The American Association for the Advancement of Science conference wrapped up on the 22nd of February, and the topic of biofuels certainly did not go untouched.

Many scientists have been addressing the commercialization of the algal biofuel production process. Thus far, the obstacle has mainly been a battle with efficiency. The most recently proposed solution is not a change in the process or methodology of the production, but rather, in the location.

By coupling the location of algae based biofuel factories with oil refineries, coal-fueled productions plants, and even cement plants, the efficiency issue may come to a resolution. The amount of CO2 found in the water and other resources near these production facilities is typically off the charts, and is released as waste from the factories. For example, municipal wastewater treatment plants turn out so-called cleansed water into the nearby lakes and streams. This water is too high in nitrogen, phosphorous and CO2 to be used by humans for drinking water, however these high levels are optimal for facilitating algae growth.

The use of co-location will cause an increase in algal growth. This will allow for algae to be converted into animal feed or even a syrupy liquid called “bioleum” and burned as a fuel for these factories.

In the grand scheme of things, the idea is to create a ‘symbiotic’ relationship between production plants in the area; where the factories can feed off of each other’s byproducts and keep each other running as an efficient family of production facilities. This would in turn boost efficiencies in a large scale, not only of algal biofuels, but all of the neighboring industries.

Discussion Question: What other production facilities could fit nicely into this sort of “co-location” family?

News Article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=co-location-could-make-algae-biofue-2010-02-22