Study Anticipates Higher Benefits from Algae Biofuels Compared to Petroleum

A study of a pilot-scale algae-based biofuel production conducted by the University of Virginia researchers found that carbon emissions of algae biofuels are lower than that of petroleum. The study also showed that algae biofuels come very close to petroleum in terms of energy efficient production.

Published in the journal Bioresource Technology, the study used data from demonstration plants in New Mexico owned by the company Sapphire Energy. They estimated the life cycle energy and emissions profile at full scale of algae biofuels produced via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) system. The model used in the analysis is scenario-based to understand the effect of scale on environmental burdens.

The study demonstrated that the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of HTL-derived algae biofuels were 50 to 70 percent lower compared to that of petroleum. Algae-derived gasoline had significantly lower GHG emissions than the conventional biofuel corn ethanol.

The study also evaluated the Energy Return on Investment (EROI), or the amount of energy needed to produce energy in various forms, which is an indicator of how energy efficient the production system is. Higher EROI suggests that the process will generate more energy than is invested. The study found that algae biofuels have lower EROI than petroleum fuels. However, it was projected that EROI for algae biofuels would be more favorable than that of petroleum fuels over time as petroleum reserves have become depleted while technological improvements take place in the algae industry.