Oil from algae is carbon neutral (algae consumes carbon when growing) and costs half the price of drilling for crude oil. Crude oil is mostly the remnant of algea. This company replicates algea conversion to crude oil for half the price of drilling . If its true ,energy problem is solved. Energy (Solazyme)
Take a good look at their web site. It's extremely shallow. Are they actually converting algae? Are they selling any "oil"? Or are they merely soliciting investments on the basis of a theoretical technology? They claim their process costs half that of drilling for oil. If so, why are they not producing a million barrels a day? Is their cost claim taking into account the harvesting or farming of the algae? Or is it assuming someone is going to give them the algae for free? Are they including the cost of capitalizing the factory necessary to perform the process? The days of any single "solution" are past. Addressing our energy problems will require a multiplicity of technologies and sources of energy. Algae may be one of those methods. It won't be "the" solution, but it may be a great way to scam investors.
The technology is possible, but it is only profitable if you can use "wild algae". There is one NZ company that has had very promising results to date. NZ firm makes bio-diesel from sewage in world first - 12 May 2006 - NZ Herald: New Zealand National news Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation - Renewable Fuel, Algae Biofuel New Zealand Video: Producing Bio-fuel from Algae
I saw this on TV. A lot of venture capital interest. A lot of bright people are thinking about alternative energy sources right now, and big changes are ahead.
