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If an area the size of the North Sea was used to cultivate algae, it could generate enough fuel to power the transport of the entire planet.
That's the conclusion of independent British researcher John Munford, reports 'The Economist', although he does not yet have detailed ideas on how the crop could be harvested economically.
Previously, algae has been considered as a means of sequestering carbon dioxide, by seeding the oceans with iron filings.
The filings prompt algae to grow, absorbing CO2 in the process, and it eventually sinks to the ocean floor when it dies, trapping the CO2 there.
The unknown risks of initiating such a project are what have prevented it occurring on a wide scale so far.
Growing algae to generate fuel is a potentially less risky solution, argues Munford, who explains that it can be used to produce oils suitable for making biodiesel, and is also more energy-dense than the land-based crops currently being used to generate this fuel. It's an idea that has considerable merit, but it is some way from being realised.
- REUTERS
