Love Me Love My Algal Oil

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (SARDI ) ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA Biofuels SARDI is developing a research capability in biofuels with an initial focus on biodiesel. The Australian Government has set a target for the production of 350 million litres (ML) of biofuels per annum by 2010, representing 1% of total Australian transport and fuel consumption (currently around 35 000 ML). The biodiesel industry is already a significant force in the United States and Europe and is rapidly emerging as a new industry sector in Australia, with approximately 450 ML of production capacity coming on stream in 2006, up from only 10 ML in 2004. Australian Renewable Fuels (ARF) has commissioned its first biodiesel production plant in South Australia and its second plant in Western Australia will be opened in June 2006. Using waste oil and tallow as feedstock, these plants will enable ARF to supply up to 2% of the diesel market in those States. ARF’s...

ast Update:   Thursday, July 20, 2006 .  7:48pm  (AEST) Micro-algae could provide alternative fuel South Australia 's Research and Development Institute (SARDI) hopes to turn micro-algae into an alternative fuel as part of a million-dollar research program. SARDI says the organisms are an ideal source of biodiesel because they contain lots of oil and can grow year-round. The Federal Government is partly funding the three-year program, which costs nearly $1 million. SARDI spokesman Kevin Williams says the first challenge is to find the best type of algae. "We'll be starting to select micro-algae from the wild, bring them back to the lab, evaluate growth rates and oil production and at the end of 3 years we hope to have some idea of growth and take that up to pilot scale production," he said. Dr Williams says algae could be used to power cars in the future. "Micro-algae have been shown in the past to produce up to 30 times more oil per unit lan...

Algae as biofuel `in five years' Edition: 1 - State Section: Features, pg . 045 Energy A COMMERCIAL alternative to diesel using biofuel made from algae will be developed within five years, the* South Australian Research and Development Institute forecasts. Research is expected to begin at SARDI's new Aquatic Sciences plant at  West   Beach  next year, facility manager Eric Capelle said. Researchers from around  Australia  will apply to use the facility and a committee will select those who may use it, although SARDI is the most likely main user. The* research will be scaled up to a much larger demonstration plant in 2009-10. Dr Capelle said the need for a clean alternative to mineral and fossil fuels was urgent, with Australians consuming more than 14 billion litres of diesel each year. ``The use of micro-algae has been identified because it has high oil-producing capabilities and an ability to thrive in saline or nutrient-loaded water resour...