Microalgae - Future biofuel

French scientists at Villefrance-sur-Mer Oceanic Laboratory have been studying since December 2006 a strange product that creates energy. With the ability to spin an engine, it is made up of microorganisms that live in fresh water or seawater, that is: microalgae.

Produced from photosynthesis, microalgae can contain up to 60% of lipid mass. With 100gr of oil extracted from 1 liter of microalgae, the yield of this type of cell is 30 times higher than the yield of the species for oil like oilseed rape or sunflower.

Therefore microalgae can become a cheap, non-polluting, energy-saving biofuel that does not occupy arable land.

The National Biotechnology Research Program (PNRB) has decided to sponsor for 3 years for this project named Shamash worth 2.8 million euros. The task of researchers from seven French universities is to find the micro-algae that are capable of producing biofuels at the highest rate and most profitable.

Researchers have created a non-polluting production process. Feeding algae in tanks allows recovery and re-use of minerals harmful to the environment. They hope that from now until 2010, the first liters of gasoline made from microalgae will make cars roll.

Power