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 resources, sunny environments and on marginal lands,'' Dr Capelle said.

The $5 million project will be used for research into micro-algae as a viable alternative feedstock for biofuels.

Dr Capelle said the high-tech infrastructure would allow existing lab-scale results to be validated at a pilot and demonstration scale.

``This is a major step forward in fully commercialising the much anticipated technology,'' Dr Capelle said.

``The potential of micro-algae as a renewable biofuel source is an exciting alternative to existing sources.

``It produces at least 30-times more oil per hectare than crop-based fuels, it is a non-food fuel resource and it consumes the greenhouse gas CO2 to grow and multiply.''

Dr Capelle said the use of algae to produce fuels was one long-term solution to the world's declining oil reserves.

``To make it commercially viable we need to improve the efficiency of algae production and oil extraction from the algae,'' he said.

``The use of algae has advantages including the fact that CO2 from power plants and breweries can be used to lower their carbon footprint.''

Dr Capelle said the main challenge was to develop a species of algae that produced enough oil.

``South Australia is a good place to grow micro-algae because there is plenty of sunlight and a lot of opportunities where saline water can be used and a plant could be built close to power plants,” he said.

The SARDI Biofuels group project is supported by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy with state and federal funding.

Copyright 2008 The Advertiser*

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Source: Advertiser, The (Adelaide), MAR 25, 2008