Algae biofuels

algae fuels [ 1 ][ 2 ] are getting popular and new techniques are explored to make the algae more productive, such as feeding them with sugars or breeding them in a closed vertical circuit exposed to sunlight.

comparison [fuel production per hectare per year]:

corn:	170 liters/hectare/year
soybeans:	470 liters/hectare/year
rapeseed [canola]:	1.200 liters/hectare/year
bioethanol:	2.560 liters/hectare/year
biosynthetic:	4.000 liters/hectare/year
palm:	7.500 liters/hectare/year
algae:	currently 37.400 - 187.000 liters/hectare/year in an open pond system [a closed bioreactor system is even more effective e.g. in water usage].

sugar fed algae from solazyme.


vertical grown algae [closed bioreactor system] from valcent.

craig venter already works on the next [4th] generation of biofuels, based on synthetic life [ 1 ][ 2 ].