From: mk_thisisit
Algae are considered a highly effective and environmentally beneficial source for various forms of energy production and other applications [00:23:15, 00:23:20]. The West Pomeranian University of Technology is home to a laboratory focused on the entire cycle of microalgae biomass production for energy purposes [00:01:46, 00:01:52, 00:02:01, 00:02:04].
Fuel Production
The process involves using photobioreactors filled with algae to create a source of energy [00:01:01, 00:01:05]. The professor notes that there is no fuel from biomass that cannot be produced from algae [00:00:17, 00:11:29, 00:11:33]. Different types of biofuels can be prepared:
- Biodiesel [00:00:06, 00:01:07, 00:02:27, 00:11:51, 00:16:59, 00:17:02]
- Bioethanol (a substitute for petrol/gasoline) [00:00:09, 00:02:30, 00:12:00, 00:14:50]
- Biogas [00:00:13, 00:02:35, 00:02:43, 00:11:41, 00:14:48]
- Hydrogen [00:12:04]
- Biolase (via pyrolysis) [00:12:08]
- Synthesis gas (via gasification) [00:12:11]
In 2011, the first flight of a passenger plane entirely on fuel derived from algae took place [00:00:33, 00:01:54, 00:15:54, 00:16:00]. This demonstrates the potential for energy independence from traditional fossil fuels [00:12:55].
Advantages of Algae in Energy Production
Algae offer significant environmental advantages compared to traditional energy sources and even other biomass options:
- Oxygen Production Algae are responsible for producing most of the oxygen on Earth, not trees [00:00:43, 00:00:46, 00:23:26, 00:23:29].
- Carbon Dioxide Consumption Algae require carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, the basis of biomass production [00:04:46, 00:22:53, 00:22:56, 00:23:00]. Industrial carbon dioxide can be injected into the production process, acting as a form of carbon capture [00:23:03, 00:23:07].
- Waste Water Utilization Algae can be grown on sewage [00:00:38, 00:21:55]. This provides a source of water and nutrients, eliminating the need to purchase additional materials, and also leads to more intensive multiplication of biomass compared to synthetic media [00:22:28, 00:22:30, 00:22:32, 00:22:36, 00:22:39].
- High Yield and Efficiency Algae convert light more intensively than plants [00:23:44, 00:23:47]. They offer a much larger yield of biomass on a smaller surface area [00:24:07, 00:24:10, 00:24:12]. While energy plants might yield 19-20 tons per hectare, algae can yield 40-80, and theoretically even 280 tons per hectare, with current practical yields around 120 tons per hectare [00:24:15, 00:24:17, 00:24:20, 00:24:24, 00:24:27, 00:24:29, 00:24:33, 00:24:36].
- Continuous Harvest Unlike traditional biomass, algae do not have a specific growing season, allowing for continuous harvest every 7 to 10 days, all year round in controlled environments like photobioreactors [00:07:04, 00:07:08, 00:07:12, 00:07:33, 00:07:37, 00:07:41].
- Safe Energy Storage Algae biomass acts as an energy storage, replacing traditional, flammable, and expensive energy storage methods [00:13:07, 00:13:09, 00:13:12, 00:13:17]. The biomass can be stored for very long periods without flammability risks, negative threats, or loss of energy stability or quality [00:14:21, 00:14:25, 00:14:27, 00:14:31, 00:14:33, 00:14:36].
Additional Applications
Beyond fuel, the remaining biomass after oil extraction can be used in various ways:
- Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics [00:17:15, 00:17:18]
- Biofertilizers and Biopesticides Algae can be incorporated into capsules (using alginate, also derived from algae) for slow-release biofertilizers or even biopesticides [00:17:18, 00:17:32, 00:17:37, 00:17:51, 00:17:54, 00:17:58]. This method is highly ecological, as it prevents the rapid release of nutrients that can lead to eutrophication observed with traditional fertilizers [00:18:12, 00:18:15, 00:18:17, 00:18:20, 00:18:27, 00:18:30, 00:18:33, 00:18:35, 00:18:37, 00:18:40, 00:18:42, 00:18:45, 00:18:48, 00:18:50, 00:18:52, 00:18:56, 00:18:59].
The professor emphasizes the “huge profit from the environment” associated with algae-based installations and bioenergy production [00:21:16, 00:21:18, 00:21:25, 00:21:27, 00:21:31].