The National Algae Association announces its Algae Commercialization Business Plan, Research, and Networking Forum. Algae oil production companies, algae researchers and algaeprenuers will present leading-edge technologies for commercialization of the "new oil" on July 17th in The Woodlands, Texas. The NAA brings companies and researchers together to share ideas and exchange information to overcome technological hurdles and commercialize this fast growing renewable oil industry.
Current high oil prices, the collapse of food-for-fuel initiatives and concerns about increased levels of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere have all created awareness of the need for alternative fuel solutions. Algae has emerged as one of the lowest cost feedstocks for the biofuels and cellulosic industries. Algae is considered to be a promising source of renewable oil which can be processed and refined into a variety of transportation fuels.
Recent breakthroughs in pond development and closed end loop systems put algae oil production companies on the leading-edge of the renewable oil industry.
Some challenges:
a) Identifying the best suitable algae strains with the largest extraction rates.
b) Standardizing photobioreactor (PBR) technologies
c) Developing new CO2 injection methods
d) Monitoring nutrient levels for efficient algae growth rates
e) Finding cost effective oil extraction methodologies
Algae can be refined to make biofuel, jet fuel, bio-gasoline and cellulosic materials such as pharmacueticals, cosmetics, plastics and green packaging.
See How Others Groups are Using Algae to produce Biofuels in this
collection of videos that show how to turn algae into oil, hydrogen, ethanol and other useful fuels.