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Wisconsin
Interfaith Climate & Energy Campaign (WICEC)
February 22, 2009
What’s that? Energy from Algae?
It might be difficult to
believe, but you’ll have to see for yourself. Plant physiologist
Glen Kertz (president and CEO
of Valcent Products of El Paso, Texas)
is producing a green fuel that may provide energy for diesel engines,
jet fuel or fuel oil for heating.
Nearly 50% of the body weight of algae is oil (lipid), far more than other crops used to produce energy.
RESOURCE
|
GALLONS
PER ACRE PER YEAR
|
Kernel
Corn
|
15
- 30 Gallons
|
Soy
Beans
|
About
50 Gallons
|
Palm
Trees
|
600
- 800 Gallons
|
Algae
(open pond system)
|
About
20,000 Gallons
|
Algae
(closed loop system)
|
About
100,000 Gallons
|
As an added bonus, after
the oil is removed, it is possible to use the remaining product:
for feed stock for
livestock, for fermentation to produce ethanol,
for fertilizer or even for an energy drink for humans.
The entire process is carbon-neutral
and takes place in a closed loop bio reactor. Carbon dioxide is
sequestered
in this process. It might be desirable to set up these fuel plants
near industries that emit
high levels of CO2 where CO2 is more highly
concentrated.
You may see this for yourself
by clicking ot
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/04/01/algae.oil/index.html and
listen!
According to Glen Kertz: “If
we took 1/10th of the State of New Mexico and converted it into algae
production,
we could meet all of the energy demands for the entire
United States.”
WICEC’s Position: WICEC urges that full support be given for the continued development of this technology.
Wisconsin
Interfaith Climate & Energy Campaign, Inc.
- 4032 Monona Drive - Madison, WI 53716
- www.wicec.org - info@wicec.org
©2006 WICEC. All rights reserved.
Wisconsin Interfaith Climate & Energy Campaign
4032 Monona Drive
Madison, WI 53716
Rev. Dick Blomker, Chair
608-222-7339
info@wicec.org
http://www.wicec.org/