Dec. 08, 2006 - 21:17 MST

VALUABLE PERHAPS

At least there are researchers looking for ways to make fuels eco-friendly. An article from The Associated Press tells about something going on in our area. Quoted in full here :

BOULDER FIRM WORKING TO TURN ALGAE INTO BIOFUEL

FORT COLLINS -- "A business startup in Boulder is working with Colorado State University engineers on technology that begins with algae and ends with eco-friendly fuel."

"Over the next two years, Solix Biofuels Inc. plans to commercialize the technology, which affordably mass-produces oil derived from fast-growing algae and turns it into biodiesel. The goal is to offer biodiesel at costs competitive with the wholesale price of crude petroleum."

"Algae are the fastest-growing organisms on the planet and can produce 100 times more oil per acre than conventional soil-tilled crops that are now being grown for biofuel use," said Solix founder Jim Sears."

"Solix is using a photo-bioreactor system to grow algae and extract its oil. The main ingredients for the process are sun and carbon dioxide, which is readily available from coal-burning power plants and ethanol plants."

"A carbon-dioxide producer, New Belgium Brewing Co. in Fort Collins, has agreed to let the researchers use excess carbon dioxide from its plant to test the process."

"We're facing two global challenges: depletion of our petroleum reserves and a buildup of greenhouse gasses," said Bryan Willson, director of CSU's Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory."

"This process harnesses photosynthesis to turn carbon dioxide and energy captured from the sun into an economical petroleum substitute."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sounds good, doesn't it ?

Yet it leads to questions in my mind. Is this carbon-dioxide a product of burning fossil fuels ? Whether power plants or ethanol plants, I do know that much heat is produced in both places.

This New Belgium Brewing -- where do they get their excess carbon-dioxide and what have they done with the excess up to now ?

Guess perhaps Googling around will give some answers, which I intend to do.

If this is not all smoke and mirrors it might be VALUABLE PERHAPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Blog