The Phyco-Solution
The Phyco-Solution
Algae are emerging to be one of the most promising long-term, sustainable sources of biomass and oils for fuel, food, feed, and other co-products. What makes them so attractive are the large number and wide variety of benefits associated with how and where they grow. Nearly all these benefits stem from the fact that these plants have evolved over billions of years to produce and store energy in the form of oil, and they do this more efficiently than any other known natural or engineered process. Some experts believe that algae is set to eclipse all other biofuel feed stocks as the cheapest, easiest, and most environmentally friendly way to produce liquid fuel. The inputs for algae are simple: the single-celled organisms only need sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to grow. They can quadruple in biomass in just one day, and they help remove carbon from the air and nitrogen from wastewater, another environmental benefit. Some types of algae comprise more than 50 percent oil, and an average acre of algae grown today for pharmaceutical industries can produce 5,000 gallons (19,000 litres) of biodiesel each year. By comparison, an average acre of corn produces 420 gallons (1,600 litres) of ethanol per year, and an acre of soybeans yields just 70 gallons (265 litres) of biodiesel per year. Moreover, red algae has the potential of up taking atmospheric carbon dioxide at much increased rates compared to other plants, thereby solving two of our problems at one go : by reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide and at the same time increasing the yield as a consequence. Algae cultivation uses both land that in many cases is unsuitable for traditional agriculture, as well as water sources that are not useable for other crops, such as sea-, brackish- and wastewater. Microalgae can be cultivated to have a high protein and oil content, for example, which can be used to produce either biofuels or animal feeds, or both. In addition, microalga biomass, which is rich
Algae are emerging to be one of the most promising long-term, sustainable sources of biomass and oils for fuel, food, feed, and other co-products. What makes them so attractive are the large number and wide variety of benefits associated with how and where they grow. Nearly all these benefits stem from the fact that these plants have evolved over billions of years to produce and store energy in the form of oil, and they do this more efficiently than any other known natural or engineered process. Some experts believe that algae is set to eclipse all other biofuel feed stocks as the cheapest, easiest, and most environmentally friendly way to produce liquid fuel. The inputs for algae are simple: the single-celled organisms only need sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to grow. They can quadruple in biomass in just one day, and they help remove carbon from the air and nitrogen from wastewater, another environmental benefit. Some types of algae comprise more than 50 percent oil, and an average acre of algae grown today for pharmaceutical industries can produce 5,000 gallons (19,000 litres) of biodiesel each year. By comparison, an average acre of corn produces 420 gallons (1,600 litres) of ethanol per year, and an acre of soybeans yields just 70 gallons (265 litres) of biodiesel per year. Moreover, red algae has the potential of up taking atmospheric carbon dioxide at much increased rates compared to other plants, thereby solving two of our problems at one go : by reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide and at the same time increasing the yield as a consequence. Algae cultivation uses both land that in many cases is unsuitable for traditional agriculture, as well as water sources that are not useable for other crops, such as sea-, brackish- and wastewater. Microalgae can be cultivated to have a high protein and oil content, for example, which can be used to produce either biofuels or animal feeds, or both. In addition, microalga biomass, which is rich