Why algae
In coming decades the world will need huge amounts of energy to support population and economic growth and to improve standards of living. Supplies of conventional energy will struggle to keep up with growth in demand and energy will need to be produced in environmentally and socially responsible ways.
The world will also need to feed this growing population. This will put increasing pressure on the environment, agricultural land, the fish stock and supplies of clean water. Algae hold great promise as a source of low carbon energy for biofuels and as an additional source of animal feed.
Because the entire algae biomass can be used for biofuels and animal feed – as well as food production and pharmaceuticals – the production process can be quickly and efficiently tailored to adjust to changing markets. The business model is also helped by the absence of a strong correlation between the market price of biofuels and protein animal feed.
Advantages of algae:
- Algae grow rapidly, producing fifteen times more vegetable oil per hectare than other feedstock
- Algae are rich in vegetable oil and can be cultivated in seawater, minimizing the use of fertile land and fresh water
- Algae require only sunlight, carbon dioxide (CO2) and nutrients to grow
- Algae convert CO2 into biomass and produce more energy than they require fossil energy
- Algae production can be scaled up and tailored to meet the demands of changing markets
- There is no strong correlation between the market price for biofuels and proteins for animal feed
