Why doesn't Algae Fuel grab more headlines?

[GTaudiophile]

Are the Oil Lobbies surpressing news on Algae Fuel or something?

Wiki Entry

A few highlights:

Currently most research into efficient algal-oil production is being done in the private sector, but predictions from small scale production experiments bear out that using algae to produce biodiesel may be the only viable method by which to produce enough automotive fuel to replace current world diesel usage.

On January 8, 2009, Continental Airlines ran the first test for the first flight of an algae-fueled jet. The test was done using a twin-engine commercial jet consuming a 50/50 blend of biofuel and normal aircraft fuel. It was the first flight by a U.S. carrier to use an alternative fuel source on this specific type of aircraft.

Several experimenters have found the CO2 from a smokestack works well for growing algae. To be economical, some experts think that algae farming for biofuels will have to be done next to power plants, where they can also help soak up the pollution.

I think algae fuel offers quite a few promises, and I just don't know why people aren't promoting it more. Where is Obama on this?

Please correct me if I wrong here.

 

[Siddhartha]

From your Wiki link:

"As of 2008, such fuels remain too expensive to replace other commercially available fuels, with the cost of various algae species typically between US$5?10 per Kg.[citation needed] But several companies and government agencies are funding efforts to reduce capital and operating costs and make algae oil production commercially viable.[11]"

 

[Genx87]

Could be oil companies, or it could be the corn ethanol lobby in this country. So many big interests.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: Siddhartha
From your Wiki link:

"As of 2008, such fuels remain too expensive to replace other commercially available fuels, with the cost of various algae species typically between US$5?10 per Kg.[citation needed] But several companies and government agencies are funding efforts to reduce capital and operating costs and make algae oil production commercially viable.[11]"

Sure but if it grabbed more headlines, getting to the "commercially viable" stage might go faster.

I just wonder why there is not as much optimism in this technology vs. hybrid cars, ethenol, etc.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: Siddhartha
From your Wiki link:

"As of 2008, such fuels remain too expensive to replace other commercially available fuels, with the cost of various algae species typically between US$5?10 per Kg.[citation needed] But several companies and government agencies are funding efforts to reduce capital and operating costs and make algae oil production commercially viable.[11]"

So basically like fuel cell technology, still not cheap enough yet.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile

Originally posted by: Siddhartha
From your Wiki link:

"As of 2008, such fuels remain too expensive to replace other commercially available fuels, with the cost of various algae species typically between US$5?10 per Kg.[citation needed] But several companies and government agencies are funding efforts to reduce capital and operating costs and make algae oil production commercially viable.[11]"

Sure but if it grabbed more headlines, getting to the "commercially viable" stage might go faster.

I just wonder why there is not as much optimism in this technology vs. hybrid cars, ethenol, etc.

I'm pretty sure there are a lot of competing new technologies... i doubt anyone will care until it's cost effective and you can mass produce it.

 

[miketheidiot]

it sounds like it a great idea that could solve all sorts of problems at once, probably not being pursued because the corn/sugar lobby has nothing to gain from it.

with carbon txes coming into play however, the 'smokestack' idea could gain some more momentum.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: Genx87
Could be oil companies, or it could be the corn ethanol lobby in this country. So many big interests.

I think that has a lot more to do with it.

If I were Obama, I could tell the Corn and Coal lobbies to go fvck themselves...and make high-fructose corn syrup illegal as well.

 

[TruePaige]

We already have a great technology we've had mature and reliable ways to produce for a century.

What is this miracle fuel? Electricity.

 

[Phokus]

Originally posted by: TruePaige
We already have a great technology we've had mature and reliable ways to produce for a century.

What is this miracle fuel? Electricity.

Yeah, you're going to have to watch the documentary 'who killed the electric car?'

If i recall correctly, i think the oil industry even bought out a new patented battery technology just so it wouldn't see the light of day in cars

 

[soccerballtux]

Because of the corn-eth lobby.

 

[Moonbeam]

All established technologies have lobbyist promoting their use whereas any new technology does not.

When the country starts running on intelligence rather than money we will see development.

The nice thing about algae is that it removes CO2 from the atmosphere and if made in excess or our energy needs we could pump oil from algae back into oil wells.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile

Originally posted by: Genx87
Could be oil companies, or it could be the corn ethanol lobby in this country. So many big interests.

I think that has a lot more to do with it.

If I were Obama, I could tell the Corn and Coal lobbies to go fvck themselves...and make high-fructose corn syrup illegal as well.

Possibly but he was for corn ethanol and gained many votes from this lobby and its supporters(farmers, big agribusiness). So we are stuck with 4-8 more years of this failed govt policy at the min. Most likely 2 decades before it is gone. In the meantime we get fleeced on the front end by high gasoline prices and on the backend via taxes to subsidize corn ethanol.

 

[sandorski]

Recent Daily Planet covered Algae as a way to produce Hydrogen Fuel. It would seem that Algae is probably going to play a big role one way or the other, but much Research is yet to be done.

 

[frostedflakes]

Yeah my understanding is that algae holds a lot of promise for biofuels (and a number of other applications), but is still a little ways off from being commercialized.

I agree though that electrics are what we should be focusing on for personal transport. They are much more efficient than any type of ICE, and they are not dependent on a single fuel source. We can generate electricity from a number of things (nuclear, solar, wind, coal, biofuels, etc.).

Biofuels will be necessary for other things, though, for example jet engines in aircraft. Biofuels will definitely have a place in our energy future.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Originally posted by: Moonbeam
All established technologies have lobbyist promoting their use whereas any new technology does not.

When the country starts running on intelligence rather than money we will see development.

The nice thing about algae is that it removes CO2 from the atmosphere and if made in excess or our energy needs we could pump oil from algae back into oil wells.

I like this.

 

[soccerballtux]

Originally posted by: Phokus

Originally posted by: TruePaige
We already have a great technology we've had mature and reliable ways to produce for a century.

What is this miracle fuel? Electricity.

Yeah, you're going to have to watch the documentary 'who killed the electric car?'

If i recall correctly, i think the oil industry even bought out a new patented battery technology just so it wouldn't see the light of day in cars

No, what killed the electric car was a $5-700 monthly lease, when the top end gas cars were only $300/mo lease.

Algae-ethanol is the solution if there ever is going to be one; if you surround a coal power plant with an algae farm you can reduce the carbon emissions of the plant by 50%. It truly is the future.

It makes something like 40k gallons of ethanol/acre, whereas corn is something ridiculous like 40.

 

[miketheidiot]

Originally posted by: frostedflakes
Yeah my understanding is that algae holds a lot of promise for biofuels (and a number of other applications), but is still a little ways off from being commercialized.

I agree though that electrics are what we should be focusing on for personal transport. They are much more efficient than any type of ICE, and they are not dependent on a single fuel source. We can generate electricity from a number of things (nuclear, solar, wind, coal, biofuels, etc.).

Biofuels will be necessary for other things, though, for example jet engines in aircraft. Biofuels will definitely have a place in our energy future.

in all honesty, we might be a long way from a battery technology that can replace the global automotive fleet, hedging on a good source of bio-fuels isn't a bad idea. I would not be surprised to see us still using internal combustion in 50 years.

 

[nakedfrog]

It's been "just a few years off" for years now... I think the first article I remember reading on it was in 2002 or so, and it referenced an earlier study. Actually using it in a jet is a nice step, though.

 

[Chunkee]

I think this was on 60 minutes at one time. I remember seeing it. Same with the guy using Prairie Grass and investing big money on ethanol production. But how can you compete with BIG Petroleum. Plus the use of those alternatives is of no concern, because the sentiments regarding the use of these boils down to bux...not the environment or foreign dependency....its all governed by profit.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
It's been "just a few years off" for years now... I think the first article I remember reading on it was in 2002 or so, and it referenced an earlier study. Actually using it in a jet is a nice step, though.

Unfortunately that appears to be the issue with many alternative and renewable sources.

Winds and Solar have been just a few years off widespread adoption for the past 35 years.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
Are the Oil Lobbies surpressing news on Algae Fuel or something?

Wiki Entry

A few highlights:

Currently most research into efficient algal-oil production is being done in the private sector, but predictions from small scale production experiments bear out that using algae to produce biodiesel may be the only viable method by which to produce enough automotive fuel to replace current world diesel usage.

On January 8, 2009, Continental Airlines ran the first test for the first flight of an algae-fueled jet. The test was done using a twin-engine commercial jet consuming a 50/50 blend of biofuel and normal aircraft fuel. It was the first flight by a U.S. carrier to use an alternative fuel source on this specific type of aircraft.

Several experimenters have found the CO2 from a smokestack works well for growing algae. To be economical, some experts think that algae farming for biofuels will have to be done next to power plants, where they can also help soak up the pollution.

I think algae fuel offers quite a few promises, and I just don't know why people aren't promoting it more. Where is Obama on this?

Please correct me if I wrong here.

Well, no lobby, no corporate interest, no political contributor making money off it.

 

[dali71]

I like what David Blume has to say about Ethanol. Chek out his interview on Youtube. It's long, but very interesting.
Alcohol Can Be a Gas, Part 1
Alcohol Can Be a Gas, Part 2

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Can we call it Soylent Green?

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: JeffreyLebowski
Can we call it Soylent Green?

Hey, use it's proper name, Pond Scum.