Algae fuels alternative energy movement

Summary (Nut graph): Fueled by volatile energy prices and growing environmental concerns, WSU researchers are working to turn green algae into the next cost-effective, environmentally friendly energy source.

If WSU researchers are correct, pond scum could be the oil of the 21st century.

Fueled by volatile energy prices and growing environmental concerns, WSU researchers are working to turn green algae into the next cost-effective, environmentally friendly energy source.
“The university is becoming a powerhouse in biomass engineering,” said Manuel Garcia-Perez, WSU assistant professor of biological systems engineering. “No single career was offered in biomass engineering just a few years ago. The fact that we are creating an army of people to build a biomass economy now is incredible.”

That army of people is seen in bioprocessing laboratories across the Pullman campus. Graduate students pace between fermentors and high performance centrifuges that look like large washing machines as they work to find the next generation of biofuels.

Algae emerged as a possible savior for America’s energy problems during the summer of 2008 when oil prices topped $100 per barrel. Fears about corn-based biodiesel products displacing valuable farmland increased food costs, helping propel Algae into the spotlight.

Algae’s quick growth rate and high energy content make it appealing to researchers. According to the Department of Energy, algae may be able to produce 100 times more oil per acre than other biodiesel crops, including corn and soybeans.

WSU students and faculty involved in biomass engineering are working to modify the fatty acid composition of plant oils to act as substitutes for petroleum products, John Browse, professor of molecular plant sciences, said.

The amount of attention and funding for biomass engineering has increased in recent years. Last month, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash, announced that a $2 million appropriation for WSU biofuels projects would be included in a Senate funding bill. The appropriation is intended to spur development in algae fuels and create a partnership between WSU and Seattle-based research group Target Growth Inc.

“This funding will support cutting-edge research that will create jobs and continue to position Washington state as a leader in the clean energy economy,” Murray said in an Oct. 15 press release. “It provides a shot in the arm for Washington state biofuels research, and will help our country move toward cleaner and more efficient energy use.”

Funding is also streaming into algae-fuel research from private donors like Bill Gates and Boeing. In 2007, $32 million in venture capital was pumped into businesses working on algae fuel, and that sum increased to $184 million worldwide in 2008, according to Cleantech Network.

"Industry is coming to us," said Shulin Chen, a WSU biological engineering professor working on algae fuels.

"We have new ideas in all the areas that we're working on," he said. "They're promising, but we can't say it's economical at this point."

Harvesting large quantities of algae, extracting the fatty acids and integrating biofuels into the current energy infrastructure have created problems for researches. About 3.9 billion tons of biomass would be required every year to replace the petroleum resources people use, Norman Lewis, director of WSU's Institute of Biological Chemistry, said.

“We can’t afford to build a new infrastructure,” Garcia-Perez said. “We have to create an infrastructure that is compatible with the current system.”

It is an emerging industry, but unless oil prices return to $100 per barrel for an extended period of time, algae fuels will remain a difficult sell, he added.

Until a shift occurs, WSU biofuel researchers said they will look for new alternatives and offer students “a global vision” of biomass engineering.

“America needs an army of people,” Garcia-Perez said. “Capital will come, but you need the people.”

Sources
Manuel Garcia-Perez-(509)335-7758 (in person interview)

Shulin Chen -(509)335-3743

John Browse- (509)335-2293

Norman Lewis-(509)335-2682