About Microalgae & Biofuels
Microalgae efficiently produce high-quality oil through photosynthesis using energy captured from sunlight and carbon dioxide. When isolated and refined through either chemical or thermal processing, the oils can be converted into fuels such as green diesel, biojet and biodiesel.
The unique advantages of algal fuels include:
Biological Efficiency: Microalgae are naturally occurring, single-celled organisms. They are extremely efficient at converting sunlight and simple nutrients into energy. For commercial oil production, microalgae have a faster growth rate and higher oil yields than species of other larger algae.
High Energy Balance: Algal biodiesel has a substantially higher energy balance than biodiesels produced from food crops such as soy, palm and canola. This is because fossil fuel consumption plays a minor role in algae production and a major role in the cultivation of food crops. (Energy balance refers to the amount of energy yielded from fuel minus the amount of energy required to produce fuel.)
Carbon Mitigation: Scientists have identified carbon dioxide as a primary culprit of global warming. As part of the natural photosynthetic process, microalgae consume carbon dioxide when they grow. In fact, microalgae thrive on a high concentration of CO2. Solix's AGSTM Technology can use the exhaust from power plants and other industrial sites in the algae's growth cycle, leaving cleaner air in the process.
Water Conservation: Solix's AGSTM Technology uses only a small amount of water to operate compared to the irrigation requirements of traditional food crops and first generation biofuel feedstocks.
Land Use: Microalgae production does not compete with agriculture food crops for land. Solix's AGSTM Technology uses a closed system that does not require soil; it can be implemented on arid land that is not suitable for agriculture use.
Useful Co-Products: The microalgae production process generates co-products with multiple uses. The organic matter remaining after the oil has been extracted can be used to produce animal feed, ethanol and methane, and has potential for chemical products such as bio-plastics.