Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hi All,

Saw this news this morning and thought it sounded pretty cool.

http://www.news.com.au/business/breaking-news/brazil-builds-algae-based-biofuel-plant/story-e6frfkur-1226430582783

Basically they have a sugar cane ethanol plant that produces CO2 which they will use to promote/feed algae growth for creation of bio-fuel. I know nothing else about it but sounds like a responsible and forward thinking idea on dealing with a pollutant.

Wonder how that how this would work with a carbon tax? (yes I know Brazil is not AU)

Algae.Tec are doing the same thing right here in Aus (Nowra specifically), but using algae.

http://algaetec.com.au/

A pretty cool little company really.

I know some universities are running algae plants on the side of power stations to grow algae for fuel. Cant remember where in oz though.

i'm brazilian and 27 years old and i have to say to you that i grew up in my fathers ethanol volkswagen voyage (actually he bought it in the year i was born). It is not big news using sugar cane ethanol here. The plant is like the best in sun energy absorbing (in comparison with corn or other alternatives), the processing is much more simple since the sugars are free (no starch breaking needed) and you can alternate between food(sugar) and fuel in the production plant.In the past there was a lot of industrial residue, but now everything is converted. The solid residue is now used in the boilers that produce more than enough energy for internal usage and the excess energy is sold to energy company. If you can "filter" CO2 from the boiler by feeding algae you can reduce drastically the carbon emission of the fuel/sugar production facility.