Study shows marine algae is suitable for biofuel production

The research, conducted at the University of California at San Diego, is documented in a peer-reviewed paper published online in the current issue of Algal Research.

‘What this means is that you can use ocean water to grow the algae that will be used to produce biofuels. And once you can use ocean water, you are no longer limited by the constraints associated with fresh water. Ocean water is simply not a limited resource on this planet,’ said Stephen Mayfield, PhD, a professor of biology at UC San Diego, who headed the research project.

According to a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory report, algal fuels grown in saline water from existing aquifers and recycling nutrients would be able to provide up to twice the amount of advanced biofuels set under the US Energy Independence and Security Act, which is said to be approximately 40 billion gallons or 20 per cent of annual transportation fuel demand.