It would be curious to see where they get their feedstocks to support production at these levels. Soybeans are touted as the main current feedstock to be used, but soybeans have a limited growing window throughout a normal year. We wont even talk about a major natural disaster like a Rita or Katrine, and the effects on the soybean production.

But we must be careful in introducing new species of plants, like Allen Zheng is proposing, into our natural environments. Uncontolled non native vegetation has caused alot of expense throught our history.

I would like to see the oil algae thing takeoff, but the cost of separating the algae from the water seems to be expensive, due to needing centrifugation. Perhaps that is why we do not see alot of efforts put into it, or any major stories about it. Perhaps someone will figure it out.

Mark:

Are you familiar with Green Fuel Technologies? Since last October the company, which specializes in using powerplant emissions as a feedstock to accelerate growth, has gotten $16 million in venture capital. They recently updated their website with new information, and are currently evaluating in the field somewhere in the southwest.

They also recently partnered with NRG of New York state.

Algae is the only feedstock I've found that has a chance of replacing oil, with the yields Allen cites above. One article I read last year argued that there's about 1,000 powerplants nationwide with enough land for GreenFuel's process. Enough to produce about 40 billion gallons of biodiesel per year. That's about 2/3 of 2005 diesel demand.

And of course there is also a net reduction in CO2 emissions. A double-winner.

{sarcasm}
This is the perfect opportunity for Chevron to create synergies among their business units. The old unit, petroleum exploration and transmission, needs pipelines through pristine rainforests in Asia and South America. The rights of way can be made extra wide (perhaps 1 or 2 miles) to create opportunity for the new biofuels unit. Most of that newly cleared land can be planted with palm oil trees or soybeans to create a continuous stream of feedstock for the biofuel plants.
{/sarcasm}

I wonder how the "biodiesel will save the world" crowd will look at this. Do they think that Chevron is in it for anything but profit maximization?

Mark A:
Dry the Algae with powerplant waste heat....Sterile plants; sterile seeds. Coconut and Palm trees can be chopped down; they need years to mature, and can be easily destroyed (maybe for firewood).

Rafael Seidl:
Algae needs a little bit of sulfur for biological processies. If the low light is true, then cloudy locations or white translucent (recycled plastic) sheets could provide the conditions. Also semi-submerged containers (reservoirs could provide this) could do this. Waste water ponds converted for fuel production may provide the environment as well.

Cervus:
5,000 gallons/acre is a low estimate; theoretical gallons/acre is over 20,000. However, these yields would be harder to reach. Use emissions from peak demand gas fired plants, beacuse they match daytime sunshine.

____Another possibility would be to construct temporary/non-permanent offshore (near river mouths with excess nutrients) containers/facilities semi-submerged with water ports and sunlight access. They would provide a environment conducive to algae production for aquaculture/carbon sink/boosting wild aquatic life in certain situations/fuel. Schedule against typhoons/stormy season.

Does anyone, other than me, see a conflict with all this farmland needing to be planted in corn for ethanol, in soybeans for biodiesel, and regular vegetables for human consumption, all at the SAME TIME!? A free market will allow the farmer to plant whatever crop will make him the most money, not what is needed the most. I could see our energy costs rising significantly, along with our food costs rising. Is rationing to be in our future?

Also, in sarcasm, can someone please tell George Bush, Hilary Clinton and the rest of our political leaders here in the US about this algae thing. Obviously they know nothing about it, or else they would be talking about it. And the problems with handling and delivering ethanol will also just automatically be solved.

Well, Mark, the free market will solve the problem.
If it is more profitable to produce one product over another, producers will switch over and the price of the less profitable product will rise, attracting new suppliers in to the market and eventually reducing the price.

Demand destruction and substitution are also options that reduce prices, so it is virtually impossible that there will ever be a serious conflict between food production and biofuels. Also, there is a lot of land underutilized for food or fuel production that was intentionally left fallow in the past due to low prices so arable land is still plentiful enough to increase supply dramatically...not that that is a desirable outcome.

There are no shortages on the free market. The only time rationing occurs is if price controls are in effect or if government causes it directly; otherwise, people will be priced out of the product and demand will have to fall to correct the destruction bringing down prices.

Oooh, my god! The best stuff!
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