Fuel from seaweed

The 16 green liquid containers in the laboratory of Professor Roger Ruan of the University of Minnesota, USA, are a testament to the booming trend of renewable energy research. Recapitalized in the context of crude oil prices on the world market sometimes nearly surpassed the threshold of USD 100 / barrel, Ruan and many colleagues around the world are racing to prepare seaweed into a potential energy source. commercialization.

Some algae have an oil content of up to 50%, and this oil can be prepared into biodiesel or jet fuel. The biggest challenge now is to cut production costs, which, according to US Department of Defense estimates, amount to US $ 20 per gallon (3.7 liters). Jennifer Holmgren - director of regenerative fuel research division of Honeywell International Group said that the reasonable cost is less than 2 USD / gallon.

Currently, researchers are contemplating how to grow enough and right varieties of algae as well as the most effective method of extracting oil. For the past two years, research groups have been pumping significant funding from oil and gas corporations, financial companies and governments of many countries.

A decade ago, the US government stopped the project of marine algae research, but since then, the world has witnessed the continuous progress of science and technology as well as the fact that oil prices continue to escalate. And at the end of last October, the US Department of Energy's lab announced a project to work with US-based Chevron, the second largest energy company, to look for algae that could produce better oil.

Last year, a company in New Zealand demonstrated the Range Rover that runs on a biodiesel blend prepared from seaweed. However, experts believe that it takes a few more years to commercialize seaweed fuel.

Professor Roger Ruan of the University of Minnesota (Photo: The New York Times)

The process of converting algae oil into biodiesel is similar to the process of preparing vegetable oil into biodiesel , but higher production costs. If the cost problem is solved, algae will be a preeminent material source because compared to other oil crops, algae has much shorter growth time and does not occupy the land area. Professor Ruan said with 0.4 hectares of corn, he could produce about 76 liters of oil each year, while 0.4 hectares of algae produced nearly 57,000 liters of oil.

Algae farms can be established anywhere and do not require conversion of agricultural land. In addition to seawater, this plant can also eat pollutants from wastewater and power plants. At the University of Minnesota, Roger Ruan and his colleagues are studying large-scale methods of growing algae as well as calculating how to utilize residue after draining all the oil in the algae. Because algae are highly capable of absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2), researchers are aiming to grow algae in wastewater plants in plants that are rich in chemicals that pollute water sources but can use them as fertilizer. apply to algae farms.

VT