GreenFuel Technologies signs deal to build algae fuel plant

As we've seen already, algae is big business these days, and it now looks like the alternative source of fuel is getting another shot in the arm, with GreenFuel Technologies recently announcing a deal to build an "algae-to-fuel" plant in Europe. The company, as you may or may not know, is now headed (at least temporarily) by Ethernet pioneer Bob Metcalf, with its main claim to fame being a bioreactor that's designed to grow algae from the carbon dioxide emissions of power plants. While complete details are still pretty light at the moment, that bit of technology was apparently enough to score it a $92 million deal with somebody (actually negotiated by the former CEO), which is reportedly contingent on it first building a small scale pilot plant and meeting cost and productivity goals along the way. As Xconomy reports, however, this latest development follows some hard times faced by the company, during which time it actually had to shut down one of its algae greenhouses after it produced more algae than the system could handle.

[Via Green Tech Blog]

[newgalactic @ Mar 17th 2008 4:36PM]

"We eat Lupins, we sleep on Lupins, we even wear bloody Lupins! What the hell are we supposed to do with all these Lupins?"

[aeo @ Mar 17th 2008 4:37PM]

Cool, maybe they could just come over and farm my swimming pool. There's got to be enough algae in there to fuel a 747.

[ByronGman @ Mar 17th 2008 4:42PM]

Sick.

Ever heard of chlorine?

[threefingeredlord @ Mar 17th 2008 7:45PM]

Chlorine is the devils work.

[Adam @ Mar 17th 2008 4:37PM]

I hope they are finally going to do this outside. Then it is hard to keep stuff clean. The Japanese tried this is 84ish and the numbers just weren't there yet. If they can get multiple revenue streams maybe they can pull it off, heat diffusion from power plant, CO2 scrubber, fish food for aquaculture and then fuel.

[Chad @ Mar 17th 2008 5:01PM]

they have an IPO, check this out http://i0006.photobucket.com/albums/album_02832/

[Chad @ Mar 17th 2008 5:08PM]

sorry its herehttp://i0006.photobucket.com/albums/album_02832/

[bernardino @ Mar 17th 2008 6:35PM]

Sounds fishy.

[Tragic @ Mar 17th 2008 7:31PM]

Maybe they'll hire back the inventor of the blue green algae line that they are using (even though it needs ideal environmental conditions to thrive.

You can see of their system on a smoke tower at MIT, look for the greenish cylinder.

No one seems to understand that they are selling a product that brings old coal or oil power plants up to environmental code; a temporary solution to keep outdated plants operating.

[Miguel @ Mar 17th 2008 7:57PM]

In Portugal we already do it... At least in the laboratory, but it supposed to start being mixed in regular fuel next year.

[WorldCTZen @ Mar 18th 2008 1:47AM]

So... we're using algae to sequester CO2 from industrial sources to produce oil to be used in .. vehicles? .. So we're essentially spreading the CO2 from a point source to a dispersed source.. Am i missing something? We've taken a marginally controllable source of CO2 and used it to fuel a less controllable source of CO2.. How does this improve greenhouse emissions?

[JoN @ Mar 18th 2008 5:01PM]

because the car fuel is bio... it does not have CO2 emissions anywhere near regular petrol

[Mike @ Mar 18th 2008 10:44AM]

And here come the detractors!

With their statements of "This is worthless! There are still CO2 emissions."

I am guessing that in a couple of decades if we have Co2 emissions under control these same people will be complaining about the increase in oxygen levels produced by algae farms.

Some people will not be happy unless we are all driven back to the stone age. Of course then it will likely be that the cows are producing too much methane with their flatulence so "Ogg need find alternative to cow!"

I for one am happy that this step is being taken, no matter how small it might be.