We need to make all the ethanol we can and as fast as possible to make as much reductions in GHgs as quickly as possible (6 to 10 yrs is our window (hopefully) of opportunity to make a difference).
Algae farm in Mexico to produce ethanol in '09Rather than squeeze algae for its oil, Algenol wants to turn each algae cell into a tiny ethanol factory.
The Maryland-based company said that business partner BioFields has licensed its technology and committed $850 million to build a saltwater algae farm in the Sonoran Desert in northwest Mexico. Production is scheduled to begin next year.
"We take in sunlight, massive amounts of carbon dioxide, and we grow (algae) in what look like a huge soda bottle on its side."
There are a number of companies developing technology to grow algae and convert it into fuel, typically biodiesel. The algae is grown in tubes, plastic bags, or open ponds and then harvested and pressed for its oil. Some companies propose taking the leftover biomass and burning it or using it as animal feed.
Algenol's process is very different in that the algae are not cultivated (i.e. not harvested__JW). Instead, algae produce ethanol in gas form that is siphoned off from the bioreactor tubes and condensed to a liquid, Woods explained.
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The advantage in using algae to make ethanol instead of oil is that ethanol is a high octane fuel. Using Ford's Ecoboost engine you get 30% BETTER gas mileage than a typical ICE of similar power - due to turbo-charging and down-sizing. And the engine only uses about 5% ethanol to 95% gasoline (and STILL gets 30% better gas mileage). YOu thus get a 30% reduction in gasoline usage with one fifth as much ethanol! This engine can be used in all applications - small cars to heavy trucks. This means the ethanol supply of 30% (of total fuel supply) estimated by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (achievable without impacting food needs) would reduce gasoline consumption 55% -- 5% of the ethanol (as percentage of total fuel supply) would reduce gasoline consumption 30%. You still have 25% (of the original 30%) to blend with the gasoline. So that replaces 25% of the gasoline supply, plus the 30% consumption reduction (thanks to the direct injection engine) gets you 55% reduction in total gasoline usage - and this is for $600 to $1,000 per car! A much more 'sellable' price to the typical car buyer.
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