There are more than 100 known feedstocks for biofuels, but algae are believed to have the highest known yields on a per-acre basis, owing to its fast reproduction rate. In addition, algae can be grown without requiring the use of land that could be used for food or feed production using terrestrial crops, and can be grown using brackish or saline water. According to Oilgae, “Market analysts and producers consider algae an especially promising feedstock, as it can be grown virtually anywhere and, by some estimates, can yield 2,000 times more oil than soybean feedstocks.”
Evolved from ancient times, more than 30,000 different species of microalgae have been described and catalogued to date. As members of the Phylum Chlorophyta, microalgae all share seven characteristics that make them potential powerhouses in the production of renewable fuel:
- Carbon-Neutral
- Readily Convertible to Fuel
- Low-Cost, Low-Input Feedstock
- High Oil Content.
- Rapid Reproduction, Highly Energy Efficient
- Microalgae are the second-fastest growing form of biomass, converting as much as 7 to 8% of the Sun’s energy to biomass
- Produced On Nonarable Land
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