Study Says Algae Biofuel Has Dirty Life Cycle 10
Algae has seemed like a great biofuel candidate because it's extremely efficient at creating energy from sunlight and it could potentially form closed loops for power plants - absorbing exhaust while creating new fuel - but a recent study has knocked algae off its pedestal.University of Virginia researchers have found that the life cycle of algal biofuel produces high levels of greenhouse gas emissions -- much more than it sequesters.
The culprit is the large amount of fertilizer used to produce the algae. The fertilizers come from petroleum-bases sources and emit nitrous oxide. The researchers propose using fertilizer from sewage plants as a way around the problem.
It looks like we are still far away from an ideal biofuel, if there is one.
Fri May 28 2010 06:40:14 AM by Karthi
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Very relevant article Karthi ! Can u tell me how much nutrients are required for a kg of algae ?
YOu can decide the species and revert.
Interesting.Good sewage plants addresses this problem.
Algae provides a service before biofuel. Algae grown in sewage can it be used for pharmicuticles,nutricuticles?
Yes. We seem pretty far away from an ideal oil or for that matter an ideal alternative renewable energy.