Greener Dawn Research Commences Algae Based Biofuel

Greener Dawn Research believes that the planet is at the verge of moving toward a more energy-efficient global economy with much lower levels of polluting emissions. The group recently released their report on algae-based biofuels.

The research looks at the opportunities and challenges that this emerging industry faces. It tackled whether or not algae-based biofuels could compete as substitutes for conventional fossil fuels. It profiled eight companies: Aurora, Algenol, Livefuels, PetroAlgae, Seambiotic, Sapphire, Solazyme and Solix.

The problem with crop-based biofuels is that a large area is required to grow the crops. This can use valuable farmland which could be utilized for food production. Algae are aquatic organisms that grow faster than most plants. And, best of all, they grow on unfertile land, thus potentially solving the food-versus-fuel debate.

Algaculture, or the farming of algae, would not affect the fresh water resources of a given locale. It can be produced by using wastewater, or sea water.

Algae could become a very valuable item in the future. At present, it costs more than most crops, yet it generates more energy per acre than other biofuel crops.

According to the research, algae biofuel would require a land area equal to the size of Wisconsin, in order to fully substitute petroleum. Compare this to the amount of land which would be needed to grow enough corn to supply ethanol-based fuels to replace petroleum. Based on the same research, this requires an entire third of the United States! And soy would require much bigger land area.

Another thing that makes algae the likely fuel substitute is that it consumes 2.2 times its weight in carbon dioxide. That makes it a feasible agent for reducing the quantity of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Algae can generate 15 to 300 times more oil per acre than the average crop, such as soybeans, rapeseed, jatropha, and palms. Algae also has a harvesting cycle of one to ten days. That means more harvests, in a very short time span.

The current administration has expressed that it is open to methods which can help solve the global climate change crisis, such as cap-and-trade, and carbon taxes. In December of 2009, a World Climate Summit will take place in Copenhagen. Various green industries are adamant that they are the best solution for the problem at hand. Algae-based biofuels might be a newcomer in the field, but it looks like they might prove to be one of the viable solutions.