Algae contain lots of oil – or lipids – and these can be used to produce biodiesel. There are other biofuels that can be derived from algae as well. There is enough promise in this technology that researchers in academia and industry are investigating ways to improve it by growing algae that contain more oil, that live longer, and that live in a wider range of environments.
In order to grow lots of algae, the primary ingredients are water and sunlight. Clouds, water shortages and evaporation are the enemies of algae growth.
A recent study has looked at the regional potential for algae-based biofuel using the modern tools of Geographic Information System or GIS technology. The idea was to identify the places that are hot, humid and wet. To no great surprise, the most promising locations are in the Gulf Coast, Florida, and the Southeastern seaboard.
The study looked at multiple sources of water including fresh groundwater, salty groundwater, and seawater, and imposed strict limits on the amount of water that could be utilized in any one area for algae production.
The result of this analysis by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is that domestic resources could produce up to 25 billion gallons of algae-based fuel each year. That would be 8% of the country’s fuel needs.
There are many practical and regulatory issues that will need to be sorted out, but it is evident that algae – ordinary pond scum – have the potential to replace a significant portion of the nation’s oil imports with a renewable resource.
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Web Links
A GIS Cost Model to Assess the Availability of Freshwater, Seawater, and Saline Groundwater for Algal Biofuel Production in the United States
Erik R. Venteris, Richard L. Skaggs, Andre M. Coleman, and Mark S. Wigmosta
Environmental Science & Technology 2013 47 (9), 4840-4849
Photo, taken on December 23, 2011, courtesy of Charles Nadeau via Flickr.
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