The Algae Attraction
Location: New York
Author: Ken Silverstein, EnergyBiz Insider, Editor-in-Chief
Date: Thursday, June 12, 2008
Clean coal is an imperative. Some breakthrough technologies to achieve that
goal now exist while others are years away. One such concept is to use waste
carbon emissions from power plants to grow algae, which is subsequently
converted to energy and because those releases would re-cycled, carbon
dioxide emissions would be cut in half.
Views range from enthusiastic to reserved. It's a sensible alternative but
one that will not end the debate over which fuel sources will best meet the
global community's future energy needs. In fact, if the theory can be scaled
up and used at power plants, the subsequent reduced emissions might even
encourage the use of coal.
Consider NRG Energy, which is field testing the technology at one of its
coal-fired plants in Louisiana: It is using naturally-occurring algae to
capture and reduce flue gas carbon dioxide emissions. The energy-rich algae
are harvested daily and can be converted into a broad range of bio-fuels or
high-value animal feed supplements.
Power generators can choose to dry and store the carbon-rich algae biomass
for use as renewable fuel for the power plant or change it into valuable
transportation fuels such as biodiesel or ethanol. Industry experts say that
the rule of thumb is that it takes two million tons of algae to be able to
capture one million tons of carbon dioxide. The process requires no
re-engineering of the power plant, the utility says.
"Coal is -- and will remain -- the premier domestic fuel source for power
generation purposes in the United States for the foreseeable future," says
David Crane, NRG's chief executive. "This means it is incumbent on us not
only to build new coal plants using technology which limits or eliminates
greenhouse gas emissions but also to find the best way to retrofit the
country's existing fleet of coal plants for post-combustion carbon capture."
The company is continuing to monitor the algae carbon-capture technology.
Roughly a third of all carbon dioxide releases come from power generation.
Coal is the biggest culprit with natural gas-fired power a distant second.
While using carbon dioxide to cultivate algae is not new, taking it from
power plants and turning it biodiesel and ethanol is ground-breaking. It was
first done by Arizona Public Service and GreenFuel Technologies in 2006,
marking the first time ever that algae grown on-site by direct connection to
a commercial power plant had been successfully converted to
transportation-grade bio-fuels.
Now that the initial tests have shown promise, the next step is to prove it
can all be done on a commercial scale and that it is financially viable.
Moving to a coal plant is the next progression in the evolution of this
technology -- something in which government researchers are assisting.
Interestingly, participants acknowledge that conversion strategies have been
more successful than carbon-trapping ones.
"With the help of forward thinking and environmentally responsible
companies, we can use algae to recycle power plant carbon dioxide emissions
safely and economically into a continuous supply of clean, renewable fuels,"
says GreenFuel CEO Cary Bullock.
Taking Bets
Meanwhile, a San Diego-based company called Sapphire Energy says that it too
can take the carbon dioxide that is released from power plants and transform
it into algae. That, in turn, can then be converted into a greener form of
gasoline and diesel. The end result -- high-value hydrocarbons chemically
identical to those in gasoline -- will be entirely compatible with the
current energy infrastructure from cars to refineries and pipelines.
Everything from the byproducts released at the refineries to those shed from
tailpipes will be cleaner, it says. The company adds that it will soon
establish a pilot project, all with an eye on making it commercially
feasible within five years.
In the end, Sapphire says that development of the fuel source will be cost
competitive with other unconventional fuels such as those that produced from
Canadian tar sands. Those energy forms, incidentally, have not bypassed the
scrutiny of environmentalists, who acknowledge the potential but who fear
that that the total production cycle is ecologically harmful.
"Sapphire Energy was founded on the belief that the only way to cure our
dependence on foreign oil and end our flirtation with ethanol and biodiesel
is through radical new thinking and a commitment to new technologies," says
chief executive Jason Pyle.
Algae, which is homegrown that can be created anywhere sunlight exists, has
the potential to ingratiate itself into the energy mix. The ultimate fuel
form could either be used in conjunction with fossil fuels or possibly to
displace them.
That's vital, considering that coal provides more than half of the fuel
needed to make electricity in this country. Meanwhile, the United States
keeps importing ever-increasing amounts of foreign oil. Last year, the
number totaled $200 billion. The increased demand is the major reason behind
record-high prices at the pump.
"It's hard not to get excited about algae's potential," says Paul Dickerson,
chief operating officer of the Department of Energy's Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy "Its basic requirements are few: carbon
dioxide, sun and water. Algae can flourish in non-arable land or in dirty
water, and when it does flourish, its potential oil yield per acre is
unmatched by any other terrestrial feedstock."
The verdict is still out. It's not just a question of whether algae-based
fuel can work on a large scale but also whether the production cycle turns
out to be environmentally benign. Imbedded within the discussion, however,
is an inspiring message: Researchers are convinced that the idea works,
leading some risk takers to make substantial bets.
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