofuels could provide over a quarter of the world’s total transport fuel, according to a recent report by the International Energy Agency” (last name). With such improvement biofuels should be the obvious answer to providing a better future to th...

    Read More

  • Benefits Of Algae

    542 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is believed that the world's supply of oil will last until about 2040. If you think about it, that’s not too far in the distance future. Oil is running out fast and we need to think of an alternate energy source. When we burn oil, we release carbon dioxide into the air which causes the earth’s climate to warm; a temperature rise of 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit could have serious if not devastating consequences. In the United States alone 60 percent of each person’s carbon footprint comes from the goods they buy, while the other 40 percent comes from their energy use at home, driving, and flying. That totals out to be about 10 billion tons a year. There are other energy sources but let’s think about the environmental and energy benefits of algae biofuel. Algae was first explored as a fuel alternative in 1978. Gas prices had skyrocketed, and the government was looking to help ease the crisis. The Aquatic Species Program run by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, researched high oil-output algae for biofuel. After testing 3,000 types of algae, the program concluded that the algae, if...

    Read More

  • Is Corn for Food or Fuel?

    1412 Words  | 3 Pages

    Devlin, Lee. “Can Biofuels Save Us From Peak Oil?” Biomass Authority. 2010. 21 May 2010 .

    Read More

  • Pre-Lab: Producing Biodiesel From Vegetable Oil

    258 Words  | 1 Pages

    The objectives of Lab 6 is to produce biodiesel from vegetable oil and determine the yields for this process. The materials of this lab are a 15 mL capped centrifuge tube, a balance scale, a disposable glass pipette, methanol, and KOH.

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of Global Warming

    1563 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...d Cosan:Fuelling a lower-carbon future with bio fuels." 02 Jun 2011. Riezen Cosan, Online Posting to Shell Global. Web. 2 Nov. 2013. .

    Read More

  • Biofuels Essay

    583 Words  | 2 Pages

    The increased use of nonrenewable fossil fossil fuels which are nonrenewable and awareness about environmental changes has been led to the development of fossil fuel alternatives such as biofuels which is , a renewable resource. From In the past few years, the researchers have been applied various methods and examined various feedstock biomass feedstock’s such as corn, sugar cane, canola, soybean and lignocellulosic crops for the production of biofuels. The primary drawback of these first and second generation biofuels are the high usage of agricultural land. which This can lead to the a food crisis, high water usage, and high production time. The An alternative solution to the current situation is is the production of biofuels from microalgae. Microalgae are single single-celled organisms that grow in a wide range of aquatic environments , from fresh water through saturated saline and have the higher lipid content compared to what?. MicroaAlgae have the capacity to produce and accumulate energy-rich oils, have natural ability to accumulate oil in its dry biomass. The genetic diversi...

    Read More

  • Business Plan for Electricity Generation from Biomass

    1734 Words  | 4 Pages

    Energy, especially from fossil fuels, is a key ingredient for all sectors of a modern economy and plays a fundamental role in improving the quality of life in less developed economies. In 2007, India is ranked fifth in the world in terms of energy demand; accounting for 3.6% of total energy consumed, and is expected to grow at 4.8% in the future. India imports 70% of the oil it uses, and the country has been hit hard by the increasing price of oil, uncertainty and environmental hazards that are concerned with the consumption of fossil fuels. In such context, bio energy constitutes a suitable alternative source of energy for India, as large amounts of raw material are available to be harnessed.

    Read More

  • Benefit Of Algae Essay

    1195 Words  | 3 Pages

    How often also does a human use or eat algae in his daily life? When most people think of algae, they probably think of something that is slimy, gross, and dirty. Algae may irritate people because it grows in unwanted places like swimming pools and boats. Algae can be toxic and it is slimy, but algae benefits people in all aspects of life. Humans obtain algin from algae to help make ice cream, pudding, face cream, and shoe polish. Algae is present in hamburgers, yoghurt, and cakes. Algae also helps make explosives, insulation, and paint. Algae produces most of the oxygen that animals breathe and without it the world would suffocate. Also, according to Helen Challand, "It is now believed that the oil and gas formed millions of years ago in the ground were created by algae" (20).

    Read More

  • Advantages And Disadvantages Of Biofuels

    816 Words  | 2 Pages

    The concept of this essay is to stress that biofuels are a viable and sustainable energy source than fossil fuels, showing its advantages but not ignoring its disadvantages which also enlightens us about the cleaner and renewable natural resources. Biofuels is an alternative source of energy which can end the global dependence on fossil fuels.

    Read More

  • Algal Pigments

    774 Words  | 2 Pages

    because it did not seem to work as well as the Porphyra sp. when we

    Read More

More about Algae is the Bio Fuel of the Future

Open Document