Biodiesel produced from saltwater-based Algae could be cost competitive with petroleum diesel, according to some reports.

Aurora Biofuels, located in Alameda, CA has reported their 18 month pilot project produced 1,000 gallons of ATSM quality biodiesel in Florida open ponds of just 1/8th of an acre. The company estimates they could grow 6,000 gallons per acre in full production mode.

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Fear not intrepid reader, seems that the MSM has finally discovered algae too. During a recent installment of their “Energy Fix” segment, CNN has latched on to algae biofuel as the next big thing in renewable energy. Regardless of the laughability of the anchors, the segment is actually worth watching if for no other reason than to get a close up look at OriginOil’s Helix Bioreactors.

Besides, you know it’s gonna be good when the segment is hosted by an anchor named Poppy Harlow. Video after the jump…

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In reality, however, corn ethanol was set up for a crash before the faltering world economy gave it the impetus to go over the edge. I’m not suggesting that corn ethanol is going extinct, just that, as some industry experts have put it, corn ethanol is going through a “major adjustment” where the outcome will be large swaths of consolidation and efficiency improvements within the industry.

In a way, corn ethanol is finally coming of age. To put it crudely, little Timmy has stopped having wet dreams and gone out and met some actual women.

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Shanghai Jun Ya Yan Technology Development Company has developed an agreement with PetroSun whereby it will provide $40 million (US) for the construction of an algae farm facility inside China and split profits with PetroSun 50/50 in exchange for PetroSun’s propriety technology and expertise.

Along with planned ethanol and biodiesel output, the press release states that the facility will be producing “other commercial products” from the algae. I’m guessing that means livestock feed supplements made from what’s left of algae carcasses after they’ve been squeezed for oil and turned into ethanol — but maybe they have another surprise up their sleeves?

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The power plant in Boardman, Oregon, is the state’s only coal-fired facility — and also the the state’s largest single emitter of carbon dioxide. To deal with this problem, Portland General Electric and Columbia Energy Partners have started a pilot project to turn the otherwise nasty emissions into biodiesel, ethanol, and even livestock feed.

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Major partners in this round of funding include Braemar Energy Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners, who were joined by return backers The Roda Group and Harris & Harris Group.

Solazyme’s novel biofuel production method involves growing algae in the absence of light. In nature, algae use light to make sugar and then make oil from that sugar. Solazyme skips the light part and just feeds their algae sugar to get them to make oil.

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I’ve often thought that algae could be one of the keys to our energy future, and now I’m more convinced than ever. In a conference call earlier today, Solazyme CEO Jonathan Wolfson said that his company is capable of producing millions of gallons of biodiesel derived from algae within 3 years.

Solazyme is the first company to produce algae diesel that meets US standards, but until today their production timeline was unknown.

“The technology is moving a lot quicker than some people would expect,” Wolfson said.

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And now they want your input on what those sustainable practices and standards should be — they’ve released the first draft of their “Principles and Baseline Practices for Sustainability” (PDF) to the public under a 45-day comment and review period.

So, if you’ve ever questioned the wisdom of growing our own fuel, or you’ve wondered how biofuels can be considered sustainable at all given other seemingly cleaner options like solar, wind and geothermal, now’s your time to speak up.

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It’s early in the pre-dawn dark hours of the morning. A group of Northern California pseudohippies just finished a game of Zonk — or rather, the game just stopped because somebody quoted a line from Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle and everybody forgot what they were doing.

Yet, by a stroke of luck, the conversation about Harold and Kumar reminds the group of their real reason for staying up so late. They pack into a truck and head down to the local fast food joint looking to load up — but it’s not the food they’re loading up on, it’s the nasty, half-rotted, leftover fryer grease.

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But first, a digression.

Part 1: When an egg was just an egg

I remember a time when an egg was just an egg. Nobody argued about that. It was a blissful time. Yet, for all its strengths, it was a fragile time held together by unsupported conclusions and limited knowledge.

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Called Soladiesel(RD)™, it is the world’s first 100% algal diesel blend to meet these standards.

The company has road-tested Soladiesel(RD)™ in a factory standard 2005 diesel Jeep Liberty with results that indicate identical usability and engine wear to that of petroleum diesel.

Soladiesel(RD)™ has lower particulate emissions than petroleum-based diesel and also meets the ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) standards.

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On the heels of a breakthrough which the company claims will make algae oil farming a true competitor to petroleum, OriginOil has filed two patents that may make the production of fuel products from algae incredibly cheap and easy in the near future.

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Former Director of Central Intelligence and Under-Secretary of the Navy R. James Woolsey tested the fuel himself by driving to the Worldwide Energy Conference & Trade Show in an unmodified 2008 Ford F450 fueled by 100% algal biodiesel.

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Most of us are at least vaguely familiar with biodiesel, but how much do we really know?

While biodiesel is easily the most popular alternative fuel available, it’s commonly misunderstood or misrepresented by inaccurate information. Since the most frequent question I get is, “So what exactly is biodiesel, anyway?“, I decided to write a tome covering all the basics—a one stop shop for all your biodiesel- related questions.

It’s been exactly one year since I published the first Biodiesel Mythbuster on GreenOptions.com, and its popularity made a sequel inevitable. By way of a short introduction, here’s what I wrote last year:

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While the first algae-to-biofuels facility went online today, scientists at Argonne National Labs are manipulating the photosynthetic super-organism for another use: creating hydrogen.

Algae grows prolifically in adverse conditions, and can store large amounts of oils or starches useful for making biodiesel or ethanol. But some strains also use an enzyme called hydrogenase to produce small amounts of hydrogen gas. Scientists think this is the organism’s way of getting rid of excess energy under high-light conditions.

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The facility, located in Rio Hondo Texas, will produce an estimated 4.4 million gallons of algal oil and 110 million lbs. of biomass per year off a series of saltwater ponds spanning 1,100 acres. Twenty of those acres will be reserved for the experimental production of a renewable JP8 jet-fuel.

Gordon LeBlanc, Jr., CEO of PetroSun, had this to say:

“Our business model has been focused on proving the commercial feasibility of the firms’ algae-to-biofuels technology during the past eighteen months. Whether we have arrived at this point in time by a superior technological approach, sheer luck or a redneck can-do attitude, the fact remains that microalgae can outperform the current feedstocks utilized for conversion to biodiesel and ethanol, yet do not impact the consumable food markets or fresh water resources.”

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In January, Virgin announced it would conduct the test flight, and only hinted at the use of an algae-based biofuel for the test. Flight quoted a document verifying the use of the algae biofuel, and indicated there were no fears of a miscue during the flight.

A limited crew will fly the empty 747 from London’s Heathrow Airport to Amsterdam. Following the flight, officials said the aircraft’s fuel system will be completely flushed as a precaution to remove any residual biofuel. The engine being used is said to be due for a major overhaul after the test.

Airbus used a gas to liquid fuel, derived from natural gas, in its flight from Filton, UK to Toulouse, France in mid January.

Developers of algae-based biofuels say they can tweak certain varieties of algae to produce a fuel that would power a jet engine without using it as an additive. Pond scum seems to have gained dignity and appears headed for a real future.

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biodiesel-production-process-video/" title="Chevron Backs Solazyme’s Algae Biodiesel Production Process">Airbus A380 First to Fly With Alternative Fuel
Chevron Backs Solazyme’s Algae Biodiesel Production Process (+Video)

PetroSun won’t be making fuel immediately, but plans on either building or acquiring ethanol and biodiesel production plants. They’ve conveniently located themselves in an area accessible by barge, which should make fuel distribution a snap.

An aerial view (Google maps) of the algae farms can be seen here.

This is NOT an April Fool’s joke! See the press release here.

Posts Related to Algae Biofuel and Biodiesel:

• Could We Grow 100,000 Gallons of Oil per Acre? Yes, Says Vertigro Algae Biofuel [Video]
• First Heavy-Duty Diesel Powered By Algae Biodiesel, Solazyme’s “Soladiesel”
• Biodiesel Mythbuster 2.0: Twenty-Two Biodiesel Myths Dispelled
• World’s First Commercially Viable Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Online 2009
• Algae Could Be Major Hydrogen Fuel Source
• Top 15 Unexpected Uses For Biodiesel
• How Solar Panels Could Power 90% of US Transportation
• How Biodiesel Fuel-Cells Could Power The Future (And Your Car)

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Several companies are now researching and beginning to produce oil derived from algae, that would replace food crops as a feedstock for biodiesel production. They claim higher oil yields for less water and acreage needed for food crops.

The National Algae Association informed Green Options it has opened its new headquarters in The Woodlands, TX. An article in Biodiesel Magazine quoted the association founder, Barry Cohen of Biofuel Capital Partners, as saying “We’ve got biodiesel producers that are contacting us every single day because they know they’ve got a problem”, referring to high soybean and vegetable oil biofuel feedstock costs.

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Interestingly, sources were specific that the biofuel used will be from a very sustainable source, but not one that would compete with food or fresh water sources. Algae is mentioned several times in the story.

Certain varieties of algae have been identified as a possible feedstock, which contains a much higher energy content than oilseeds and can be far less demanding on the environment.

The engine to be used in the test, GE’s CF6, will not require any modification for the flight, and the use of biofuel is not expected to have a negative effect on the engine’s performance or range.

PetroSun won’t be making fuel immediately, but plans on either building or acquiring ethanol and biodiesel production plants. They’ve conveniently located themselves in an area accessible by barge, which should make fuel distribution a snap.

An aerial view (Google maps) of the algae farms can be seen here.

This is NOT an April Fool’s joke! See the press release here.

Posts Related to Algae Biofuel and Biodiesel:

• Could We Grow 100,000 Gallons of Oil per Acre? Yes, Says Vertigro Algae Biofuel [Video]
• First Heavy-Duty Diesel Powered By Algae Biodiesel, Solazyme’s “Soladiesel”
• Biodiesel Mythbuster 2.0: Twenty-Two Biodiesel Myths Dispelled
• World’s First Commercially Viable Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Online 2009
• Algae Could Be Major Hydrogen Fuel Source
• Top 15 Unexpected Uses For Biodiesel
• How Solar Panels Could Power 90% of US Transportation
• How Biodiesel Fuel-Cells Could Power The Future (And Your Car)

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GreenFuel Technologies has finally produced some results:

This summer, GreenFuel Technologies and Arizona Public Service Company (APS) were able to grow algae successfully at APS’ Redhawk natural gas power plant at levels 37 times higher than corn and 140 times higher than soybeans using CO2 from a natural gas-fired power plant as input to theGreenFuel system.

Algae cultivation has always promised exceptional yields for multiple end-use products: oils are processed into biodiesel, starches into ethanol, and the remaining protein components are used in animal feed. It’s a great idea, but no one has been able to do it in real life yet. GreenFuel Tech., in conjunction with APS, was the first to make commercially viable biodiesel and ethanol from algae cultivated at a commercial power plant in 2006, but these new results are the first indicator that commercially viable production levels are possible.

The comparison above is based on the amount of usable material grown per unit area, and GreenFuel’s tests (even with suboptimal weather conditions) blew away projected productivity goals.

A 2-week field-test was performed on GreenFuel’s proprietary algae propagation technology, called the 3D Matrix System (3DMS). 3DMS differs from the transparent tubing we’ve all seen in pictures (as depicted above), which are usually used to grow preparatory seed cultures. GreenFuel isn’t offering too many details about the 3DMS, but claims the matrix system boosts photosynthesis by increasing the surface-to-volume ratio of the algal culture.

The goal of this program was to assess the performance (areal productivity) of the 3DMS technology for at least two continuous weeks of growth. Based on the previous performance of a lab-scale system, target average areal productivity of 80 g/m2/d was set. Achieving this goal would allow a commercial algal system to significantly decrease its footprint, minimizing one of the main limiting factors of large-scale algal farming – land cost and availability.

The performance of the 3DMS system exceeded the target goal. Average areal productivity of 98g/m2/d (ash free, dry weight basis), with highs of over 170 g/m2/d, was achieved during a run time of 19 days. Thus, this is one of the most productive algal cultivation systems ever built.

The next step will be testing the system on a coal-fired plant, and ramping up the production scale. Algae produced from the waste of electrical-generation could offer another significant feedstock for biofuel production while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants.

Latest update on Algae Biodiesel: Algae Biodiesel: First Industrial Algae Plants Go Online

GreenCar Congress: GreenFuel Technologies and APS to Test 3DMS Algae System on Coal-Fired Plant
Performance Summary Report Evaluation of GreenFuel’s 3D Matrix Algae Growth Engineering Scale Unit

More by this author:
Algae Biodiesel May Soon Be Reality
Algae Biodiesel Startups Plan Large-Scale Algae Farms
Algae Biofuel May Be Future For Aviation

Photo Credit.

PetroSun won’t be making fuel immediately, but plans on either building or acquiring ethanol and biodiesel production plants. They’ve conveniently located themselves in an area accessible by barge, which should make fuel distribution a snap.

An aerial view (Google maps) of the algae farms can be seen here.

This is NOT an April Fool’s joke! See the press release here.

Posts Related to Algae Biofuel and Biodiesel:

• Could We Grow 100,000 Gallons of Oil per Acre? Yes, Says Vertigro Algae Biofuel [Video]
• First Heavy-Duty Diesel Powered By Algae Biodiesel, Solazyme’s “Soladiesel”
• Biodiesel Mythbuster 2.0: Twenty-Two Biodiesel Myths Dispelled
• World’s First Commercially Viable Cellulosic Ethanol Plant Online 2009
• Algae Could Be Major Hydrogen Fuel Source
• Top 15 Unexpected Uses For Biodiesel
• How Solar Panels Could Power 90% of US Transportation
• How Biodiesel Fuel-Cells Could Power The Future (And Your Car)

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