There’s been some recent talk about turning algae into biodiesel… enough to catch the attention of the magazine Popular Science.
This article highlights an operation in Colorado with some great pictures, graphics, and even video of the process:
Algae seems a strange contender for the mantle of World’s Next Great Fuel, but the green goop has several qualities in its favor. Algae, made up of simple aquatic organisms that capture light energy through photosynthesis, produces vegetable oil. Vegetable oil, in turn, can be transformed into biodiesel, which can be used to power just about any diesel engine. (There are currently 13 million of them on American roads, a number that’s expected to jump over the next decade.)
Algae has some important advantages over other oil-producing crops, like canola and soybeans. It can be grown in almost any enclosed space, it multiplies like gangbusters, and it requires very few inputs to flourish—mainly just sunlight, water and carbon dioxide. “Because algae has a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, it can absorb nutrients very quickly,” (Solix Biofuels founder Jim) Sears says. “Its small size is what makes it mighty.”
AACC International (formerly known as the American Association of Cereal Chemists) is inviting senior food industry executives to a three-day symposium and workshop to discuss the impact the biofuels industry is having on the food market.
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was among the dignitaries who attended the groundbreaking for a new ethanol plant at Janesville, Minnesota last Friday.
“The start of construction on our Janesville plant marks another important milestone in the growth of US BioEnergy. Our team continues to execute our business plan with great success, keeping the company on track to reach its stated goal of 700 million gallons of production by the end of 2008,” stated Gordon Ommen, US BioEnergy’s CEO. “This plant, which will be our first in Minnesota, also further contributes to the geographic diversity of our facilities. We are particularly proud to have Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, a national leader on the issue of renewable energy, join us for the occasion and to help create new economic opportunities for the greater-Janesville community.”
Aptly named Freedom Fuels, LLC has opened a new biodiesel plant near Mason City, Iowa (see picture from the 
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries… better known as OPEC… is starting to feel the heat of the increased use of biofuels. And the 
But one group that is pleased is the Renewable Fuels Association. In a statement e-mailed to energy.agwired.com, the group’s President Bob Dinneen praises the legislation, especially the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels, the majority of which must be the next generation such as cellulosic ethanol:
“Low carbon renewable fuels like ethanol are providing our nation a way forward to decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating new jobs and real economic opportunity. The bill Majority Leader Reid has brought to the floor of the Senate strikes the right balance between building on the progress the U.S. ethanol industry has achieved and providing the incentives necessary to realize the full potential of the industry in the future.
The CEO of the 
The slogan for the Indy Racing League is “I am Indy,” and that’s especially true for ethanol producers who are proud to be a part of this great sport.