Then what is algae?

Algae are microscopic plants which have a very strong ability to convert light into biomass. Oil can be extracted from this biomass. It is said that even if only .3% of the area of the world were to be planted with algae, it would generate enough oil for our present needs.

Till now jatropha, palm, corn and other oil seeds have been used to make oil. However their yields are very low. Competing feedstock like these are grown on arable land, and hence compete with food production, which may result in a scale up of food prices affecting millions in poorer countries. Moreover, algae can be grown on desert lands and other unused lands. The deserts of Arizona can be used to grow algae, for example.

 

How can I grow algae?

Algae was conventionally grown in open ponds. You can try growing them in a plastic bag or so to see how they grow. When grown in the right environment, algae can almost double their weight every day!

However open ponds is not a very efficient method to grow algae. This is because it is tough to grow one particular species of alga. Because of outside contamination other species of algae are also mixed, that reduces quality and output. Moreover, the temperature, pH, and micronutrients cannot be controlled.

Hence to grow algae commercially, other techniques like photobioreactors have been designed. Algae when grown well can generate 10-100 times the biodiesel per acre than generated from other feedstock.

Is algae grown today?

Algae is grown by many companies. Most of them believe that growing algae will be highly profitable. Imperium Renewables buys almost all the algae oil grown today in the US. It expects US algae startups to make upto 100 million gallons of algae fuel in a year by 2011.

What is this thing I keep hearing about algae and Kyoto protocol?

Algae can also be used conveniently to absorb the emissions of CO2, NO2, and other flue emissions from factories and power plants. A lot of money can be earned by selling your emission reductions.

Kyoto protocol mandates that countries reduce their greenhousegas (ghg) emissions by a set amount by 2012. Countries impose penalities on industries that are unable to contain their emissions to the nationally decided, and industry specific quotas. However, these companies can avoid these penalities by buying emission reductions.

These emission reductions are traded through Clean Development Mechanism, and is already a big industry in many countries.

Have any companies tried to use algae to earn carbon credits?

Companies like GreenFuel Technologies, a venture of an MIT technopreneur is already conducting commericial field trials in absorbing carbon dioxide from power plants. Estimates of Ohio university researchers are that a 2000 MW power plant would require around 2500 acres of land around it to grow algae and reabsorb the emitted carbon dioxide. Most power plants in the US and other countries have this sort of land available.