Green Star Products has released a report that shows the company’s progress in the new field of algae-based biodiesel.
In a press release, Green Star says its 40,000 liter demonstration facility in Montana is one of the world’s largest and has served as a scientific and engineering milestone towards the commercial production of algae for energy and food:
The algae industry is in such an embryonic state that very few people even understand the real algae production problems, much less, claim solutions for the production of algae.
Contents of the 20-page report are available on Green Star’s web site:
Phase I now is complete and has been successful in controlling the most important variables in algae production, i.e. temperature of water in large systems, salinity (salt content), evaporation, pH (acidity-alkalinity) and most all initial costs of construction.
Experts agree that the major hurdles in production of algae are associated with the control of the mechanical and physical parameters of the growth environment for the algae and the high capital costs of construction of that environment.”
Many suitable high-lipid (oil) algae species have been cultivated and already exit to produce the First Generation of sustainable energy farms. Present available algae species can produce 4,000 gallons of oil per acre each year, which is 50 times greater than the oil yield from oilseed crops such as soybean or canola crops.
The press release goes on to say that the development of algae as a biodiesel source will help the world solve the energy crunch, global warming, and the food supply crisis simultaneously.