Biotech Updates

Netherlands Scientists Develop Motorcycle Powered by Algae Oil

May 24, 2017
http://biofuels-news.com/display_news/12342/motorcycle_powered_by_algae_oil_passes_first_test/

A designer and a biofuels scientist from the Netherlands have collaborated to build a motorcycle powered by algae.

Peter Mooij, a scientist from Delft University of Technology, has developed a method to grow algae in salt water for oil production. Mooij's friend, Ritsert Mans, then designed a motorcycle to be powered by the biofuel.

The two friends revealed that the fact that algae oil could be produced in a natural way without genetic manipulation was what inspired them to develop the motorcycle. This interest in the power of nature also went beyond the fuel of the motorbike, as the frames and springs of the bike were made from wood, used cork for the dampeners, and hemp for reinforcement.

The oil yield from the method the pair developed can be a lot cheaper than the oil already available because it is easier to scale, does not require fresh water and the use of naturally evolved algae.

Mans and Mooij's algae powered motorcycle has had its first test on a beach in the Netherlands.