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166 comments on Peak Oil and Community Solutions Conference (Friday)

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ChrisPhoenix on September 26, 2005 - 6:33pm

...wait, I just read about algae diesel. If the paper at http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_alge.html is correct, then that can produce 66 kW per acre. More than an order of magnitude better than, say, switchgrass.

Still almost an order of magnitude worse than solar cells. But it's sounding halfway reasonable to get energy by growing stuff.

I wonder how fast the algae would grow if supplied with concentrated CO2 in closed tanks? This might be a way of reducing the environmental impact of carbon-heavy fossil fuels. Not as good as sequestration, but at least you'd get to use the carbon twice rather than once.

Chris

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GliderGuider on September 26, 2005 - 9:48pm

Now you're getting it. How about co-locating a coal-fired electrical plant with an algal biodiesel pond complex? Use the exhaust from the power plant to feed the the ponds. You're right that you wouldn't take the carbon out of circulation, but you do get to use it twice. If we end up using a lot more coal for electricity as I think we will, this could help dampen the environmental impact.

BTW, uou also need to fertilize the algae. Look below for my pig-farm idea...

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