Is algae good for making renewable fuel?
Algae are renewable resources for biofuels that can be grown on non‐arable lands, using saltwater or brackish water. A significant advantage of using algae for biofuels is that it need not displace farmland used for growing food sources.
What is Exxon doing with algae?
Exxon said it has spent more than $300 million on algae research since 2009, less than 3\% of its annual research budget. The company has said it is researching a variety of technologies to reduce carbon emissions, including other biofuels, carbon capture and hydrogen.
How is algae a renewable resource?
Algae are believed to be a good source of renewable energy because of its rapid growth rate and its ability to be cultivated in waste water or waste land. Algae are the fastest growing plant and theoretically have the potential to produce more oil or biomass per acre when compared to other crops and plants.
Is algae a good source of biofuel?
Algae are organisms that grow in aquatic environments and use light and carbon dioxide (CO2) to create biomass. Microalgae have long been recognized as potentially good sources for biofuel production because of their relatively high oil content and rapid biomass production.
How do algae make biodiesel?
Algal oil is converted into biodiesel through a transesterification process. Oil extracted from the algae is mixed with alcohol and an acid or a base to produce the fatty acid methylesters that makes up the biodiesel. An excess of methanol is used to force the reaction to favor the right side of the equation.
Why is algae oil expensive?
The production cost is high because of the energy required to circulate gases and other materials inside the photo bioreactors where the algae grow. It also takes energy to dry out the biomass, and Solix uses far less water than other companies (see Cutting the Cost of Making Algae by 90\%).
Is algae biofuel good for the environment?
Our research has found that the production of algal biofuels is neither commercially nor environmentally sustainable. In fact, the rate of production from algae growing in the vast ponds required for truly massive production is, for a given area of land, similar to that seen in the most productive areas of the ocean.
How does algae work as an energy?
These solar cells utilise the photosynthetic properties of microorganisms such as algae to convert light into electric current that can be used to provide electricity. During photosynthesis, algae produce electrons, some of which are exported outside the cell where they can provide electric current to power devices.