Vancouver, Canada (GLOBE-Net) - Algae, one of the most abundant and easily cultured organisms on the planet, has a versatile range of uses in the environmental sector.  From treating wastewater to providing bio-fuels, this simple organism may be the answer to several environmental problems.

Algae are a large and diverse group of simple photosynthetic organisms with approximately 65,000 different species around the world, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms.  Algae are characterized by its lack of leaves, roots, and other organs that characterize higher plants.

Typically algae have been viewed as an environmental consequence of agriculture and waste management.  Algal blooms occur in bodies of water containing high amounts of nitrates and phosphates from human waste or fertilizer run-off.

These blooms can be lethal to a body of freshwater, raising the temperature and rapidly depleting the dissolved oxygen, which is vital to the survival of other aquatic species.

However the very same simple and rapid growth pattern of algae has made it a likely candidate to help solve many environmental problems.

Bio-fuel Production

Algae has been identified by scientists as a potentially far more efficient source of biodiesel than land crops. Approximately 50% of the mass of algae is oil which can be used to make biodiesel, bioethanol and biobutanol and by some estimates can produce vastly superior amounts of vegetable oil, compared to crops traditionally grown for the same purpose.

The simplicity of algae is what makes it compelling.  The single-celled organisms only need sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to grow and can double in biomass in a single day.  Using traditional methods, one acre of algae can produce 5,000 gallons (19,000 liters) of biodiesel each year. By comparison, an average acre of corn produces 420 gallons (1,600 liters) of ethanol per year, and an acre of soybeans yields just 70 gallons (265 liters) of biodiesel per year.

Douglas Henston, CEO of Solix Biofuels, a company that grows algae for biofuels, has estimated that replacing all current U.S. diesel fuel use with algae biodiesel would require using only about 0.5% of the farmland in production today. Algae can also grow on marginal lands, such as in desert areas where the groundwater is saline.

The promising potential of algae has oil companies such as Galp and Royal Dutch Shell announcing the development of algae bio-fuel production plants.

"The project will attract the participation of internationally renowned scientists and may lead to the establishment of a cluster for the production of sustainable bio-fuel on internationally competitive terms," Galp said in a statement in reference to a future plant in Sines, Portugal.

Creating an optimal environment for algae can be difficult-and costly. Open ponds are often host to a wide range of other species, including invasives, and balancing temperature needs, light levels, fluid circulation, and other factors can raise costs and complicate the process.

Together Valcent Products, with offices in Texas and Vancouver, B.C. and Global Green Energy Solutions have developed a more efficient alternative to growing algae in large ponds, alleviating the associated risks and costs.

Working in partnership the companies are revolutionizing the Algae bio-fuel industry using the Vertigo^TM production process which grows algae by vertically suspending it in plastic bags.

This pilot project is intended to demonstrate commercial scale production and substantiate projected vegetable oil yields of 180,000 gallons per acre per year with production costs as low as $25 per barrel.

"By going vertical, you can get a lot more surface area to expose cells to the sunlight. It keeps the algae hanging in the sunlight just long enough to pick up the solar energy they need to produce, to go through photosynthesis," Glen Kertz, president and CEO of Valcent Products told CNN.  The system produces approximately 100,000 gallons of algae oil per acre per year according to Kertz.

Vertical growth also makes more efficient use of land area required to grow algae and algae does not interfere with food supplies, a both growing concerns with traditional bio-fuel crops. 

Beneficial Spin-offs

Algae is has a penchant for removing pollutants from both air and water.  Currently it is used in waste water treatment facilities to remove nitrates, phosphates and other contaminants from water.

Algae bio-fuel producers can take advantage of this function by growing algae around agricultural land.  Agricultural run-off containing high amounts of fertilizer can be absorbed by the algae, keeping it out of natural bodies of water while increasing algae yield.

Algae are also a carbon dioxide sponges and can be used to sequester carbon for growth.  For example the Valcent plant in Texas acquires carbon offsets by directly absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide produced from its own operations and nearby facilities.

A Massachusetts company, GreenFuel Technologies, is building similar facilities in Arizona, Louisiana, and Germany, and hopes to capture as much as 80 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted from the plants during daylight hours.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory are also beginning to investigate the potential for algae to produce hydrogen gas for fuel cell technology.

"We believe there is a fundamental advantage in looking at the production of hydrogen by photosynthesis as a renewable fuel," senior chemist David Tiede said.

The Future Bio-Fuel

Using algae to produce bio-fuels addresses major problems associated with traditional bio-fuel crops, particularly the use agricultural land and food sources as to produce energy.  Many are now questioning traditional bio-fuels as a truly sustainable energy source.

According to Kiplinger’s Biofuels Market Alert, released in July 2007, algae is poised to replace all other biofuel feedstocks as the cheapest, easiest, and most environmentally friendly way to produce liquid fuel.

"It is easy to get excited about algae," said Worldwatch Institute biofuels expert Raya Widenoja. "It looks like such a promising fuel source.