Biodiesel From Algae

Biodiesel is one such alternative fuel source that is getting a lot of attention.  Biodiesel is widely known for being the fuel that comes from vegetable oil.  However, new discovers have proven that biodiesel can come from other sources as well, including algae.

Algae for Fuel

Algae has successful been used to produce biodiesel and it has many advantages over vegetable oils.  Algae requires fairly little space to grow and it grows at a very fast rate, so it is more readily available than oils.  It is also cheap to produce, bringing down the cost of algae biodiesel.  On top of it all algae biodiesel is biodegradable and non-toxic.

The reason that algae works is that it works is because algae contains natural oil that can be used in place of the vegetable oil.  There is the possibility of getting 30 times more biodiesel through using algae than through using vegetable oil.

Concerns Over Algae

The top concern about using algae has been the land.  While it takes fairly little space to grow algae there is limited space for crops as is.  However, those concerns have been laid to rest because algae can be grown on land that is not suitable for crops.  So growing algae actually makes use of wasted land.

Why Biodiesel Works

Biodiesel is a great alternative fuel no matter what it is made from.  Algae biodiesel and vegetable biodiesel both can be used in any vehicle that runs off diesel fuel without a need for modification.  It is a clean burning fuel, too.

Biodiesel can be made anywhere.  It doesn't involve expensive oil and it is something that even the poorer countries can make.  It is a great solution to the energy crisis, too.  Biodiesel can be used for heating in homes, not just for use in vehicles.  It is a multi purpose fuel.

As the energy crisis continues to grow and concern over what will happen in the future seem to become more a reality than a far off problem, alternative fuels like biodiesel are going to become more in demand.  Finding new ways to create these fuels is just as important as anything, so we can be sure they will be something that is viable and a good replacement fuel source.