Biofuels From Algae

Filed in archive Biofuel on September 5, 2006

So Spain isn't the only country interested in those green creatures you find in your swimming pool. Apparently, so is Israel. Israel-based alga Technologies is looking for an alternative to the alternative, deriving biofuels from Algae.

The difference from their Spanish counterparts? Amir Drory of Alga Technologies says that their approach involves both Biodiesel and Bioethanol (for comparison, see that entry on biodiesel from Algae here). To make biodiesel, photosynthesis is involved. Algae is exposed to sunlight and carbon dioxide to produce sugars, fats, and proteins. The result would be components of biodiesel. To produce ethanol, a fermentation process would instead take place. But regardless of the product, the most important factor is the algae, and AlgaTech's mission is to simply find the best microalgae for the job. They still have three years to go at it. I hope they succeed.