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
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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.
Okay it’s been 5 months since April 1st. How much oil have they made? Yea how much. Did you say “well not any yet, but we’re working on it.” Just what I thought. It’s all hype to take our money away from us. If on the other hand you have produced oil I’ll buy some.
I a gree with mike, i wanna learn how to grow my own algae and use them to make fuel.
If we can get this algalfuel to work then we are off to the races provided it is clean burning.
Ethanol burns without a Carbon Dioxide byproduct. Is algalfuel the same?
Mike Smith
Supplying microalgae extract DHA, oil and powder
info@rishonbiochem.com:
1. Fish Oil-Ethyl ester(EE),
High DHA-DHA>70%
2. Fish Oil, Ethyl ester (EE),
High EPA-EPA>50%
3. Fish Oil- TG
DHA>40%,EPA>40%
4. DHA powder, Ethyl ester (EE)
DHA>20%/ EPA>15%
5. DHA powder (microalgaes)
DHA>10%
6. DHEA Dehydroepiandrosterone
7. Arachidonic Acid (derived from Mortierella alpina)
Ara>40%
8. Krill Oil
9. Linolenic Acid
10.Seal Oil
……..
U algae people have to advertise this stuff more! Ethanol from crops is stuuupid, and actually takes more energy just to make it and affects food prices way too much, and uses up way too many rescources.
Could this be the real new alternative to oil, yes!
everyone, buy as much stock in this as you can and whatever you do advertise it to everyone u know, this is awesome!
I think that algae biodiesel is going to be the way to go with alternative feedstocks for biofuels.
Algae holds huge potential, but my guess is that it will take time for there to be a viable industry.
I was involved in one start-up already, and I have written an ebook about it.
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Instead of seperating the oil from algae; why not just dry it (using waste heat from a boiler) and feed the whole algae into the furnace of the boiler of an electrical gerating plant? Presto, 100% use of the oil with no extraction costs. Also the part of the algae that doesn’t contain oil should provide some BTUs when burned.
Ray Usher, Solar power plants are more efficient than Algae at harvesting sunlight. So if you just want to harvest sunlight energy to feed into the electricity grid - go with Solar photovoltaics or Solar thermal as they are a better option than algae.
Algae’s advantage is that it easily produces an energy dense liquid fuel that is easily transportable. This is very important to run our current internal-combustion vehicles.