Biodiesel from microalgae: energy recovery and waste issues

It would be easier all around. Nothing is going to save the car society from coming to a screeching halt. We can do it easy, or we can do it hard. Usually its hard.

Of course we should use biofuels for the car left.

Ina renewable economy personal transportation is more apt to be handled by battery electric vehicles. The energy density of liquid fuels is wasted hauling around 500 pounds of human cargo, that is a task best suited to very high energy efficiency achieved with electric vehicles.

However, unless you envision a world without trains, planes, heavy equipment, and big trucks, then we will need the energy density of the liquid fuels to get the job done. It is also a useful way to generate on-demand electrical power that the a renewable grid will require to fill gaps resulting from wind's intermittency.

That said, biodiesel from algae is a long way from being a viable process for creating such a fuel.

any idea what the name of the report is?

Thanks for posting this, regardless.

That is unfortunate and I don't have any information you might not have. However, using a couple of keywords from the article I've a possible source:

Aplinkos tyrimai, inžinerija ir vadyba, 2007.Nr.3(41), P. 52-59 ISSN 1392-1649
Environmental Research, Engineering and Management, 2007. No.3(41), P. 52-59

Green Tides on the Brittany Coasts


Roger H. Charlier1, Philippe Morand2, Charles W. Finkl3, Alexandre Thys1
1
Free University of Brussels, Belgium
2
Université de Rennes, Station Biologique, France
3
Department of Geosciences, Florida Atlantic University, USA

(received in April, 2007; accepted in September, 2007)

For over a decade the European Commission has funded the programs aimed at examining the problems
of algae production, their utilization and green tides. COST and BRIDGE have led to publication of two
volumes surveying the situation, principally on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Europe. Two
presenters of this paper are members of the team and co-authors of the books. The volumes center on Europe,
and the presenters have been principally concerned with the eutrophication and the bioconversion of
seaweeds. Research has led to a series of proposals to alleviate the accumulation of stranded algae, mostly
Ulva, and their disposal or, at least, their partial utilization in agriculture, industry and even energy
production. The paper reviews and summarizes their conclusions, several not yet published, putting an accent
on the methanization, and draws a parallel with a prevailing situation in south-eastern Florida. Related topics
include: anaerobic digestion of Ulva, bioconversion of algae, composting of Ulva, management of
eutrophication, and the “seaweeds” programs of the European Commission.
Key words: algae, green tide, utilization


I haven't reviewed it so it may not be the one.

Anybody have a link to this study? Would be great to get my hands on it.