From Algae to Crude in 60 Minutes

While it normally takes Mother Nature around 65 million years to convert plant material into crude oil, scientists have uncovered a new method that takes just 60 minutes. The process dramatically reduces the time needed to get the job done, with researchers from the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) deserving full credit for the feat.

The process kicks off with a slurry of algae and water. Think pea soup laden with bacteria! After being blended the slurry is moved into a reactor where it’s exposed to heat of up to 350 degrees Celsius and ultra-high pressures of 3000 PSI. Why so dramatic? These factors are designed to mimic the conditions of lying below the Earth’s surface for millions upon of years. Of course, it doesn’t take that long to create the finished product. In just one hour the algae has transformed into a blend of crude oil, water and byproducts that can be recycled and used to fuel the next batch.

After the initial process has been completed the crude oil can be refined to create gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. Potassium and nitrogen are the key byproducts however both can be recycled which makes the entire process amazingly eco-friendly.

A new era of algae

The concept of using algae to create biofuel is not necessarily new however PNNL has overturned a new leaf when it comes to commercialising the process. One of their biggest accomplishments is the ability to use wet algae. In the past, manufacturing biofuel has required the algae to be dried first which is both pricey and time consuming.

While the innovative new algae technique is a more eco-friendly alternative to drilling, it’s still vastly more expensive and less efficient than today’s regular methods. To help overcome these barriers PNNL has licensed out the technique to Genifuel Corporation, a leading biofuel company. The team hopes Genifuel will set-up a purpose built plant capable of manufacturing bio crude on a much larger scale. 

Keen to know more about the biofuel revolution? ‘Biofuels and their Precursors – A Challenge for Common Elemental Analyzers’ looks at how alternative strategies for the production of liquid fuels is becoming increasingly relevant as the world turns away from unrenewable resources. The article shines the spotlight on a number of alternative approaches based on the conversion of cellulose-rich biomass and waste. However the use of these biogenic materials goes hand in hand with high content of harmful elements such as nitrogen, sulfur and chlorine-containing hydrocarbons.