In just a few years, cars will run on seaweed

The erratic change of oil prices as well as the pressure of reducing global emissions and climate change, scientists are trying to create fuel from algae.

American scientists are racing to research algae as fuel.Photo: EPA .

Rong is a fast-growing, high-growth plant that is now considered a renewable energy source with potential and potential.

Experts say it is very appealing about the ability to 'eat and drink' carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas and 'live happily' in places where it is difficult to grow other plants.

Rong likes swampy mosquitoes, dirty ponds and waste water lakes. And there is no tree that can produce fast, cheap fuel like algae to cause a race between research facilities and American business companies.

The labs of the University and dynamic companies have entered. Last summer, a large ExxonMobil Group was "brave" to spend $ 600 million in collaboration with California biotechnology company to study algae.

If the study is successful, scientists have found a cost-effective method to transfer lipids, rather than fatty acids derived from algae into fuel to pump into cars, motorcycles and anti-aircraft. force.

George Philippidis, director of applied research at Florida International University (FIU), said: "I think that is very realistic, without spending 20 years."

One of the exciting elements is that algae consume a lot of carbon dioxide - a byproduct of fuel combustion. Philippidis said: "We can link it to polluting industries to address further goals, reducing the amount of CO2 that causes climate change."

Sapphire Energy in Florida experimented with a gasoline-powered, cross-country journey of algae. The journey was very appealing to everyone, echoing the slogan 'From the coast (East) to the coast (West) with algae'. Another company considered fattening fish with algae to get fish fat as fuel.

"The thing about algae is that it is not a money printer," said molecular geneticist and director of the Midwest non-profit research institute (MRI), "It grows everywhere. You don't have to do it." What's more, Mother Nature has taken care of '.

MRI began to study algae three years ago. Swiger warned that algae are not ready to go into large production. Even for large production, the price of algae gas is still $ 100 a gallon. Must find a way to lower the price.

The key to lowering costs is to increase output. To do that, scientists have to find an inexpensive way to dry algae and extract lipids, which is a reservoir of algae's energy.

Swiger notes that it costs about $ 5 to run an algae-drying centrifuge to produce only $ 2 of fuel. If studies happen smoothly, it will take five years, he says, to lower production costs to $ 40 a gallon.

But there is still a barrier in the energy market - ethanol is taking up 4% and can shift the energy balance. Swinger said: 'Four percent is not big, but everywhere people still see it at every gas station. So 4% is a big number. '

Experts have not considered gasoline from algae to completely replace fossil fuels. Some are cautious about being a little inflated. They say the idea of ​​using algae has been around for decades, but it hasn't brought in any profit dollars. Some people still believe that algae should also grow but only in the animal feed, chemical and fertilizer industries.

Returning to FIU, Philippidis agrees that no 'golden key' could reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. But he also sees prospects on the horizon, especially when large companies participate in algae research. 'We are still in the first phase, but we will expand production. The price will fall quickly, very quickly, ' he said.