Algae as an Alternative

As energy companies invest more and more money and resources into renewable sources of fuel, not only is the scale of alternative fuel production increasing, but also the sheer number of alternatives. One technology that energy companies and even consumer product goods companies are investing in is algal oil production. Algae can be used for a great array of products, including: foods, cosmetics and oil (including biocrude, biodiesel, and even jet fuel).
Algae are not only are readily available, but there are thousands of species of algae that scientists are now researching as possible contenders for the most efficient at producing lipids in large quantities. The oil-rich lipids are what make algae such a prospect for the energy industry and determining what algae to produce and how to produce it on such a large scale as would be needed to impact the energy industry at all are what researchers are hoping to determine.
As stated in a video excerpt from an Wall Street Journal article, algae "could be the key to future alternative fuels." In fact, last year Exxon Mobil invested $600 million in algal oil technology with Synthetic Genomics Inc.. Another key player in algal oil technology is Solazyme, which has investment from Chevron Corp. and has recently gotten attention from a large investment made by consumer product goods company Unilever. But, while the future of the energy industry is most likely going to be a combination of many different options, algae is certainly going to continue to be a major consideration for many, if not all, of the major oil companies world wide.
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