(Courtesy Veggie Van Organization)
Back in September, a company in the United States called the Veggie Van Organization unveiled the world’s first algae-fueled vehicle. Although it was a converted hybrid Toyota Prius, the engine itself did not undergo any modifications, which brought hope to many that alternative green fuels could be affordable and realistic options for drivers worldwide looking to reduce their carbon emissions and the costs that come with fuel consumption.
This vehicle may not have used the alternative fuel source to the best of its abilities, since the blend used was 95 percent gasoline and a mere 5 percent algae, but as the vehicle traveled from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., using only 25 gallons of fuel, it demonstrated that with further research and advancement, algae-based fuel could be the wave of the future in clean technology.
The alternative fuel used to power the algae-fueled car created by the Veggie Van Organization was produced by Sapphire Energy, an American company that has vowed to produce 2 million gallons of this alternative fuel source each year in hopes of competing against typical fuel sources at competitive rates of $60 to $80 per barrel. Though back in September it seemed that Sapphire Energy was one of the leading biofuel producers in the world, it now appears that Australia might have left them in the dust, at least according to a media report released Thursday.
In a $3.3 million project that involves Murdoch University and the University of Adelaide, research is being conducted to more effectively produce the algae required for alternative fuel production worldwide. It’s a project that’s been endorsed by the government of Australia with a contribution of $1.89 million through the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate. The project is producing algae in open ponds, something that was once believed to result in contamination. However, overcoming adversity, it has managed to produce algae at a rate of 50 tons per hectare per year, from which about half is used for greener oil production.
What’s happening in Australia is great for the world market, as it's addressing the need for greater availability of the resource as well as affordability of the fuel source. Individuals and industries looking to embrace biofuels will benefit alike, since over the span of this project, Australia has managed to reduce the cost from $12 per kilo, to under $4, and the ultimate goal is to get it below $1. While these costs will still be greater than the rates that Sapphire Energy has promised to produce, the developments in algae production might put them in the lead.
Although no algae-fueled vehicles are currently available to the average consumer, with increased production of biofuels, we might not be a long way off. It’s already been demonstrated by the Veggie Van Organization that the Prius supports the use of algae-based fuel, and General Motors created a prototype Hummer that runs on the highly anticipated biofuel as well.
Algae might not always receive positive media attention, with reports of health risks to people internationally and the role it plays in the eco-system, protecting creatures like locally detested sloths from predators in Costa Rica. But, that aside, if algae-based biofuels are available at costs comparable to gasoline, would you make the switch?
http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/global-green/091106/international-competition-increases-algae-based-biofuel-production