Argentinian Algae Company to Fuel Jets Soon
An Argentinian algae company, Biocombustibles del Chebut (BC) claims that its product will soon be available to the aviation industry. According to the Company’s President Marcelo Machin, they have developed a simple and scalable proprietary harvesting system. The company’s “Brazil” blend of algae-derived biofuel will soon undergo certification testing for aviation use in the USA.
Machin also claims that their product will be available in the market in less than 2 years and they will be able to sell algae-derived jet fuel for $1,125/t. By comparison, the International Air Transport Association’s jet fuel monitor shows that, as of 1 April, the cost of 1t of kerosene was $1,075.
BC transforms biomass into a jelly in a pre-harvesting device. Oil will then be extracted through high-tech cryo-critical fluids which they developed last year. The company uses solar panels, wind and biomass byproducts to generate the energy needed to grow the microalgae.
BC has teamed with EADS and Eurocopter to study the possibility of constructing a biofuel production plant in Brazil. According to Machin, the feasibility of helicopter flight tests powered by biofuel is currently under assessment and that he hopes to have positive results by mid-to end 2011. They will be able to implement the pilot plant in Brazil in 2012.
More on the news: http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2011/04/19/355628/argentinean-algae-company-confident-its-jet-fuel-will-be-ready.html
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