Oil From Algae - We’ve Got An Ocean Full of That Stuff!
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from Wired
A San Diego start-up says it is using algae to make oil that can be refined into gasoline and other fuels that are both renewable and carbon-neutral, and it plans to produce 10,000 barrels a day within five years.
While that is just a drop in the bucket of what this gas guzzling country needs, it is a good start. And to think it originated in California! Makes me proud just thinking about it.
If pictures were working, I would show you the picture of the slightly eerie green stuff, but alas …no such luck.
| There could have been a picture here, instead go here | More good news is that the process is claimed to be carbon-neutral, as the manufacture of the algae uses lots of carbon dioxide in the process. Also, the green oil is completely compatible with current refinery practices and equipment. The thought of, or practice of doing this, is not that new, but this San Diego based company looks to have a handle on doing it in quantity and relatively inexpensively. The naysayers are quick to point out that there will be the same emissions problems as with oil from Saudi Arabia, so this should not be a permanent solution. On the other hand, we will always need oil as a lubricant. People usually don’t think about that when talking about hydrogen or electric powered vehicles. There are still parts that need lubrication. Plus, imagine being the first one in your neighborhood to use this stuff as engine lubricant - ‘Yeah, I’m not sure what’s going on, but your dipstick has this green stuff on it.’ “Oh, it’s alright, we just cleaned out the fish tank in the house to get that last quart!’ - Technorati Tags: sweet light GREEN crude - algal oil production - Sapphire Energy - San Diego [tags] sweet light GREEN crude, algal oil production, Sapphire Energy, San Diego [/tags]
One Comment
steve
June 1st, 2008
at 2:23pm
The first problem I see with this technology is that people are trying to find the perfect algae to use before production? Nonsense, why waste ten years waiting for some lab to figure out what species to use when you can start experimenting now?
I would think that industries that produce milk and other bio products will have the best experience to deal with creating pure stocks (open air ponds are easily contaminated?). The biggest obstacle will be patent holders who hold the industry hostage as oil tech holders do now (the high price of drilling)?
Emergency government regulations may have to re-write patent laws so that innovation can occur without harming the public? In other words, if you break down on the highway, you will regrettfully pay for a tow bill? But you do not want a $10,000 tow bill that can occur under “free market conditions”?
It will have to be artificially created, and you can easily convert salt caverns to hold algae lakes? Pumps could theoretically pump algae through sunlight chambers and CO2 induction chambers in a “night day cycle”?
The ideal solution however would be for consumers to be able to maintain and grow their own fuels, in order to save the costs associated with transporting fuel all over the country, and to avoid price and market commodity trading practices that are hostile to the consumer and causing harm to the economy?
Consumers could easily grow their own fuel, since the byproducts would not require stringent controls such as producing beer, milk, or other food stuffs currently do?
If consumers cannot grow their own fuels, then market regulations may require that price caps be put in place, no matter what fuel is used?
I would rather drive around in a silent, non particle spewing electric car. Problem is they they are slow, and we live in a general population of idiots. Just watch anyone in a pickup truck drive as a proof of concept.
Pickup truck drivers are getting the worst gas mileage, and they terrorize everybody else by flooring it everywhere since they don’t care? The sweet spot is around 59-60 mph in newer vehicles (a balance between speed, mpg, and maintenance wear) when cruising over 10 miles on a freeway with no stops?
And please, stop marketing cars that run on water? They don’t run on water, but on Hydrogen generated through a catalyst and battery current? Sorry, I’m not injecting any water in my fuel injectors unless the factory does it.
If history serves us, the problem is not oil supply, but greedy patent holders?