Algae into renewable fuel
Algae will be cultivated in large ponds
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A three million dollar project has been launched in Karratha,
Australia to produce renewable fuel from algae. The algae will be
cultivated in large ponds and then harvested to extract oil that can be
used to make a biodiesel.
It will be the first time the techniques have been used on a
commercial scale. It is hoped the biofuel will be powering the aviation
and mining sectors within ten years. Professor Michael Borowitzka is
overseeing the project. “Making biofuels, you’re actually converting
sunlight into chemical energy, in this case oil.” Mr Borowitzka says the
main challenge will be bringing down the price. “The economics still
need quite a bit of improvement to be competitive with fossil fuels,” he
explained.
“We’re currently looking at the three to four dollar mark per litre.
That’s being conservative, but we need to bring that down to about a
dollar.”
ABC News
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