First Algae Biodiesel Plant Goes Online: April 1, 2008
PetroSun has announced it will begin operation of its commercial algae-to-biofuels facility on April 1st, 2008.
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.”
- » See also: Scientists Researching How Plants Can Make Petroleum
- » Get Gas 2.0 by RSS or sign up by email.
Microalgae have garnered considerable attention, since acre-by-acre microalgae can produce 30-100 times the oil yield of soybeans on marginal land and in brackish water. The biomass left-over from oil-pressing can either be fed to cattle as a protein supplement, or fermented into ethanol.
The big problem has been figuring out how to collect and press the algae, and in the case of open ponds, to prevent contamination by invasive species. PetroSun seems to have figured it out, and this may be the first algae biofuel plant to get off the ground.
[...] dream feedstock for large-scale biodiesel production has been biodiesel from algae, a nonfood source of oil with incredible yields. The first algae-to-biofuels plant went online [...]
[...] with biodiesel from microalgae. This does not have to be done in big fermentation tanks, and uses current technology such as that used to grow spirulina. It will yield more than 30 times the oil per acre than corn or [...]
Pleas name the types or type of algae.
Filamentous algae as well as brown and gold diatoms.
Algae is the cheapest source of reneable energy. Compare to other source like crope as a Jatropha it contain high % of oil as well as the production time is also less. Algae can produce in marine water and fresh water and also occupy less space.
- Shaktisinh Maharaul
I hope this particular idea works, because it probably could solve quite a few problems we are facing.
Petro Sun should look into processing Algae from the Gulf of Mexico since it has become the largest Algae pond in the US. It would clean up the dead zone and provide fuel and fertilizer for the farmers so they could keep the process going. just a thought
I would like to involve in making biodiesel from algae together with your suport
It would be very nice to have our own biodiesel microplant. where can I get howtos for this algae biodilsel microplant. I’d like to have my own.
I have a 20.000 m2 pond idle… I’m Imagining running my car on this hot biodiesel oneday… soon !
which species of algae are used to produce this biodiesel…i am very much interested in this project..can u please send me the details , about how it works and all?