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Topic: Algae biofuel (Read 594 times) |
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MoEnzyme
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Algae biofuel
« on: 2009-07-16 21:23:45 » |
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Something I've been noticing in the news -
ExxonMobil To Invest $600 Million In Algae Biofuel
full article:http://www.greenandsave.com/green_news/green_science_and_technology/exxonmobil_to_invest_600_million_in_algae_biofuel
Max Boath - Contributing Writer
Posted on Thursday 16th July 2009
excerpt:
Algae is growing, in ponds and in popularity. Exxon Mobile, the largest worldwide petroleum trader, announced July 14 that it is turning its focus to a more sustainable fuel industry: algae biofuel. Investigation is still in its early stages, but algae’s incredible production efficiency may prove more effective than other biofuels in reducing greenhouse gas.
Exxon Mobile will be teaming up with private company Synthetic Genomics, Inc. (SGI) to develop the algae biofuel. Exxon plans to spend over $600 million in research and development, which will focus not solely on how to convert algae into fuel but also on how to produce it in vast quantity.
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I will fight your gods for food,
Mo Enzyme
(consolidation of handles: Jake Sapiens; memelab; logicnazi; Loki; Every1Hz; and Shadow)
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Hermit
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Prime example of a practically perfect person
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Re:Algae biofuel
« Reply #1 on: 2009-07-16 23:27:26 » |
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We've been working on this for many years and had hoped it would be a component of Integral Farms (http://www.integralfarms.com). While we expect to use algae for feed, unfortunately, despite having developed a remarkably low cost biophotoreactor, and gone some way towards finding extraction techniques, three major questions remain before it can be used as a feedstock for the production of biofuels. Which algal strains to use (balancing lipid production, ruggedness and high efficiency), how to supply them their needs with very low energy requirements (it takes energy to circulate water and gas) and most critically, how to extract lipids from them cost effectively, with positive energy return and without nasty by products. While we may be, and hope we are wrong, given that we think that the costs of farming, harvesting and processing algae will closely track rising fuel costs,we think they are unlikely to be the panacea some are claiming on their behalf.
In any case, even if large scale fuel from algae becomes viable at some time in the future, it is almost certainly at least 15 to 20 years from any large scale deployment, and the fuel crisis will be upon us far earlier than that.
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With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. - Steven Weinberg, 1999
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Mylon
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I'm a llama!
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Re:Algae biofuel
« Reply #2 on: 2009-07-22 10:11:36 » |
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15 to 20 years? Screw that! I'm a scientist, let me give it a go. I'll try every way from Sunday to get that fuel outta of the algae for cheap. Presses, centrifuges, what have you, I want my gas!
Preserving the American way of life and our SUVs is considered a passionate subject for me. As much as automation/robotics and space.
PS. I am looking for a job.
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