High Oil Algae
Value can be measured in many different ways depending on individual beliefs and choices. Algae has been valued by some cultures more than others over the centuries. It has been used as food in some areas of the world and as a supplement that contributes to the overall well being of the human anatomy. The most recent discovery and the one that many people consider the most valuable, is algae’s ability to be used as a biofuel. The oil in algae is being harvested to produce ethanol and biodiesel fuel and the opportunities that are developing are incredible. Algae oil could be the vegetable oil the world’s being looking for, because it has the potential to replace fossil fuel.
The advantages of using algae oil over palm oil or sunflower, soybean or other oils are obvious. Algae needs three things to grow: water, sun and carbon dioxide. It can be grown in greenhouse conditions without expensive farm equipment, chemicals or a lot of labor. An acre of algae can produce around 10,000 gallons of vegetable oil a year compared to 50 gallons for soy, 150 gallons for canola and 650 gallons for palm, which is the product used the most to produce biofuels. 50% of algae weight is vegetable oil compare to 20% for palm trees. Algae oil could replace all of the oils we used now and it would only need less than 1% of the land used now to do it.
Large and small companies are developing new technologies to harvest algae vegetable oil. The major oil companies are investing in start-up companies, because they see the handwriting on the wall; fossil fuel use will decline substantially within the next fifteen years and that has already started. Algae greenhouses are being built around the world to grow large amounts of algae that are high in carbohydrates. These algae strains are fermented into ethanol and other strains are use to produce biodiesel fuel. All of these algae greenhouses are like a giant solar collecting system, which helps algae grow to maturity in 25 to 30 days and then it could double in volume overnight, which means it can be harvested daily. All of the other products that are used to produce biofuels need more growing time and much more than sunlight to get to the harvest stage.
The new companies that are going to produce high amounts of algae vegetable oil are gambling that it will pay off economically. They believe it is a product that is competitive in price, in fact recent cost studies indicate that it is the most cost effective biofuel product available and it’s in its infancy. That means that more technology will make it more cost efficient. Value is an individual choice and it looks like algae oil is soon to become a value the world can’t live without, especially when it comes to traveling economically.
