. Energy News .




.
BIO FUEL
Microalgae could be next big cash crop for Texas energy farmers
by Staff Writers
Corpus Christi TX (SPX) Jul 11, 2011

"There are local power plants and oil refineries in the area that we can use as sources of carbon dioxide that helps microalgae grow while reducing CO2 pollutants. And we have a wealth of higher education institutions in the area with huge potentials to help in these studies, including Texas A and M at Corpus Christi, Texas A and M-Kingsville and Delmar College."

Just as corn and peanuts stunned the world decades ago with their then-newly discovered multi-beneficial uses and applications, Texas AgriLife Research scientists in Corpus Christi think microalgae holds even more promise.

"It's a huge, untapped source of fuel, food, feed, pharmaceuticals and even pollution-busters," said Dr. Carlos Fernandez, a crop physiologist at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Corpus Christi who is studying the physiological responses of microalgae to the environment.

There are an estimated 200,000 to 800,000 species of microalgae, microscopic algae that thrive in freshwater and marine systems, Fernandez said.

Of all those species, only 35,000 species have been described, he said.

Dr. Carlos Fernandez with one of four bioreactors

Dr. Carlos Fernandez examines one of four bioreactors prior to growing microalgae for studies. (AgriLife Research photo by Rod Santa Ana)

"We're only starting to scratch the surface of discovering the natural secrets of microalgae and their many potential uses and benefits," he said. "But already it's obvious that farmers will one day soon be growing microalgae on marginal land that won't compete with fertile farmland. They won't even compete for fresh water to grow."

To understand how best to grow it, Fernandez constructed a microalgae physiology laboratory to study how it's affected by temperature, salinity, nutrients, light levels and carbon dioxide.

"We have four bioreactors in which we grow microalgae to determine the basic physiological responses that affect its growth," he said. "We will then integrate these responses into a simulator model, a tool we can use in the management of larger, outdoor systems."

In this study, different strains of microalgae will be evaluated for their capacity to produce large amounts of lipids, or fats, that can then be converted to produce and refine diesel and other biofuels, Fernandez said.

"Along with that, after extracting the lipids from the biomass of microalgae, there is a residue that we are going to analyze for its quality for use as feed for animals, including fish, shrimp or cattle."

Eventually, studies will evaluate the possibility of using the residue as a soil fertilizer.

"There are lots of other potential uses for the residue, but for now our focus is on feed and fertilizer," he said.

The microalgae study includes other researchers, Fernandez said.

"We've just started this work and we're working closely with the nearby Texas AgriLife Mariculture labs in Flour Bluff, under the direction of Dr. Tzachi Samocha, and the one in Port Aransas, under the direction of Dr. Addison Lawrence."

Studying microalgae in the Corpus Christi area is a natural fit for many reasons, Fernandez said.

"We have immediate access to seawater to grow microalgae," he said. "Because we're so close to the Gulf of Mexico, we've got lots of marginal land in the area where microalgae can be grown on a large scale. We have lower evaporation rates than in arid areas so water replacement is less.

"There are local power plants and oil refineries in the area that we can use as sources of carbon dioxide that helps microalgae grow while reducing CO2 pollutants. And we have a wealth of higher education institutions in the area with huge potentials to help in these studies, including Texas A and M at Corpus Christi, Texas A and M-Kingsville and Delmar College."

AgriLife Research at Corpus Christi has partnered with the Barney M. Davis Power Plant to conduct this and other studies.

"It's a natural gas-operated power plant that is an excellent source of carbon dioxide from its flue gasses that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by passing them through microalgae systems," he said.

There also is the potential to partner with the City of Corpus Christi, which has several municipal water treatment plants in the area that can be used as sources of nutrients to reduce the cost of applying them to microalgae systems, Fernandez said.

"Our center director, Dr. Juan Landivar, took a huge leadership role in moving these microalgae projects forward by seeking and obtaining federal and private funding, and by encouraging teamwork and multi-disciplinary personnel to work on this," Fernandez said.




Related Links
Texas A and M AgriLife Communications
Bio Fuel Technology and Application News

.
Get Our Free Newsletters Via Email
...
Buy Advertising Editorial Enquiries






. Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle



BIO FUEL
'Trash gas' powers garbage trucks
Los Angeles (UPI) Jul 8, 2011
A growing number of trash trucks are being powered by fuel recovered from the very garbage they haul to landfills, U.S. industry experts said. Waste Management Inc., which operates the largest trucking fleet in the waste industry, is fueling more and more of its trucks with so-called trash gas, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday. In Los Angeles, every one of the company's tr ... read more


BIO FUEL
Tecta Solar Expands East Coast Presence Fueling Growth through New Hires and Service Expansions

Pyron Solar Achieves Milestone For Its Floating CPV Power Production System At Prototype Test Site

U of T researchers build an antenna for light

Big solar panel factory launched in Italy

BIO FUEL
BIO FUEL
Wind power numbers down in Britain

Wind farm inquiry balanced and reasonable

Power-One Inverters Chosen to Power WindTronics

Sheringham Shoal signs up For WindManager wind farm management system

BIO FUEL
Mullen flies to China as US plans naval exercise

Serbia wants U.N. to honor Tesla birthday

Device captures ambient electromagnetic energy to drive small electronic devices

Geothermal industry to get boost from Reno research

BIO FUEL
Australia sets carbon price to fight climate change

Industry unhappy with Australia's pollution tax

Australia PM warns polluters' days over

Group: EU carbon permits should be cut

BIO FUEL
Belgium's highways shine into space - but for how long?

China's auto sales growth 'to slow sharply' in 2011

China and SUV sales fuel robust German auto results

China's BYD, Societe Generale unit end tie-up

BIO FUEL
Smartphones help world's winemakers foil fraudsters

EU considers modified crop bans

French oyster farmers return favour to Japan

Down-under digestive microbes could help lower methane gas from livestock

BIO FUEL
1C adds Russian intrigue to action videogames

Google eBooks reader to debut in US

High levels of caesium found in Fukushima beef

"Civilization" lets Facebook players rule world


Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily Express :: SpaceWar Express :: TerraDaily Express :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News
.

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2011 - Space Media Network. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement