Vegetable Oil Economy - Algae For Vegetable Oil Production

Algae For Vegetable Oil Production

Some species of algae contain as much as 50% vegetable oil. Algae have very high growth rates compared to plants normally used to produce vegetable oil. Potentially algae could produce much more oil per area of land than current farming methods. So producing vegetable oil this way should result in less deforestation and less competition for food production land. One expert wrote: "As demonstrated here, microalgal biodiesel is technically feasible. It is the only renewable biodiesel that can potentially completely displace liquid fuels derived from petroleum. Economics of producing microalgal biodiesel need to improve substantially to make it competitive with petrodiesel, but the level of improvement necessary appears to be attainable. "

Where there is existing electricity generation using fossil fuels, there is a source of sterile CO₂. This makes algaculture much easier. To grow algae you need lots of CO₂, but if you get it from air you will also get all kinds of other organisms, some of which eat algae. Getting CO₂ from a smokestack works out really well. Governments trying to address the external costs of coal power plants may have a carbon tax or carbon credit that provides additional motivation to use CO₂ from smokestacks. Several commercial pilot plants are under construction.

There is substantial research and development work in this area but as of 2007 there is no commercial vegetable oil produced from algae and used as biofuel. ExxonMobil is investing $600 million and estimates they are 5 to 10 years from significant production, but could invest billions in final development and commercialization. If and when the commercialization challenges are overcome, vegetable oil production could expand very rapidly.

In 2012 President Obama supported the idea of getting oil from algae.