Vertical Algae Biofuel: Is this the answer we have been waiting for?

This tech is nothing short of amazing (if legitimate, he definitely got my attention).....check the vid for the skinny.

This scientist is claiming upwards of 20,000 gallons per acre per year (pond based, his vertical system may yeld substantial increases), verses roughly 18 gallons per acre per year from corn. He further states that depending on the specific algae used, he can produce specialized carbon chains, tailored specifically for jet fuel or diesel, etc.

Is this the real deal?



Any biology buffs here care to comment on this? I'm extremely interested in your opinions...

Yes it's the real deal, my Dad who's an intellectual property attorney was JUST telling me about this, he went to a press conference with one of his clients, to Indiana, not sure if it was this company though, will ask him tonight though to make sure....and said the technology is truly amazing....I will send him an e-mail and see if I can get some written literature on it if people are interested.

reply to post by LateApexer313


Schuweet! I'd really love to read some more about this. Thanks LA, you are my heroine (can I say that word here?)

reply to post by SystemiK


Good ole' Dads He sent me an e-mail with his client's website and some info if anyone would like to read about algae farming and the fuel you get after you process it.

Algenol Biofuels Inc was founded in early 2006 based on research and work done since the mid-1980’s. Algenol, a privately owned company, is engaged in broad research and development efforts to develop industrial-scale production systems to make ethanol from algae on desert land using seawater and vast amounts of CO2. Algenol uses cyanobacteria (blue green algae), natural selection, environmental selection, and the tools of molecular biology to produce low cost and environmentally safe biofuels. Biofuels are essentially a form of solar energy. Like all plants, algae uses photosynthesis to convert solar energy into chemical energy stored in the form of oils, carbohydrates and proteins.

www.algenolbiofuels.com...

Here's a website of a coalition the client founded for anyone in Ohio who's interested in reading more about how you can ask your local government to look into this type of fuel:

One of the most exciting developments from the presentation was the immediate move to form an Ohio coalition for the development of algae as a fuel and feedstock. You can visit www.greenbeltcoalition.org for more information and to participate.

www.greenbeltcoalition.org...

Related news in the field:

Algae Farm to Produce 4.4 Million Gallons of Experimental Jet Fuel - An Arizona energy company is betting big on algae. PetroSun Biofuels has opened a commercial algae-to-biofuels farm on the Texas Gulf Coast near scenic Harlingen Texas. The farm is a 1,100 acre network of saltwater ponds, 20 acres of which will be dedicated to researching and developing an environmental jet fuel.

Of all the options for future jet biofuel production, algae is considered one of the most viable. It yields 30 times more energy per acre than its closest competitor, and requires neither fresh water, arable land used for cultivation, or consumable food, giving it an advantage over ethanol. PetroSun asserts that an area the size of Maryland could produce enough algae biofuel to satisfy the entire fuel requirements of the United States.

blog.wired.com...

Virgin, Continental, Air New Zealand, UOP join Algal Biomass Organization - In Washington state, Air New Zealand, Continental, Virgin Atlantic Airways, and biofuel technology developer UOP, a Honeywell company, today announced they will join the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO).

“There is significant interest across multiple sectors in the potential of algae as an energy source and nowhere is that more evident than in aviation,” said Billy Glover, ABO co-chair and managing director of Environmental Strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

biofuelsdigest.com...

Thanks LA.

It's so nice for a change to read about something positive instead of the daily gloom and doom. Of all of the alternative energy sources I've read about this one seems by far the most promising. Many other methods that are also promising are years away from having any tangible impact. This method could be impacting or needs as soon as 2009.

reply to post by SystemiK


I know! I didn't know how far along this technology was myself until I read that stuff and poked around the web sites! Very exciting stuff for sure and it seems like they have the attention finally of the airline industries, etc! If it works out in the jet fuel deal in Texas, the sky's the limit it would seem

This is amazing, and could be a viable wave of the future! I wonder if this could be possible! I am encouraging my sons to be researchers, so they can contribute to our civilizations future. I am too old to do anything, but I will never be too old to follow the amazing innovations yet to come for us!

Fantastic! It looks like an economical setup. Early designs used vertical acrylic tubes.
The blue whale, the worlds' biggest animal, eats plankton. Remote viewer Major Ed Dames says blue-green algae is the best survival food source.

In my opinion this is one of those key elements that can lead to a type one civilization.
In today's communication age I don't think it can be suppressed like the Rockefellers did to Tesla and the DuPonts did to hemp. It's that important!

A 200mph wind resistant dome might be helpful.

This story made my day.

Originally posted by free-energy
In today's communication age I don't think it can be suppressed like the Rockefellers did to Tesla and the DuPonts did to hemp.

I disagree. This will never be allowed to become anything more than a curiosity. Mark my words. Archieve this post.

Here are two quick and dirty examples

Eugene Mallove pioneered Cold Fusion and was "murdered in a botched robbery attempt."
www.pureenergysystems.com...

Stan Meyer made a water powered car and "mysteriously died" of an aneurysm, which may not actually be the case.

www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg14099.html

[for some reason I cannot make that a link, just copy and paste into browser]

Turns out his car was still under national security review even after being denounced as a fraud.

www.waterfuelcell.org...

And here is Lindsay Williams who claims to know exactly why our energy dependance must remain as it is. It makes a fair bit of sense.




Gotta go

Sorry guys little old New Zealand already been there and done that... but they are using the sewage from local cities and towns. They already have proof of concept with vehicles running on it.

World first wild Algae Bio-diesel

Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation

[edit on 11-7-2008 by greenfruit]

After watching the business news this afternoon and becoming thoroughly depressed about our pathetic species I decided to do a bit of reading about this stuff and I was wondering if there was anyone out there who could make a rought estimate of how much it would cost to set up a very small 'refinery' or algae plant to produce enough oil for one vehicle's use...

As I doubt there's enough millionares out there to create a large-scale startup to produce this stuff, is it possible to make a small amount fairly inexphensively?

The other thing I just realised about this stuff is that, unfortunately, it's not quite as 'green' as it seems.

Just like regular oil, this stuff has similar emission levels from vehicles, and although its global carbon emmissions will be balanced by the algae itself, urban environments will still be subject to smog and localised pollution. Rather unfortuante for such a promissing discovery

I highly doubt algae will become economically viable in time to achieve decent market penetration. Real world results after decades of development have proved ... underwhelming to say the least and I'm skeptical as to the yield. I want to see some independent tests done. I've seen approaches similar to his yield far lower than what he claims. I'll do a more in depth analysis later.

Meanwhile Solar is entering a renaissance of sorts.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

[edit on 24-7-2008 by sardion2000]

Originally posted by SystemiK
This tech is nothing short of amazing (if legitimate, he definitely got my attention).....check the vid for the skinny.

This scientist is claiming upwards of 20,000 gallons per acre per year (pond based, his vertical system may yeld substantial increases), verses roughly 18 gallons per acre per year from corn. He further states that depending on the specific algae used, he can produce specialized carbon chains, tailored specifically for jet fuel or diesel, etc.

Is this the real deal?

Any biology buffs here care to comment on this? I'm extremely interested in your opinions...

The three bio fuel techs I know about are

Coskata ( $1/gal ethanol from waste )

www.ecogeek.org...

LS9 ( bio engineered bacteria that turn waste into raw crude )

www.timesonline.co.uk...

Valcent ( Vertical Hydroponics algae with special strains )
they make 100,000 gal per acre per year in the desert.

www.youtube.com...

At current fuel prices that is about $300,000 an acre, most farmers
would die for a piece of that action.

It is capital intensive thou with the vertical hydroponics,
but it is still better than middle east oil.



[edit on 27-7-2008 by Ex_MislTech]

I can't understand why this thread hasn't been flagged more, and that long post by lateapexer (sp?) was amazing and only has 2 stars, one of which was mine. what's going on? Do people just not want to read positive news?

Great find, and great research. I really hope this gets explore in greater depth!

[edit on 27/7/2008 by rexpop]

I just got David Blume's new book "Alcohol Can Be A Gas". Check it out at www.permaculture.com

It does not mention this form of alcohol production but it does show how you can set up your own alcohol production on any scale from personal use to small co-op to city wide sustainable bio fuel and food systems.
I am going to talk to some farmers in this area about it. Many thanks to SystemiK for posting this. I can add it to the list of ways to make alcohol.

It appears take it really does take places like ATS and active concerned people to get the word out about this kind of news. We have been so lied to and suppressed about this oil issue that I am sure a lot of people have seen this topic and think it is not in their power to start something in their own neighborhood.

Yes you can make alcohol inexpensively in your own neighborhood. It is no more complicated than brewing beer. Like anything done well it does take care and skill to do it properly and safely.

I am even glad to see the skeptics on this one because it shows the level of disinformation we have been subjected to.

In answer to the post by The-Modulus, methanol emits poisonous pollution. Ethanol emits only CO2 and H20.

When you create a gallon of ethanol you create a tradable dollar out of sunshine. So every government in history has taxed it. David Blume's book even shows you how to get the same sixty eight cents per gallon of ethanol produced from the IRS that the oil companies get.

I knew the world was going to change I just didn't know it was going to be today or that Rush Limbaugh would let it happen or that real people who are my neighbors could be heard above the roar and that real people really care.

Interesting, interesting indeed. Can I scrape up the algae in my reef tank and use it?

I'll invest in this if I knew what capital costs were.

My dog poops jet fuel. It's in print and it's now on the internet so it's gotta be so! Don't question it cavemen!

Singed Err and Ignignok

Algae fuel has about as much of a chance to displace oil as my dog's poop. If you would actually do some research and not blindly believe company press releases you would see that. There is NO large scale development of algae fuel anywhere on the planet . Not one. Someone please tell me where to buy some of the 100,000 gallons of fuel Valcent made...anyone?...anyone?...

Where is Algenol's research facility? Where do companies that were created 2 years ago get 1 billion dollars? By their own claims, these are genetically modified organisms (GMO) Do you think there’s no regulation of that? That little cutesy crap that they “train” the algae to make ethanol is nonsense. They are GMO!

All these companies hope that the idiots in Washington pass nonsensical green laws that will give these algae guys big bucks in carbon credits, but it won’t help solve anything and they'll take the money and run and create new bull# companies. I have extensive research on these scam algae companies if anyone wants to hear it.

Peace

J2