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. The lipid, or oily
part of the algae biomass can then be extracted and converted into biodiesel
through a process similar to that used for any other vegetable oil, or
converted in a refinery into "drop-in" replacements for
petroleum-based fuels. The algae's carbohydrate content can be fermented into
bioethanol and biobutanol.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. Here are 10
reasons why algae are a promising new source of fuel and other products:
1) Algae Grow Fast
Algae can double their numbers every
few hours, can be harvested daily, and have the potential to produce a volume
of biomass and biofuel many times greater than that of our most productive
crops.
2) Algae Can Have High Biofuel Yields
Algae store energy in the form of
oils and carbohydrates, which, combined with their high productivity, means
they can produce from 2,000 to as many as 5,000 gallons of biofuels per acre
per year.
3) Algae Consume CO2
Like any other plant, algae, when
grown using sunlight, consume (or absorb) carbon dioxide (CO2) as they grow,
releasing oxygen (O2) for the rest of us to breathe. For high productivity,
algae require more CO2, which can be supplied by emissions sources such as
power plants, ethanol facilities, and other sources.
4) Algae Do Not Compete With Agriculture
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. As such, algae-based fuels complement biofuels made from
traditional agricultural processes.
5) Microalgal Biomass Can Be Used for Fuel, Feed and Food
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, microalgal biomass, which is
rich in micronutrients, is already used for dietary supplements to advance
human health.
6) Macroalgae Can Be Grown in the Sea
Macroalgae (seaweeds) are grown in
the sea, or even on land with seawater, and their sugars can be converted into
biofuels and chemicals.
7) Algae Can Purify Wastewaters
Algae thrive in nutrient-rich waters
like municipal waste waters (sewage), animal wastes and some industrial
effluents, at the same time purifying these wastes while producing a biomass
suitable for biofuels production.
8) Algal Biomass Can Be Used as an Energy Source
After oil extraction, the remaining
algal biomass can be dried and “pelletized” and used as fuel that is burned in
industrial boilers and other power generation sources.
9) Algae Can Be Used to Produce Many Useful Products
Algae can be cultivated to produce a
variety of products for large to small markets: plastics, chemical feedstocks,
lubricants, fertilizers, and even cosmetics.
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