Future Events
As the world continues to expand its energy use, individuals have been looking for different ways to sustain standard of living around the world. One such method is sustentation is through the use of alternative energy sources. As it happens, algae biofuel has received considerable interest as a potential feedstock for producing sustainable transport fuels especially in recent years. If prices of significant plant oils as well as crude oils continue to surge in the future, as they have been doing in the past, then algal lipids may have a chance of becoming a realistic energy alternative within the next few years. These versatile organisms can be used for the production of bioethanol, biodiesel, biohydrogen, as well as biogas. Since algae has been proven to be a versatile source of bioenergy, it has great potential to become a feasible energy source in the near future. As it happens, one of the most economically promoting methods for algal biofuels production may be the combined biorefinery approach in which multiple biofuels are acquired from a single biomass source (FE2), (FE3), (FE4).
Japan hopes to pursue a future using algae as a biofuel source. They plan to fuel a commercial flight of their own using only algal biofuel by the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo (FE6).
The Department of Energy is aiming to get algae-per-acre production up to 5,000 gallons by 2022. The algae industry is gearing up for “aggressive productivity” in the next 10 to 20 years (FE6).
If the prices of the major plant oils and crude oil continue to rise in the future, as they have been doing in recent years, then algal lipids may become a feasible source of alternative energy within the next 10 to 15 years (FE4).
Algae is abundant and can be grown almost anywhere on the planet. This organism requires that the sun’s light penetrate the surface of the water in order to be able to grown effectively. The dilemma with using an open pond systems to grow algae is that there is risk of contamination within the cultivated algae. However, with using closed pond systems there is not an abundance of growth, the surface area is not large, and it is considered to be expensive. To deal with these issues, it has been proposed that algae be grown vertically. Similar to how major cities are able to build vertical buildings to aid with population density, algae can be utilized in the same manner and be grown vertically in buildings. By vertically hanging transparent tubing, algae is able to be grown with efficiently and effectively whilst various nutrients and waste products would be recycled through the use of pumps. The system would allow water to be water pumped through these tubings continuously allowing contaminants out, nutrients in, and allows overall rate of growth of the algal farm to be monitored easily (FE10).
Possible Events in the Future of Algaculture
2020
2022
2018-2023
Vertical Farming
Algae Airships
French architects Vincent Callebaut proposes possible ‘algae airships’, using hydrogen-creating seaweed which allows the structures to float above the ground (FE12).
Hopefully with the awareness of all of the benefits algae has, algaculture will continuously be on the rise.
"The Holy Grail in the renewable energy sector has been to create a clean, green process which uses only light, water and air to create fuel... " (FE11).