Algae: the Truly Green Solution to the World's Energy Problem - VIDEO FEATURE

AUTO CENTRAL - August 26, 2008: The search for alternative energy sources and fuels has certainly uncovered some surprising and exciting results. And perhaps the most surprising, if you're not a biological scientist or aficionado (assuming that there are such bio groupies) is algae, or as some call it; pond scum.

Valcent President/CEO Glen Kertz

Why it’s so surprising to me is that algae may be the most plentiful organisms on earth. Every country, rich or poor, with petroleum oil deposits or not, land-locked or island, will have algae. And algae have dozens or hundreds of other uses: everything from being an excellent fertilizer to cosmetics to printing inks to being a food source in its own right. In fact, we recently visited a kibbutz in Southern Israel that is growing algae to be used as a natural red pigment for farmed Salmon. In time, algae may replace the dog as mankind’s best friend.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Here’s a little tidbit of information that you might want to know, considering that algae could become an important part of our energy resource world: ALGAE is the plural form of the word describing chlorophyll-containing nonvascular organisms of polyphyletic origin. In talking about a single strain you would say ALGA (pronounced AL-GA). While I’m on the subject, ALGAE is like ALUMINUM, in that the American pronunciation of the two words differs quite significantly from how the British pronounce the words. American is al- je, whereas the Brits say al- gə.

And with the latest breakthrough and test results, we may find that green slime is as good as gold dust.

One of the North American research and development companies to be leading the algae charge is Valcent Products, Inc., of Vancouver, Canada. Valcent has been making some terrific in-roads and news with their Vertigro High Density Vertical Bioreactor, something that they say is the Holy Grail in the renewable energy sector. Valcent’s HDVB creates a clean, green process to create fuel by only using light, water and air. Valcent's HDVB algae-to-biofuel technology mass produces algae, vegetable oil which is suitable for refining into a cost-effective, and non-polluting biodiesel. The algae derived fuel will be an energy efficient replacement for fossil fuels and can be used in any diesel powered vehicle or machinery.

Valcent has recently commissioned the world's first commercial-scale bioreactor pilot project at its test facility in El Paso, Texas. In the video below, Valcent’s President and CEO, Glen Kertz, describes the process and its features and benefits.

Click PLAY to watch the video

For more information about Valcent Products, Inc. visit www.valcent.net.

For additional information about biofuel from algae click on the links below:

Renewable Bio-diesel Derived From Algae via Scalable Process...WOW!

Solazyme Produces First Algae-Based Renewable Diesel to Pass American Society for Testing and Materials D-975 Specifications