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  •  No clue... (none / 0)


    To put it in perspective, the cost of soy biodiesel is mainly the soy oil.  The cost of processing is relatively small.

    I suspect that their costs for the algal oil will mainly be the cost of the photobioreactors and associated equipment.

    My recollection is that this process also removed NOx and SO2 from the flue gas.  I asked whether it would be possible to use CO2 gas from a brewery or a bioethanol plant, and the answer was no - you need those other gasses to help feed the algae.  Thus there may be reduced plant operating expenses for the power plant operator which could offset the costs of installing all of the photobioreactors.

    by ericy on Mon May 30, 2005 at 05:42:02 PM PDT

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    •  If not reduced costs... (none / 0)

      Then tradeable pollution credits for the averted SO2 release.

      Next step is to look for markets or other direct uses for what's left of the algae after extracting the oil.

      Running against Herb "WIRETAP" Kohl in 2012. $1/year. Cash preferred.
      Masel4Senate 1214 E. Mifflin, Madison, WI 53703

      by ben masel on Mon May 30, 2005 at 05:49:40 PM PDT

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      •  I take back the SO2 comment... (none / 0)


        The process consumes the NOx, which is still good.  I would rather it also ate the SO2, but I was just looking at the companies website, and they don't talk about SO2 at all.

        There would literally be many many tons of stuff leftover after oil extraction.  I haven't seen discussions of what they intend to do - I could make guesses though.  I suppose it could make a good fertilizer, or perhaps it could be fermented, but this is just my own guesses.

        by ericy on Mon May 30, 2005 at 06:01:06 PM PDT

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        •  SO@ (none / 0)

          Might even make sense to run the stack gas through a room of sulpherphilic plants first, then thru your primary carbon capture.

          Running against Herb "WIRETAP" Kohl in 2012. $1/year. Cash preferred.
          Masel4Senate 1214 E. Mifflin, Madison, WI 53703

          by ben masel on Mon May 30, 2005 at 06:07:11 PM PDT

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