Looking Ahead: The Commercialization of Algal Biofuel

Today's blog post on Biofuel is the second in a series of post by Alevinia Wang, an intern at Invensys. Alevinia studied biofuels at Washington State University.

Looking Ahead: The Commercialization of Algal Biofuel 

by Alevinia Wang

The ubiquitous single celled aquatic plants known as microalgae thrive in both freshwater and marine ecosystems system and are very efficient at converting sunlight into energy through the photosynthetic process. Their efficient use of sunlight and ability to reproduce rapidly allows them to monopolize the majority of aquatic resources in their local environment. These so called ‘’algal blooms’’ can jeopardize the eco-balance in aquatic systems but it is this rapid increase in biomass that has researchers excited to utilize microalgae in biofuel production. An additional benefit of this innovative energy source is that the algae naturally consume CO2 as part of photosynthesis thus diminishing the negative impact on the environment.

Fig.1 Green Gasoline: Drop in fuel derived from microalgae (photo credit: WATER PHAPSODY)

Compared to other biomass candidates, microalgae require less arable land than terrestrial plants. This lack of competition for arable land and the non-edible nature of microalgae keeps it away from the controversy of sacrificing food supply for energy. In addition, microalgae do not only grow in clean, fresh water, they can also survive in waste and polluted water. Algae have been employed in wastewater treatment on a commercial scale for years. Furthermore, unicellular microalgae are a better candidate for genetic modification by genetic engineering than more complex plants. Scientists are able to produce genetically modified ‘’superior algae’’ that are more productive and thus a more economically viable fuel stock.

There are still some challenges facing the commercial usage biofuel. Compared to traditional fuel production, microalgae-derived fuel is not economically attractive to crude oil giants. Also, the removal of intracellular and intercellular water content requires higher capital costs in contrast to other biomass fuel stocks. The production of biodiesel, the most widely used biofuel, is energy-intensive, particularly the distillation/separation of biodiesel products from unwanted alcohols and sugars. In addition, the amount of co-produced glycerol, is expected to surpass industry needs, further weakening economic feasibility for biofuel production from microalgae.

Despite the challenges, people are still exploring new ways of commercializing agal fuel. A combination of reduced capital costs, higher yield rates, and market controls may soon lead to greater use of microalgae-driven fuel in future.