Long-term thinking is needed for Algae Biofuel
Now, how you view the following numbers all depends on whether you’re a long-term thinker or more of an instant solution kind of person. It seems that people are people are predicting that it may take 10 to 15 years before the public sees any biofuels from algae.
But that won’t necessarily translate into rapid development of algae-based fuels, Rabins said. Entire infrastructures, from specialized growing facilities to processing plants, will have to be created, and that will come only after potential producers see the value and make the investment. He speculated that it could take 10 to 25 years before algae-based biofuel is readily available to the public, though specialty uses could appear sooner.
“The most optimistic assessment that I’ve heard is that it could be six to eight years before there’s something that’s useable, but the tools and techniques to make it possible are being created right now,” he said.
