Jun 26, 2008
Diesel Fuel From Algae
Will algae be our ticket to lower or at least steady fuel prices? Suddenly algae-based fuels are generating news, and a company called Solazyme announced that its SoladieselRDTM, a microalgae-derived renewable diesel, has passed American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D-975 specifications. This is the first algal-based renewable diesel to meet these standards.
The fuel’s chemical composition is identical to that of standard petroleum-based diesel, and SoladieselRDTM is fully compatible with the existing transportation fuel infrastructure. Creating fewer particulate emissions, SoladieselRDTM also has a more desirable environmental footprint than standard petro-diesel, aside from meeting the new ASTM ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) standards. In a 100-percent blend, the algal fuel has been road-tested in a factory standard 2005 Jeep Liberty.
“This now marks the production of our second fuel that meets current U.S. fuel specifications and is an important validation of our proprietary process using microalgae to produce renewable fuels,” said Jonathan Wolfson, chief executive officer of Solazyme. “Solazyme’s leadership in the green-fuels space will continue to grow as we now execute our strategy for commercial launch.”
The company claims it is the only advanced biofuels enterprise producing at scale using a unique microbial fermentation process that allows algae to produce oil in massive vessels quickly, efficiently and without sunlight. The process can utilize many forms of nonfood feedstocks, including waste glycerol and many cellulosic materials like wood chips, corn stover and switchgrass. The resulting oils can be used across a wide variety of industries and applications, including fuels, edible oils and chemicals. Solazyme says the oils are completely biodegradable, nontoxic and safe.
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