Algae: 'The ultimate in renewable energy'

Harry said: "[CENTER][B]IMPRESSIVE!!! Algae fuelk: 100,000 gal per acre per year. Corn Bussels of fuel: 20-30 gal per acre acre per year [/B][/CENTER] [url]http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/04/01/algae.oil/index.html#cnnSTCVideo[/url] [url]http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/04/01/algae.oil/index.html[/url] [url]http://www.oilgae.com/[/url]"

lil dickie said: "Have you been studing up on renewable energy? I have been too. I will check these links out."

Harry said: "[QUOTE=lil dickie;67243]Have you been studing up on renewable energy? I have been too. I will check these links out.[/QUOTE] New biodeisel technology should sprout like weeds with $110 oil. Methane gas from garbage is another alternative. I still like batteries. Imagine a hybrid of batteries matched with biodielsel. Hydrogen too. Ethanol can't make it work based upon it's corrosive properties, it's expense to produce, and the vast amount of foliage that has to be consumed to produce it makes it non-viable. Ethanol is the product of politics right now...as usual, politics is behind the technology curve."

lil dickie said: "The more I read about biofuels the less I think they can be good. But I do love a lot of these initiatives. I like the eco friendly versions of plastic stuff as a decent investment. plastic lasts 1000 years!"

Harry said: "[QUOTE=lil dickie;67248]The more I read about biofuels the less I think they can be good. But I do love a lot of these initiatives. I like the eco friendly versions of plastic stuff as a decent investment. plastic lasts 1000 years![/QUOTE] Right now our trucking industry is getting murdered by the cost of diesel fuel. Cheaper alternative are SIMPLE. Don't forget, these trucking cost ultimate formulate into high cumsumer prices at some point."

lil dickie said: "Yeah I know. Diesel at 4.25 a gallon will kill these guys for sure. But if you have to grow crops to make fuel its not that efficent. NOW wastes on the other hand would be great"

Harry said: "[QUOTE=lil dickie;67252]Yeah I know. Diesel at 4.25 a gallon will kill these guys for sure. But if you have to grow crops to make fuel its not that efficent. NOW wastes on the other hand would be great[/QUOTE] And the Algae is a big suprise. I wish I could find a ground floor investment on it."

ratAphooey said: "i do like the idea of the algae quite a bit. But ramping it up commerically will be the issue I think."

Heather said: "It would be great if there were a "simple" solution to the massive problems of supplying fuel. I was just reading that one company has developed a car that runs on air. Sure it's small - but what a cool uncomplicated energy source. I'll be sure to have a look at those links, Harry.."

ratAphooey said: "I think these renewable energy sources are great. But I aint strong enough on the science to understand much of it."

mattbatson said: "popular science had a recent article about solar power in the deserts of the SW. supposedly it is possible, right this instance, to put up enough panels to power something like 95% of the U.S. electrical needs. Of course, this would be expensive."

StockMan69 said: "We seem to be at a crossroads as a people. Energy costs us too much money and is destroying the planet. The decisions made in the next few years will determine the course of the planet."

Financial Panther said: "I must say this is very interesting. I have a large salt water tank and agree algea IS THE ULTIMATE RENEWABLE resource. Its a constant struggle to keep it under wraps. Thanks for the post Harry."

pranith said: "I think this is one of the form of the renewable form of energy. I think it evenconsider as an alternate form of energy. By using this we can over come the current problem."

Harry said: "I found this article today on the drudge report. It's interesting. Our government is a bit too PRO ethanole IMHO. You know there's big money lobbiests leading us down the wrong path. [B]Fuel Choices, Food Crises and Finger-Pointing [/B][url]http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/business/worldbusiness/15food.html?ei=5065&en=9e715f242c497f48&ex=1208923200&partner=MYWAY&pagewanted=print[/url]"

mattbatson said: "Ethanol is doable. We do not have to use corn. The technology is there to utilize bacteria which break down and ferment any cellulose materials. Whether it be swithgrass or the leftovers husks from corn or other veggies...we harness the bacteria to make ethanol. The big question with algae is...can it be done on a large enough scale."

AlfredSokol said: "Ethanol is a decent idea but something it does seem it will drive up a lot of prices for a less than efficient fuel alternative. However, it would still seem pretty good for a fuel blend."

mattbatson said: "if we stop using corn, and begin using the new technology...which can make it out of any cellulose plant material. Basically, waste stuff we throw away. Or switchgrass...or anything really. Keep corn for food and use stuff we never had a use for before for ethanol. Of course, ethanol is not the answer to all our energy needs...but combined with biodiesel and our solar potential in the SW, etc... We can put a real dent in our oil use for running cars and our appliances in our homes."

AlfredSokol said: "I agree. I love the idea of making something useful out of waste products. That just seems like common sense way to do business for companies and the rest of us."

Harry said: "[QUOTE=mattbatson;67423] The big question with algae is...can it be done on a large enough scale.[/QUOTE] The process appears simple and consumers less farm product. And algae is everywhere in every climate. Search the link on the link I initially posted. There a lot of interested bit of information throughout. [url]http://www.oilgae.com/[/url] Mutant Algae is Hydrogen Factory – Feb 2006, Wired - Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have engineered a strain of pond scum that could, with further refinements, produce vast amounts of hydrogen through photosynthesis. The work, led by plant physiologist Tasios Melis, is so far unpublished. But if it proves correct, it would mean a major breakthrough in using algae as an industrial factory, not only for hydrogen, but for a wide range of products, from biodiesel to cosmetics. [B]Algae CO2 growth trials to be carried out at coal-burning plant[/B]GreenFuel Technologies Corp. and Arizona Public Service Co. announced that emission-fed algae from a natural gas plant showed biomass growth rates 37 times higher than corn and 140 times higher than soybeans. GreenFuel's algae farms reduce Carbon Dioxide emissions from industrial facilities while producing high yield biofuel and feed. [B]International Energy Launches ‘Algae to Oil’ Initiatives [/B]Press Release Unlike Food Crops or Cellulosic Materials, Algae Produce Oil Naturally and Can Be Processed to Make Biofuel, the Renewable Equivalent of Petroleum, and Refined to Make Gasoline, Diesel and Jet Fuel [B]Better Than Corn? Algae Set to Beat Out Other Biofuel Feedstocks[/B] Forget corn, sugar cane, and even switchgrass. Some experts believe that algae is set to eclipse all other biofuel feedstocks as the cheapest, easiest, and most environmentally friendly way to produce liquid fuel, reports Kiplinger’s Biofuels Market Alert. “It is easy to get excited about algae,” says Worldwatch Institute biofuels expert Raya Widenoja. “It looks like such a promising fuel source, especially if it’s combined with advances in biodiesel processing." [B]Greenbox: Bio-Fuel From Car Fumes[/B] 28 Aug 2007 Greenbox is the name given to a new technology being touted as the next innovation that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The technology has been developed through the research of Derek Palmer, an organic chemist; and engineers, Ian Houston and John Jones from Wales in UK. The greenbox can be fit under a car to replace the exhaust system. It would then capture the greenhouse gases like CO2 and NO2, and release water vapor into the atmosphere. The trapped gases will be kept in a secure state inside the box, and the box will be transferred to a bioreactor, where the gases will be extracted and fed to genetically modified algae for biodiesel. [B]The challenge of algae fuel: An expert speaks[/B] Making fuel out of algae is one of those ideas that everyone loves. An acre of algae can produce 50 times more oil than an acre of soy, estimates John Sheehan, now vice president of strategy and sustainable development at LiveFuels. "It can produce a lot of oil," he said in an interview on Wednesday. Sheehan's not new to the field. He oversaw biomass, ethanol and algae programs at National Renewable Energy Labs. An NREL paper on algae--along with research from some of the national labs--forms the basis of a lot of the thinking around algae. [B]Algae to Biofuels Startup lands funding from Imperium[/B] Aug 2007 A Tacoma startup by the name of [B]Inventure Chemical [/B]has raised about $1.5 million to continue development on a chemical process that turns algae into biodiesel and ethanol. One of the biggest backers of the company is [B]Imperium Renewables[/B], the Seattle biodiesel producer that just opened a massive biodiesel plant in Grays Harbor County last week. [B]Large-scale Biodiesel Production from Algae[/B]Theoretically, biodiesel produced from algea appears to be the only feasible solution today for replacing petro-diesel completely. No other feedstock has the oil yield high enough for it to be in a position to produce such large volumes of oil. To elaborate, it has been calculated that in order for a crop such as soybean or palm to yield enough oil capable of replacing petro-diesel completely, a very large percentage of the current land available needs to be utilized only for biodiesel crop production, which is quite infeasible. For some small countries, in fact it implies that all land available in the country be dedicated to biodiesel crop production. However, if the feedstock were to be algae, owing to its very high yield of oil per acre of cultivation, it has been found that about 10 million acres of land would need to be used for biodiesel cultivation in the US in order to produce biodiesel to replace all the petrodiesel used currently in that country. This is just 1% of the total land used today for farming and grazing together in the US (about 1 billion acres). Clearly, algae are a superior alternative as a feedstock for large-scale biodiesel production. Oh heck, enough with the quotes...READ THE STUFF! :wave: [url]http://www.oilgae.com/blog/dir/dir.html[/url] [B]Popular Mechanics[/B] Great article! [url]http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4213775.html[/url]"

Harry said: "If your as passionate about this topic as I am email it to friends, your representivites in the Congress and Senate, the White House and to the campaigns of Hillary, Barack, and McCain. :th_dblthumb2:"

Harry said: "Here's an index of GREEN/Clean technology. I haven't found an "algae" play YET. [url]http://finance.yahoo.com/q/cp?s=%5ECTIUS[/url]"

Harry said: "Solazyme in algae fuel deal with Chevron [url]http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.aspx?Feed=AP&Date=20080122&ID=8071200&Symbol=US:CVX[/url] I found a VERY interesting stock...it's sub-penny...not for this forum but it falls in line with this thread. I bought a pile with some funny money. It's soooooo tempting I couldn't resist. Maybe this'll be my retirement fund. :whacky011: [url]http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=PSUD.PK[/url]"

Harry said: "[url]http://bstocksdev.weblogsinc.com/2006/12/26/aquaflow-new-zealand-b5-biodiesel-blend-hits-the-road/[/url] [I]Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation has successfully test driven a vehicle fueled with a biodiesel blend called B5. The new fuel technology exploits biodiesel, which is readily created from harvested algae grown in nutrient rich sewage settling ponds. The best part is that the algae used is created in huge volumes by a process that is already in wide spread use.[/I] [url]http://www.greenprogress.com/alternative_energy_article.php?id=412[/url]"

robkim55 said: "I have read a little bit about algae as fuel but I do not have the technical ability to evaluate what impact algae farms will have on the price of oil."

AlfredSokol said: "[QUOTE=robkim55;67465]I have read a little bit about algae as fuel but I do not have the technical ability to evaluate what impact algae farms will have on the price of oil.[/QUOTE] Nor do I. Nor would I imagine does almost anyone. Except maybe Harry. :th_dblthumb2:"

Heather said: "It would be very interesting to see something like this take off. It's one of those "if it wins" you could get very lucky. Everyone is looking for an alternative energy solution these days.."

mattbatson said: "Very cool posts Harry... I did not know algae had such a high yield per acre. This is really big stuff. All of those big rigs running across america every day getting 8 mpg...What this would do for insulating us from stuff like a 1% drop in Russia oil production:sad010: I just do not understand that if the technology and know how is there, why we are not aggressively pursuing this stuff. THE ANSWER IS HERE! I guess gas is going to have to get up to 5 or 6 dollars before we take action:th_coolio: I have copied your post and will be posting it on all of the forums I'm active on. I agree that if the word is spread and people are educated, we will see some action."

Harry said: "[QUOTE=mattbatson;67516]I just do not understand that if the technology and know how is there, why we are not aggressively pursuing this stuff. THE ANSWER IS HERE! [/QUOTE] I can only assume that lobbiets for oil and agriculture are leading our representatives around by the wallets. Algae certainly does look like the magic bullet. I only fear we'll have to fail with flex cars and corn-ethanole before people get despirate. Remember, in order to turn our nation to 100% flex cars we'd have to IMPORT corn. Food would inflate to historic higher highs and people in the world would starve. My message to the government: KISS = Keep It Simple Stupid!"

lil dickie said: "Of course it is lobbies and political interest groups who kill new tech. If you want to know who opposes new tech figure out who stands to lose money on being replaced!"

Harry said: "VCTPF [url]http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=VCTPF.OB[/url] This if the company that's presented in the CNN video presented on this thread."

Harry said: "Contact your friends, contact your government representatives... ...save our corn for food... ...wean off or foreign oil with ALGAE! [url]http://www.webslingerz.com/jhoffman/congress-email.html[/url] Clinton, Obama and McCain all have email contacts on th above link."

Harry said: "[B]The math on turning algae into fuel[/B] [url]http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9717949-7.html[/url] [B]The challenge of algae fuel: An expert speaks[/B] [url]http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9765452-7.html[/url] [B]Fuel from Algae A startup's new process could make fuel from algae as cheap as petroleum. [/B] [url]http://www.technologyreview.com/Biztech/20319/[/url] [B]Algae Emerges as a Potential Fuel Source[/B] [I]Roger Ruan of the University of Minnesota says algae is a far more efficient fuel crop than corn. [/I] [url]http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/us/02algae.html?ref=environment[/url] [B]Algae Farm to Produce 4.4 Million Gallons of Experimental Jet Fuel[/B] [url]http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/04/algae-farm-to-p.html[/url] [B]Algae-based fuel meets military standards[/B] [url]http://www.upi.com/International_Security/Industry/Briefing/2008/04/18/algae-based_fuel_meets_military_standards/9117/[/url] [B]Algae could generate hydrogen for fuel cells[/B] [url]http://www.physorg.com/news114172068.html[/url]"

burnham said: "I haven't read this whole thread so forgive me if I repeat. There is a guy growing algae on a commercial basis in some desert. Perfect spot as far as use of land is concerned. Like Harry I would be intersted in a ground floor investment. I seems strange that with all the technology over the years somebody has come up with a cheaper and more sustainable method of propulsion. Is it just our thirst for speed that makes us so reliant on oil?"

Harry said: "[B]We can end the petroleum stranglehold right here in Arizona [/B] [url]http://www.azbiz.com/articles/2008/05/24/opinion/columnists/lionel_waxman/doc4834c99b911a0531056693.txt[/url] [B]Algae: The Key To Energy Independence?[/B] [url]http://wcco.com/consumer/algae.energy.independence.2.731292.html[/url] [B]Airbus, Honeywell team on biofuel for airplanes [/B] [url]http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D90M84EO1.htm[/url]"

CburgTrader said: "Hello Harry and Forum, I would be very interested in what you see as the best play on this technology. GSPI? VCTPF? PSUD? All of the above? Thank you! Mike:roll"

Harry said: "[QUOTE=CburgTrader;69266]Hello Harry and Forum, I would be very interested in what you see as the best play on this technology. GSPI? VCTPF? PSUD? All of the above? Thank you! Mike:roll[/QUOTE] Those are highly speculative. I only own them because I believe in the technology plus they're CHEAP! My gut tells me that Honeywell and Dupont will weight in big on future biodiesel...we'll see."