Biofuel isn’t a new concept, and algae biofuel is the number one contender to replace the current fossil fuels we use nowadays.. Currently, there are a lot of companies and even government agencies doing all they can to reduce the costs that producing algae biofuel in order to make it a commercially viable source of fuel. Nevertheless, we should look at things from every possible point of view so we can know what to count on, and to be informed during the whole process. As such, here are the pros and cons of algae biofuel:
The Pros of Algae Biofuel
1. The first and most obvious benefit is that the use of algae biofuel definitely benefits the environment, taking into account that when the algae is grown for the bio-fuel, it absorbs carbon dioxide during the photosynthesis process. But it isn’t all that positive (or is it?) since the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed is later on released when the fuel is burned. Nevertheless, this means that there is no increase or reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide we have in our atmosphere.
2. Another advantage is that algae are absolutely not harmful for the environment. The plant itself, algae, is not an invasive type of plant and it is completely grown in earth friendly production plants. The production of other types of fuel was not so positive, and we all remember catastrophes such as the BP oil spill.
3. Algae are also able to produce a lot of other byproducts, such as pet food, fertilizer and even energy drinks. This means that by increase our production of algae, we can use it not only for fuel, but also for other purposes such as the examples provided above, and a lot more. Furthermore, the types of fuel we can get from algae are all of the main ones we require on our current society: diesel, jet fuel and gasoline.
4. Finally, the oil we get from algae is so “peaceful” that we don’t even have to perform any changes to vehicles we have nowadays in order for them to be able to sustain fuel made from algae.
The Cons of Algae Biofuel
1. Algae biofuel is very expensive to produce. Although a lot of research is being conducted in order to reduce the costs, they are still very high and as such, it is still not an economically viable energy source. Furthermore, this type of biofuel is still in the early stages of development and as such, we are still far from the day it can become a main source of energy.
2. Growing algae is a very delicate process that needs to be done in a closed environment protected by a controlled system. If not, there is a big risk of things going wrong and that will end up costing a lot of money, if algae biofuel ever becomes a main energy source.
