One could argue both ways, but viewing the long development times (remember this is not the first peak, there was one in the eighties)it totally makes sense to focus on shorter term economic results to use algae as feedstock for specialty applications in food, feed and biobased materials. Economically the endproducts get hifhter prices and the products are made uunder controlled conditions which leads to better control of the procustion costs

At times like this i sit down thinking,- "why are you doing this!?" Why do I write articels that no one seems to read, - and if, wy is no one willing to learn from whats being said or written. Most of the participants here seem to just copy all the news about algae that they can get hold of and than present this proudly to a exitet audience. Several times I have tried to point out that there is nothing realy new going on. Still all of the new upsprings are turning a big wheel claiming unbelievable developments - and are in reality far, far from any comercial production. My very first articel here in the Oilgae Club - if you please would spend some time and read it,it bears the title "Is it a hype?! and subtitle: "The algae industry is starting from the top".
Good reasons to think this whole thing over before starting something unpredictable.
But coming to the point, - you should try to discuss things to the end, meaning you should come to some conclusion instead of jumping on to the next item. Dont they teach that anymore at the universities? And dont give me now that argument that things are all in a change and no one will be able to predict in what direction science will bring us. off course thats the case, but you still got to have a clear strategy to go after and a clear and defined goal. If you than still have your plan B - than you are realy good at it!
AA

Market demand will determine the future of the algae industry. A mideast war could push the price of oil to over $10.00 per gallon over night. Algae for food, algae for fuel, that is the solution. The best result is both. Fuel the world with lipids, feed the word with the by-products.

It seems so. In this way, teams could be flexible and fail fast as they say, purchasing (and reworking) equipment, recruiting (and firing) talent and building infrastructure according to what actually works in an ever changing world - without so much of the spectre of financiers / shareholders, and without committing up front to something that hasn't been tested in reality.

I am agree with the idea to initially focus on high-end non-fuel products from algae to begin with, and gradually shift to fuel production although the amount of diesel obtained in same time would be much less than one we hope to get. The scale between the diesel industry and the nutrient industry is too different. However, I still think that it is first step to extact oil from the by-product of high-end products currently produced.

Algae oil content C20 hence 1 lit volume can give 1.5 or 2 lits of hydro carbon products if we break it by hydro cracking by catalyst?

Governments should invest in algae as a public good, for example to clean dead zones at river mouths. The produced algae can be collected in plastic bags and used initially for fish food and fertilizer.

Here's a link for you to think - http://www.bnet.com/blog/clean-energy/why-algae-fuel-firms-are-now-targeting-the-us-navy-drugs-and-food/2514

Ya, non-fuel products with high market value and social need like spirulina can generate a good revenue to sustain and progress till algal oils come to market...

Hello all,

I am working on identifying research needs in biodiesel to start my work. I was thinking of doing it in production of high value co products from algae along with biodiesel. I dont want to restrict myself to just algae biodiesel.. I want to suggest algae based high value product production for biodiesel manufactures.. be it palm, soy, coconut..and so on. This would be done by using glycerin, the byproduct in biodiesel production, as a carbon source for growing algae heterotropically. I want your suggestions and inputs to finalize my research topics. Thanks in advance..

Larsyn, you hit the snake right on the head or heads. I agree with you that anybody who accepts public funds, even as a loan, should make their research public.

When algae production is fully scaleable then the speciality market will be totally over run by excess supply as thousands of tons of dry algae per day come onto the market. The only place to go will be to biofuels.

This is a two headedsnake. Those companies with the capibilities to secure finacing could continue fuel research. Those with lessor ability to secure financing could use the proceededs from other research into other uses for Algae could continue fuel research with proceeds. Colleges can continue the fuel research with gov. help. But they need to release there findings to the public. We paid for it.