Holland, MI may get algae biofuel pilot plant
Bloomfield Hills, MI-based Sequest LLC is contemplating building a pilot algae biodiesel plant in Holland (on Michigan's west side). Holland has a number of attributes that make it a good location for this particular project. Sequest wants the plant to use waste water for growing the algae and carbon-dioxide to feed it. A coal-fired power plant is in close proximity to the local water treatment plant. Michigan State University also has a research lab nearby. The intention is to pipe the CO2 from the power plant through the waste water but it must be separated from other pollutants, like mercury. MSU, which has tremendous expertise in agricultural research, is expected to provide assistance with developing new strains of algae that would be more amenable to the biofuel production. The state of Michigan is currently in the process of passing legislation that would provide $18 million for biofuel projects including $7 million for the Holland algae plant.
[Source: MLive.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Pierre Lourens 11:11PM (6/26/2008)
This is great news for the ethanol crowd. National Geographic puts this into perspective, "While each acre of corn produces around 300 gallons (1,135 liters) of ethanol a year and an acre of soybeans around 60 gallons (227 liters) of biodiesel, each acre of algae theoretically can churn out more than 5,000 gallons (19,000 liters) of biofuel each year. ".
(http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/10/biofuels/biofuels-text/6)
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SAL 8:54PM (3/25/2009)
Assuming,there is enough,water,and nutrients to grow,a "cubic" acre of alge.
Growing,corn.using,alge bi-products as a fertiliser,instead of fossil fuel oil fertiliser's,makes a lot of sense also.
ooglek 12:10AM (6/27/2008)
I grew up in Holland, MI. The west side of Holland near the power plant would be as good as any place to build it. It's right on Lake Macatawa, which has easy access to Lake Michigan, so distribution, if successful, would be easy to Wisconsin and Illinois, as well as elsewhere around Michigan.
I'm still curious to find out if algae will be potent enough for everything that goes into it to make it biodiesel. If they've got it figured out, great! But I do wonder if it is there.
Plus, it's not carbon neutral, or even carbon sequestering, as you take the CO2 from power production, feed it to algae, then squeeze it out of them and burn it in your car, which again releases the CO2 into the atmosphere. What's the point here again?
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john riley 7:01AM (6/27/2008)
At least the carbon is being used twice.
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boneheadotto 11:25AM (6/27/2008)
>>What's the point here again?
the fuel production is carbon negative, that is the point. This isnt the ultimate solution but it is a great way in my opinion to create bio fuel from renewable resources in a way that does not adversly affect our food and water supply. I would suspect the algae producing waste is also carbon negative. In other words burning the biofuel will release less carbon than the algae absorbs. Lifeforms are carbon based and we dont burn the algae we just burn their waste. But im no expert on this stuff
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