The quest for sustainable sources of energy has led many creative minds to exploration of algae as a means of producing biomass. Much well documented work has been done on different options for bringing algae into the energy production effort. Some 150 companies are currently active in pursuing its potential.
Using algae for energy purposes can be an alternative to land-based biomass cultivation, thus avoiding land-use conflict with other crops. Algae could promise productivity levels exceeding those of terrestrial plants. There are many question marks, however, notably over timelines for commercial exploitation, R&D needs, levels of CO2, costs and barriers.
To assess the state of the art in this potentially important area and provide some answers, the IEA Bioenergy programme brought experts together for a workshop in Belgium in October 2009. A newly published 16-page downloadable report Algae - the Future for Bioenergy? presents the summary and conclusions from this workshop. The presentations can be downloaded from the website of >> IEA Bionenergy.
Source: International Energy Agency (IEA)
