It turns out that researching algae as a fuel source was a lively pursuit between 1978 and 1996, but waned when the price of crude oil fell from $50 to $20 a barrel. Today, the quest for fossil fuel alternatives is more critical than ever. There are serious investments being made and aggressive R&D underway by private companies and some publicly-funded researchers to harvest and test algae as a viable biofuel source. Working on ways to reduce the cost of manufacturing this algae oil, which is currently expensive to produce, is key to transitioning away from being fossil fuel dependent. The cost of production has to come down so the savings can be passed on to the consumer to compete with the price of crude oil and the gas at the pump.
The Scientist - Bob Grant reports, "The latest crop of biofuel pioneers are looking past corn and french fry grease to microscopic organisms which they hope to coax into producing fuels to power planes, trains, and automobiles. At first, biofuel experts focused their attention on ethanol from the sugars in corn kernels; next, heads turned to second generation biofuels, such as ethanol from the cellulose in non-food plant parts. Now the next, or third, generation is here." Read more.
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Algae ponds may very well be the oil field of the future, as Grant suggests. If you don't want to wait until commercial production is in full swing and the price fits your budget, you can start by making your own biodiesel at home:
Anna Clark says:
This is great, Cris! It's hard to keep up with so much technological advancement. Love this quick lesson!