With delivery not as far as predictedBy Melanie Klausner It is no secret that worldwide dependency on oil has reached an all-time high. Since oil is a finite, non-renewable, and heavily relied upon resource, the race to discover viable alternatives is hotter than ever. Still, the promise of an alternative and potentially clean energy source has been slow and steady. New biofuels emerge almost weekly and everything from wind and solar power to corn and soybean oil has been tapped as the next environmentally sound solution. Each known source offers its own set of opportunities and challenges. Wind power is easy to harness, but efficiently distributing it over long distances poses problems. Proponents of solar power find capturing energy from sunlight to be somewhat difficult—the result of capturing heat rather than light. Though new techniques can make solar energy more cost-effective and functional, so far cost reduction is not significant enough for mass distribution. Although other resources like corn, soybean, and canola oils are readily available sources of energy that are renewable and provide a lower carbon footprint, the extra demand for these products drives the cost of food up and threatens the supply. The increasing cost of biodiesel feedstock, drawing on and channeling these alterative energies poses obstacles for economic and mass production. For activists of alternative energy and sustainability, algae is the latest in the green movement toward alternative energy and biomass. One of the only truly green sources of biofuel, algae starts out green and creates green byproducts. It has the potential to shift the United States from being the largest importer of oil to the leading exporter of clean energy. That’s because algae is not only sustainable, but it is also a renewable resource. It can be cultivated in mass and does not require the growing space required by cultivating competing biofuels—not to mention the drawbacks of deforestation and land use issues associated with biofuels feedstock farming. As with all new technological and sustainable advances algae is not without its challenges, though it poses comparatively fewer at this stage. Not every strain of algae can be utilized to produce usable biodiesel and many do not produce significant amounts of oil. Those that do often require very specific conditions, which are dependent upon the type of system utilized. Open-air systems often have contamination problems from organisms, making closed systems the most likely conduit for growing algae. Algae oil is especially promising as a biodiesel feedstock; it can be used directly as a fuel. The drawback is that it requires modifications to a normal diesel engine before it can be used as a fuel, much like any other vegetable oil would. However, transesterified biodiesel can run in an unmodified modern diesel engine, provided the engine is designed to use ultra-low sulfur diesel, which as of 2006, was the new diesel fuel standard in the US. A remaining challenge is finding an inexpensive source of clean carbon dioxide, which is necessary to the algae growing process. A photosynthetic plant, algae naturally converts carbon dioxide (CO2) to oxygen (O2). Several studies show that the exhaust from a power plant smokestack works well for growing algae, but the carbon dioxide needs to be scrubbed to remove contaminants. As a result, economists and experts believe algae farming needs to be done next to power plants where it can help soak up pollution. By tapping into algae, it is possible to absorb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, pulling carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide gases from air polluting industries. One energy company believes it has cracked the algae energy code—a feat that’s been projected to be five to ten years away—with a large-scale Photo-Bioreactor System. This system is the first commercially viable, fully automated, scalable, closed system microalgae production technology available today. The process grows algae under operator selected conditions, and uses existing technology to harvest and extract algae oil from microalgae. To date, algae has been primarily cultivated for the neutraceutical market and, more recently, as a biofuel source. The large-scale Photo-Bioreactor System utilizes automated harvesting and conventional drying systems, along with a catalyzed biomass refinery technology that will generate organic fertilizer and Algae Green fuel—which can be used to produce electricity, as well as power engines. It will also serve as a pollution control system, using algae to clean up industrial plant emissions. It captures nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) generated by flue gas (compressed CO2 can also be used) from the power generation industry, or any CO2 emitting factories. The photo-bioreactor utilizes the captured gases as nutrients to feed the algae, converting greenhouse gases into growing cleaner, greener energy products. The Photo-Bioreactor System can be connected to any boiler or gas turbine, reducing pollution while simultaneously producing biofuels. These biofuels can be used in plant vehicles, to co-fire existing units, or produce additional power. Arguably, algae is the most sustainable energy alternative with life-sustaining and viable applications that enhance a variety of aspects of our well-being. A tangible mass producer of algae oil stands at the gateway to a functional form of algae-based fuel and virtually endless uses of biomass. Renewed World Energieswww.rwenergies.com