PetroSun and Algae Biodiesel in final testing stage
PetroSun Inc. has been working on developing algae biodiesel production and they're now almost ready to start buliding a commercial-scale production facility. The company is cultivating algae paste, and they will be supplying it to companies that produce the refinery equipment for testing. Based on those test results, subsidiary Algae Biofuels will select an equipment supplier for their first biodiesel plant will may be built in either Arizona, New Mexico, California, Louisiana or Michigan. Initially they were planning to build in Arizona, but they are also evaluating algae cultivation in more northern states like Michigan. Growing the algae and producing the fuels close to where it will be consumed is essential to the model of minimizing distribution costs and environmental impact. Algae has much better potential as a biodiesel feedstock because of the cost of cultivation, the amount of CO2 it consumes, growth rate and potential yields. Plus it doesn't compete with food the way corn or soy does. [Source: PetroSun via GreenCarCongress]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tim 3:01PM (2/05/2007)
According to http://www.oakhavenpc.org/cultivating_algae.htm , certain micro algae (single cell algae) might produce anywhere from 10 times to 1000 times as much liquid fuel per year per acre as conventional agriculture.
Gallons of Oil per Acre per Year:
Corn 18
Soybeans 48
Safflower 83
Sunflower 102
Rapeseed 127
Oil Palm 635
Micro Algae 5000-15000
A 100 fold factor is an awfully powerful incentive to make Micro Algae work.
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