In 2014, the world was treated to the news that Alabama was the first in the world to have an algae biofuel system which also works to treat municipal wastewater resulting in a carbon-negative process. Japanese corporation IHI helped with the project and a demo run was completed on a 40,000 gallon-per-day plant deploying floating photobioreactors in Mobile Bay in Daphne, Alabama.
Advanced biofuels can be converted from algae biomass and it’s also shows a lot of promise as an alternative to petroleum-based diesel and jet fuels. Also, algae can be used for a range of other bioproducts such as industrial chemicals, bio-based polymers and proteins.
The use of algae as a fuel alternative traces back to 1978 when Jimmy Carter was president of the US. At that time, gas prices were so high and lines at the station were so long that the government looked into ways to ease the crisis. The Aquatic Species Program run by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory looked into high oil-output algae for biofuel. They tested over 3,000 types of algae and the conclusion was that it can – at large amounts – replace fossil fuels for several purposes such as home heating and transportation.
These days, several companies and government agencies are trying to lessen the costs of producing algae biofuel so it can be a more commercially viable fuel source. In 2014, the US Energy Department announced up to $25 million in funding to lower the cost of algae biofuel to less than $5 per gasoline gallon equivalent by 2019.
But just like any other alternative sources, algae biofuel has its shares of pros and cons. Here’s a look at them:
List of Pros of Algae Biofuel
1. It helps the environment.
Algae absorbs carbon dioxide during the process of photosynthesis, but all that is released when the fuel is burned. So, it’s both a positive and a negative. Then again, what makes it environmentally friendly is algae grows in large amounts all over the world. Plus, it’s a non-invasive plant that can also be grown in different production plants.
2. It can produce other byproducts.
Other than just fuel, algae can be used for pet food, fertilizer and energy drinks. So it’s not just the fuel sector that can benefit from processing algae but a range of others as well. Also, the type of fuel that can be produced from algae are the ones commonly used today: diesel, jet fuel and gasoline.
3. It doesn’t require changes to vehicles.
Unlike other clean sources of energy, algae doesn’t require a special machine to be used. In other words, they can be used without causing harm to the vehicle and without manufacturers having to create specific models to handle this certain type of fuel.
List of Cons of Algae Biofuel
1. It is expensive to produce.
Although this problem is being remedied, it doesn’t change the fact that the process involved in producing oil from algae is a costly one. As such, it will reflect in the price of the final product.
2. It is delicate to grow algae.
Some plants choose to grow their own algae and the process required is delicate. A closed environment protected by a controlled system is necessary as money would be wasted should things go wrong in an unsafe and uncontrolled environment.