Israeli researchers planning algae reactors for biofuel
TEL AVIV — An Israeli company has been developing algae as a
source of fuel.
Israel's Seambiotic is employing algae as a biofuel that could also
reduce pollution from coal power plants. Executives said the method channels
carbon dioxide emissions from coal-burning smokestacks through pools of
skeletonema algae, which in turn converts to fuel.
The concept has been tested in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon,
which contains a coal-burning power plant, Middle East Newsline reported.
Executives said Seambiotic's
prototype algae farm in Ashkelon, a $2 million investment, could lead to the
company's first large-scale biofuel reactor in 2008 in cooperation with
companies from either India, Italy, Singapore or the United States.
Algae
was said to be capable of manufacturing 30 times more oil than crops
currently used for biofuel production.
"As we have already developed and produced algae through the process,
our main goal is to market the installation and development of our unique
algae growing system around the world," Noam Menczel, director of investor
relations at Seambiotic, said.