Some Day Algae Will Power the World!

There are more than 65000 species of Algae in the world. These are small microscopic organisms that live in oceans, rivers and lakes. Some day Algae will power the world, that is, they will be a great source of renewable and green energy. Why?

Algae use carbon dioxide from the environment and the energy from the sun to live. They produce among other things oils. Algae can have up to 50% of their body weight of oil. This oil can be processed appropriately into biodiesel that could be used used in cars and trucks. In addition, algae are one of the fastest growing plants on earth and they yield more biomass per acre than corn, soybeans, and palm trees. In fact, algae can make 5,000 gallons of oil per acre, according to the Center for Biorefining of the University of Minnesota.

Algae do not have special requirements, only sunlight and CO2. Not even thatthere are algae that can grow in the dark. Algae could be grow in the outdoor (on cheap and very cheap waste land) and or on closed bioreactors.

Algae can produce Hydrogen too!

A study by Melis et al (2001) is showing that H2 can be produceded by using a single-organism essentially from water and sunlight. According to their calculations they believe that 20Kg of pure H2 could be generated per 1000 square meter of area/per day. This make algae another source of green energy.