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It all sounds perfect, right? An abundant, plantlike material is grown, squeezed, chemically altered and blended into a cleaner, efficient biodiesel. It may sound ideal, but there are some cons, the critics of algae biodiesel like to point out.
For one, open pond growing is extremely risky -- the water has to be an exact temperature. Carbon dioxide has to be pumped into the ponds, and there is a high risk of contamination. However, many algae biodiesel labs are solving this problem by using the closed bioreactor system to counteract these issues.
Where Doesn't Algae Grow?
Some of the most diverse organisms on the planet, algae seem to creep up in any area that's damp, moist, warm and wet, including marshes, ponds, rocks and rivers. Certain forms even live on animals like turtles which go back and forth from water to land.
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So, we've talked about the chemical process that takes algae and turns it into biodiesel fuel. The real question, and one which many companies all over the globe are trying to answer, is how can we produce enough to meet the demand for biodiesel?
The most natural method of growing algae for biodiesel production is through open-pond growing. Using open ponds, we can grow algae in hot, sunny areas of the world to get maximum production. While this is the least invasive of all the growing techniques, it has some drawbacks. Bad weather can stunt algae growth, as can contamination from strains of bacteria or other outside organisms. The water in which the algae grow also has to be kept at a certain temperature, which can be difficult to maintain.
Vertical growth/closed loop production has been developed by biofuel companies to produce algae faster and more efficiently than open pond growth. With vertical growing, algae are placed in clear plastic bags, so they can be exposed to sunlight on two sides. The bags are stacked high and protected from the rain by a cover. The extra sun exposure increases the productivity rate of the algae, which in turn increases oil production. The algae are also protected from contamination.
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How can we get oil from algae? It's like getting juice from an orange -- with an additional chemical reaction thrown in. Algae are grown in either open-pond or closed-pond systems, which we'll discuss later. Once the algae are harvested, the lipids, or oils, are extracted from the walls of the algae cell.
There are a few different ways to extract the oil from algae. The oil press is the simplest and most popular method. It's similar to the concept of the olive press. It can extract up to 75 percent of the oil from the algae being pressed.
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
Algae biodiesel may soon be on the menu at gas stations in your neighborhood.
Basically a two-part process, the hexane solvent method (combined with pressing the algae) extracts up to 95 percent of oil from algae. First, the press squeezes out the oil. Then, leftover algae is mixed with hexane, filtered and cleaned so there's no chemical left in the oil.
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Replacing fossil fuels with algae, a renewable resource, to make biodiesel is an exciting possibility. Before we dive into the subject of algae biodiesel, let's get to know more about algae. More than 100,000 different species of plantlike organisms belong the algae family. They come in various forms and colors, from tiny protozoa floating in ponds to huge bunches of seaweed inhabiting the ocean. Leafy kelp, grassy moss and fungus growing on rocks are all forms of algae. You may even see algae in different colors such as red, green and brown. Algae are easy to grow and can be manipulated to produce huge amounts without disturbing any natural habitats or food sources. Algae are easy to please -- all they need are water, sunlight and carbon dioxide.
So, are algae all the same? Various algae contain different levels of oil. Of all the algae out there, pond scum -- algae that sit on top of ponds -- is best suited for biodiesel.
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Who would have thought pond scum could be the key ingredient in green fuel?
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 The race is on for a new form of fuel. With gasoline skyrocketing to more than $4 a gallon in 2008, dependence on imported oil and depleting resources worldwide, finding alternatives to petroleum-based fuel and fuel-related products is urgent. Fortunately, scientists have been studying the production of alternative products to make a cleaner, greener fuel for years. It's possible that we may be using one of these alternative fuels in the near future. Alga (or its plural, algae) may be the miracle element in the search for a more environmentally-friendly, mass-produced product that can be converted into fuel. Algae grow naturally all over the world. Under optimal conditions, it can be grown in massive, almost limitless, amounts. Did you know that half of algae's composition, by weight, is lipid oil? Scientists have been studying this oil for decades to convert it into algae biodiesel -- a fuel that burns cleaner and more efficiently than petroleum.
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