Algae Biofuel Pros and Cons|Exciting fuel of future.

Detailed research on algae biofuel pros and cons have unveiled that despite various techno-economic challenges ahead as revealed in this post while going into the algae biofuel facts, the experts believe that algae biofuel is the most safe and clean alternative fuel of the future. Algae based biofuel has the potential to revolutionize the energy industry and play a major role in the world’s future hope for environment friendly alternative fuel although many technical and economic challenges have to be overcome to make it commercially viable.With rising oil prices, increasing global energy demand and diminishing crude oil resources there has been an urgent need for search of a cheaper alternative to fossil fuels to fuel our economy. It is predicted that the day is not far off when algae based biofuel would replace petroleum as a transportation and aviation fuel globally. The study has shown that in the next ten years the international market for biofuels from algae is poised for explosive growth. Let us now discuss about the pros and cons of algae biofuel.

Algae are organic plants that grow in aquatic environments which capture sunlight and carbon dioxide (CO₂) to create 'biomass' through photosynthesis process (to know more about 'biomass' my article 'Biomass Energy Facts’ may be referred to). It has long been established that algae are potentially good source for biofuel production because of their comparatively high oil content and rapid bio-energy producing capability from sunlight. Algae based biofuel is the source of new green and clean renewable energy that is safer for the environment as well as for the human beings as compared to energy from petroleum based fuel. The growth rate of algae is fantastic and some strains of algae multiply the quantity of biomass almost four times in a single day. It is very efficient when it comes to algae oil extraction for converting to biodiesel. There are several advantages of using algae as biofuel as an alternative to fossil fuels.

The major benefits are,

• Use of oil extracted from algae instead of from fossil fuel means using an energy source which is renewable as against a source of fast depleting supply;

• In its growing process algae absorbs carbon dioxide from the environment which leads to lowering of atmospheric carbon dioxide level causing reduction in global warming;
• One of the major advantages of algae is that it has much higher yield of oil per acre of land (15/20 times) than any other competing biofuel producing plants like corn or sunflower;
• The greatest advantage of algae for producing biodiesel over other plants is that this plant is not used for any food products. This gives benefit of lower price volatility to algae also;
• Algae being not an agricultural crop it can be grown in non-agricultural lands. The best type of algae to produce biofuel out of many types that have been used so far is that which we find on the surface of ponds or small bodies of water;
• Biodiesel from algae can be used in the diesel engines and in its fuel injection system with out any adverse effect on the operating performance of the engine. It is also found that algae biofuel gets better mileage than petroleum-based fuel;
• Algae based biofuel being an oxygenated fuel (enriched with oxygen), biodiesel from algae makes fuel combustion more complete and results in carbon emission much lower than conventional diesel;
• Algae as biofuel can be used on all aircraft and engines don't need to be modified for this;

• Algae based biofuel can be used as a replacement or in a blended form with regular petroleum diesel with out any major engine modification;
• If used blended with the petroleum diesel in right proportion biodiesel from algaehas been found to cause lower wear and tear of the engine than with regular diesel. It also shows superior lubricating properties and extends engine life;
• Biodiesel from algae decomposes nearly 4 times faster than the conventional diesel fuel;

• Algae biodiesel has a higher ignition temperature i.e flashpoint making it much safer than the conventional diesel where safety is concerned. The fuel is less likely to catch fire accidentally due its lower volatility and higher flashpoint;

Major drawbacks

• The algae biofuel production is highly dependent on availability of suitable climatic condition, substantial quantity of water, flat land, and carbon dioxide feed --all in one location;

• Study by experts has found that the capital and operating costs for environmentally friendly algae biofuel production process will continue to remain too expensive to be economically acceptable in the near-to-mid-term;

• A lot more R&D efforts are needed to deliver scalable, cost-effective technology with the aim to make algae biofuel production less costly and to increase productivity to make it economically viable;

Market outlook

Even though algae based biofuel, with its fewer drawbacks, are the most logical renewable energy source of the future alternative to fossil fuels, it is apparent from the market perspective that the following major challenges are yet to be met in order to achieve production of algae biofuel on commercial scale:

• To increase oil content of the existing strains of algae or to select new strains with higher oil content;
• To increase growth rate of algae;
• To develop a robust device/system with competitive capital and operating costs for growing algae either in open air or enclosed environment;
• To develop an efficient oil-extraction method;
• To develop co-products other than oil;

While discussing about algae biofuel pros and cons, it may be further mentioned that although there are companies and scientists who have already successfully tried biodiesel from algae to run vehicles but these efforts are not large enough to promote commercial production. The cost of algae biofuel production mainly depends on the methods of its cultivation. Research studies claim that on a rough estimate this cost comes to around $140 per barrel($3.50 per gallon) when algae is cultivated in open ponds while the cost is estimated to be around $500 per barrel($11 per gallon) when cultivated in a closed environment within a device called Photo-Bio-Reactor (PBR). Thus, it is apparent that open systems, such as surface of ponds or small water bodies are currently more economical and practical method for algae cultivation. The experts predict that as a result of ongoing research on economical methods of algae cultivation and harvesting and with increased volume of production at economic scales, this fledgling fuel source could be cost-competitive compared to fossil fuels and both will cost same within the next ten years.

Conclusion

Since it is clear from the algae biofuel pros and cons discussed in the forgoing paragraphs that commercial viability of algae based biofuel is ultimately going to depend on scale economics, the potential investors should start looking for business models that would look to biodiesel from algae as a potential energy source not only for the transportation market but also for other higher value products such as aviation biofuel, renewable jet fuel, bio-gasoline, ethanol, butanol, bio-methane etc. Fossil fuels lobbies are still too strong but as the fight against greenhouse gas emissions and climate change gain strength it looks like such pressure groups could soon lose some of their influence, which could eventually open the door to implement algae based biofuel production into competitive global energy market.