We've heard a lot about using ethanol, switchgrass and vegetable oil as alternative fuels to make cars greener. Now we can add algae to the list, or "green scum." San Ramon-based Chevron Corp., which operates a refinery in El Segundo, said today it is pursuing a research project that could yield jet and transportation fuels made with algae. The summary from Chevron is below.
Chevron is joining with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to research and develop advance technology that could produce liquid fuels that use algae.
Chevron and NREL scientists will work to identify and further cultivate algae strains that can be economically harvested and processed into finished transportation fuels such as jet fuel.
Chevron Technology Ventures, a division of Chevron U.S.A. Inc., will fund the project. It is the second under a five-year strategic biofuels research alliance between Chevron and NREL announced in October 2006.
The first involves bio-oil reforming, a process by which bio-oils derived from the decomposition of biological feedstocks are then converted into hydrogen and biofuels.
NREL Director Dan Arvizu said in a statement: "NREL operated the Aquatic Species Program for the Department of Energy for nearly 20 years, giving us unique insights into the research required to produce cost-effective fuels from algal oils or lipids. Our scientists have the advanced tools and the experience to rapidly increase the yield and
productivity of key species of algae. In Chevron we have found an ideal research partner with the skills and knowledge to transform these algal lipids to cost-competitive fuels and to distribute those fuels to consumers."
"Chevron believes that nonfood feedstock sources such as algae and cellulose hold the greatest promise to grow the biofuels industry to large scale," said Don Paul, vice president and chief technology officer for Chevron Corp.
Algae are considered a promising potential feedstock for next-generation biofuels because certain species contain high amounts of oil, which could be extracted, processed and refined into fuels using available technology. Other benefits of algae as a potential feedstock are their abundance and fast growth rates. Key technical challenges include identifying the strains with the highest oil content and growth rates and developing feasible growing and harvesting methods.
Chevron expects to spend about $2.5 billion on alternative and renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency services between 2007 and 2009.
For more information: Chevron and U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory
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