Energy futuresAlgae could replace 17% of U.S. oil imports
Environmental and economic security concerns have triggered interest in using algae-derived oils as an alternative to fossil fuels; growing algae, however — or any other biofuel source — can require a lot of water; researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory the far less water is required if the algae is grown in those regions in the United States that have the sunniest and most humid climates: the Gulf Coast, the Southeastern Seaboard, and the Great Lakes; water-wise algae farming could help meet congressionally mandated renewable fuel targets by replacing 17 percent of the U.S. imported oil for transportation
Bio-diesel from algae is a reality // Source: wired.com
High oil prices and environmental and economic security concerns have triggered interest in using algae-derived oils as an alternative to fossil fuels. Growing algae, however — or any other biofuel source — can require a lot of water.
A new study, though, shows that being smart about where we grow algae can drastically reduce how much water is needed for algal biofuel. Growing algae for biofuel, while being water-wise, could also help meet congressionally mandated renewable fuel targets by replacing 17 percent of the U.S. imported oil for transportation, according to a paper published in the journal Water Resources Research.
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) found that water use is much less if algae are grown in the U.S. regions that have the sunniest and most humid climates: the Gulf Coast, the Southeastern Seaboard and the Great Lakes.
“Algae has been a hot topic of biofuel discussions recently, but no one has taken such a detailed look at how much America could make — and how much water and land it would require — until now,” said Mark Wigmosta, lead author and a PNNL hydrologist. “This research provides the groundwork and initial estimates needed to better inform renewable energy decisions.”
Algal biofuel can be made by extracting and refining the oils, called lipids, that algae produce as they grow.
Policy makers and researchers are interested in developing biofuels because they can create fewer overall greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels. Biofuels can also be made in the United States. In 2009, slightly more than half of the petroleum consumed by the United States was from foreign oil.
Wigmosta and his co-authors provide the first in-depth assessment of America’s algal biofuel potential given available land and water. The study also estimated how much water would need to be replaced due to evaporation over thirty years. The team analyzed previously published data to determine how much algae can be grown in open, outdoor ponds of fresh water while using current technologies. Algae can also be grown in salt water and covered ponds. The authors, though, focused on open, freshwater ponds as a benchmark for this study. Much of today’s commercial algae production is done in open ponds.
Crunching the numbers
