UNR experiments with open algae ponds
The University of Nevada at Reno is experimenting with open algae ponds to prove that algae biofuel production won’t have to rely on often times expensive bioreactors.
The ponds, which are uncovered and open to the environment, will demonstrate that algae can be grown in commercial quantities year-round, even in a temperate climate. This will obviate the need for capital-intensive bioreactors or covered ponds. Appropriate growing temperatures will be maintained using natural resources readily available in Nevada.
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Future plans include scaling up to around 200 acres of ponds, sufficient to produce more than 1,000,000 gallons of biodiesel per year. We believe that the methodologies and technologies being developed will result in high-quality biodiesel that can compete in price per gallon with both current domestic biodiesel production and imported fuels.
You catch that last part? 1,000,000 gallons of biodiesel per year. You know how many gallons of ethanol you could get from 200 acres of corn per year? About 80,000 gallons assuming a very generous 400 gallons/acre. That means that algae can produce roughly 12.5x more fuel per acre. Pretty impressive.
