With the depletion of fossil fuels and the search for a alternative, Hydrogen was hailed as the savior. Abundant in nature as water. The only issue is that the scientists haven't figured a way of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen in a relatively cheap manner.
Its turns out, a primitive life form, seems to have succeeded in doing just that. The solution it seems lies with Algae. Yes algae. Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves.
This is a project originally intended for a design competition. It calls itself Icelandic New Energy.
The designers say :
It has long been known that algae produce small amounts of hydrogen as a byproduct of photosynthesis. In 1999, researchers in Berkeley observed that algae alternate between hydrogen production and normal photosynthesis depending on the chemical environment. Depriving algae of oxygen and sulfur, the researchers greatly increased the hydrogen production and triggered the algae to produce hydrogen for an extended period of time. Another research group also discovered that algae will sustain simultaneous production of hydrogen and oxygen from water by illuminating the algae and depriving it of carbon dioxide and oxygen. Researchers estimate that a small pond (1.5 acre or 10 meter diameter) will produce enough hydrogen on a weekly basis to fuel 12 cars.
You can find out more about this project on the still under construction site of the 202 Collaborative
BusinessWeek recently ran an article that seconds this view point. Algae can potentially deliver 10 to 100 times the energy as current energy crop, it says. As it grows, it sops up green house gases and leaves behind small globules of fat, that can be used as oil.
At the Think Tomorrow Today conference held this year, GreenFuel CFO Guillermo Espiga says that algae grows rapidly and grows constantly, which means that algae ponds can produce more oil per hectare in a year than traditional plant crops. He gave some figures that where quite amazing - A hectare pond filled with algae can produce 15,000 to 80,000 liters of vegetable oil a year. Only about 6,000 liters of palm oil can be squeezed out of a hectare a year. Corn is only good for 120 liters per hectares of oil a year.
Some of the companies that have started up algae business units include - Boeing, Chevron and Honeywell.
There are also companies that are working to genetically engineer algae for much better productivity.
Green Future indeed.
