A grant last week from the European Union to Scottish scientists in Oban near Glasgow has alerted the mainstream media to the potential of marine algae, such as seaweed to supply large quantities of fuel oil. Algae can potentially return hundreds of times the volume of complex hydrocarbons as the same area of land growing crops such as corn or soyabeans. Because the marine algae does not compete with food crops for land and water it does not have the impact on the world’s food supplies that has led to tensions over land-use in developing countries during 2008. The scottish scientists will be working with natural seaweeds, harvested by traditional methods at low tide. Most of the companies formed to commercialise the potential of marine algae are farming microscopic forms. Spanish company Biofuel Systems believes it can meet the world’s existing demand for oil from an area of open ocean 250 kilometres squared.
Read The Generator from 2006
Read the facts on biofuel from algae
Read The Guardian article