KLM Schedules First Biofuel Test Flight With Passengers

KLM Schedules First Biofuel Test Flight With Passengers:
photo: abdallahh via flickr.

As stated earlier in a previous article of mine: AlgaeLink + KLM = Bio fuels Deal.

Start Your Own Algae Business?

We all know that Algae can produce about 10,000 - 20,000 Gallons of Bio Fuel a year, per acre. But what some of you don't know is the potential in owning your own commercial grade plant. System can start just under $100,000 dollars and can produce a few kilos of biomass a day up to 1000 kilos if you have the system worked out top to bottom. More information can be found here.

Algae Works with KLM Airlines

I have been following algae start ups for a little bit. Mostly because of the high investment yield those puppies can have in the coming years. A new company which recently topped a list of top 15 Algae start ups* to watch is Algaelink, a bio fuels company based in the Netherlands.

Algaelink announced back in June of 08 of the upcoming deal. They plan to structure an operation that will produce enough fuel to completely fuel 50 KLM airliners. The deal is a good step because of higher aviation fuel. The process uses a 'closed circuit' method called a photobioreactor. It is a great system because it relies on the Sun as one of the primary inputs during the production process.

By 2010 the techniques to produce Bio Algae Aviation Fuel will sustain about 7% of the KLM Flight. Its only a spit in the bucket, but its nice to see that somebody in a suit is taking responsibility. How about booking a KLM next time you fly to the EU?

*List Found Here

MIT Algae Plant

Here is the vertical grow plants being used to grow bio algae fuel!

MIT Algae Photobioreactor

This is a great example of Algae grown to produce bio fuel. This algae is pumped through clear tubes that is exposed to Sun Light. After a 24 hour cycle the algae is collected and the process starts all over again. They also make algae drinks and the suspended algae could even be eaten.

They collect the algae and make a booster powder and they can convert this inert substance to rid themselves of pollutants. Power plant operators pay money to have scrubbers installed to remove nitrogen oxides from smoke stacks. Down the road they could even introduce Algae as a primal choice to remove carbon dioxide.

Power plants could even produce there own algae to clean emissions, making it possible to have real clean coal burning plans without the expensive coal required to power those furnaces.

ALGAE -- THE HOLY GRAIL OF BIOFUEL?

Algae is the holy grail for bio fuels. It doubles roughly every 4 hours. It produces lipids. 50% of Algae weight is suspended with a high grade vegetable oil. Algae not only eats CO2. Here are the stats.

If your looking from a standpoint of Oil. Take for example one acre of Corn that which can produce 18 gallons of fuel per acre, per year. The next highest is POM, you produce 700 gallons per acre, per year. Now here is the real amazing figure. If your growing Algae as a bio fuel, your producing about 20,000 gallons per acre, per year! This is just in a open pond system.

A system 1/10th the side of New Mexico can produce enough fuel yearly to make America energy independent. We can make different kinds of bio fuels with algae, they can engineer the right strain to produce the most efficient fuel. If it is for Diesel vehicles or if it is intended for Commercial Jet Fuel. At the end of the feature they highlight the whole process in a closed plant. They move the fluid in a closed chain to produce this high grade fuel.