$2.86/gal Algal Biofuel Now Possible

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - July 26, 2013 - PRLog -- The National Algae Association congratulates the National Alliance for Advancement of Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts for their research efforts. We are anxiously waiting to see the new Department of Energy Peer review to be released this summer. NAA asks who in the US can, is or will produce algal biofuel at $2.86 per gallon?

At the National Algae Association, many of our members and non-members believe after researching raceway ponds for 60 years, while a price of $2.86 per gallon sounds good, it is unacceptable to the commercial algae production industry. A semi-continuous growing, harvesting and extraction system should bring the cost closer to $1.50 per gallon vs. $2.86 per gallon.

In a 3 year period, our engineering committee - made up of water process engineers, algae researchers, commercial equipment companies and algaeprenuers - have been in collaboration and believe that, using large enclosed production systems on 110 acres, the cost can be brought down closer to $1.50 per gallon for algal biofuel.

The real issue is we need to build one 110 acre algae farm to prove out the numbers. We don’t need more laboratory research we need commercial algae research development and production to see if 60 years of algae technologies sitting on shelves can be used in a commercial environment. The NAA encourages Washington to change the Congressional Mandate so that the DOE is allowed to fund real commercial production, and bring reeal commercial vakue back to many algae technologies currently sitting on shelves.