ENERGY ALGAE RESEARCH:A JOINT Scottish-Irish research project to identify the best strains of algae to produce biofuels has secured €6 million in funding from a range of government bodies.
Undertaken at the Scottish Association of Marine Science and supported by researchers from the University of Strathclyde, the University of Ulster, Queen's University and the Institutes of Technology in Dundalk and Sligo, the BioMara project will assess whether micro-algae such as that found at sea can be used as sustainable sources of biofuel.
It will focus on single-celled organisms capable of producing oil directly, and on fast-growing seaweeds that can be converted into biofuels or used as biomass.
Unlike first-generation biofuels such as those derived from sugar cane, advocates of algae-based ones say they are highly effective at soaking up carbon dioxide and can be cultivated without having any impact on agricultural land or food supplies.
In addition, they grow fast in accessible coastal locations and have low lignin and cellulose content so they do not take a lot of energy to break down.
Microalgae can be anaerobically digested to produce methane and fermented to produce ethanol, but it has greater potential to produce biodiesel for two reasons. Firstly, it produces high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids, giving microalgal biodiesel better cold-weather properties. It is fluid at lower temperatures, meaning it allows diesel engines to function at cold temperatures.
Secondly, it produces 20-30 times more oil than temperate plant-oil crops when cultured in photobioreactors or on land in open ponds.
"Conventional biofuel crops compete for land and fresh water with farming and nature. What we need is fast-growing, easily utilised plants which thrive in environments not used for agriculture or conservation.
"Marine algae could be part of the solution. Seaweeds grow rapidly, harness carbon dioxide and have simple structures, which make them easily converted to fuel," says the project's lead scientist Dr Michele Stanley. "Much research and development is needed to unleash the potential for algal biofuels. BioMara will investigate every part of the energy-supply chain, from cultivation of the algae to fuel utilisation in remote communities."
