Algae-based biofuels and his generation

In the greenway to the fuels derived from biological and non-polluting, more needs to be done. However, some Latin American countries years ago and others more recently have embarked on the highway full of research and studies with a single purpose: to put aside reliance on fossil fuels, which harm the planet given the components carbon possess.

This privileged region has many advantages in the production of biodiesel from algae, including soils, climate, available land and low labor costs. However, despite this, only Brazil has been the leading country in the race to create alternative energy has taken steps to explore their potential.

Algae Biofuels

As explained chemical engineer Rocio Sarmiento, National Polytechnic Institute ( IPN ) of Mexico, microalgae, among other qualities, “do not require productive land, have a hundred times higher yield per acre than crops agricultural farms are created in shallow ponds to let in sunlight, but can also be grown in photoreactors (glass or plastic) “.

To lead in research:

Brazil seems to be then the main country that has understood and has launched numerous projects on the website states. At this point, researchers at the Institute of Biology, Federal University of Santa Catarina ( IFSC ) found that algae have the capacity to produce 90,000 liters of oil per hectare per year, while soybean produces only 500 liters per hectare.

Sergio Lourenço, head of research pointed to this website that “while commodities such as soybeans are used in part to generate oil in algae for all its cells are harvested”.

Promoting renewable energy projects

Precise science news site, which raided the growth of algae that grow in fresh water and salty water and extracted in southern Argentina in a natural way, both. Currently methods are being developed not only to extract oil for biodiesel, but also other for the extraction of ethanol by fermentation (ethanol) and anaerobic digestion, get CO2 (enough to feed them algae) and methane (biogas).

Ambitious goal:

Mexico in turn, specifies the Inter Press Service (IPS) and the International Federation of Environmental Journalists (ICFJ), aims to produce by 2014 more than 946 million liters by 2020, about 3,800 million liters of biofuel from algae in a large-scale plant located 300 kilometers away from the U.S., its biggest customer. With an investment of U.S. $ 850 million, this laborious mission will be in the hands of BioFields, who said the resulting ethanol be mixed with gasoline in different proportions, reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by transportation.


Lighting engines:

Chile is the newest in the move to renewable energy. SciDev.Net review with a public-private investment of $ 31.6 million, this country will bet on research and development of algae and assess technologies have, in three or four years with them as renewable biofuels. Lance Ayrault of Biofiels responsible for this project, announced that it expected “to produce 50 million gallons of ethanol a year, equivalent to 5% of gasoline currently employs Chile”.

Small studies:

Costa Rica ahead of his own, albeit experimental, thanks to a group of college students who investigated a more productive marine microalgae of the genus Chlorella, which, in the opinion of young people can get up to 168% more oil used in the manufacture of biofuels, the oil palm. The results of this study reveal that a hectare of palm produce 5,950 liters per year of oil, while a hectare of algae can extract 100,000 liters in the same period.

Given positive numbers presented, it makes sense to think that biofuels from algae appear to be the only ones that can replace fossil fuels. While there are still some aspects to be developed to realize mass production of biodiesel, is to assess the amount of miles that countries, governments, companies and universities have walked towards the green future freeway to be built with renewable energy.