Chlorella Biofuel

Algae are the fastest-growing plants in the world. Chlorella biofuel is a very clean type of non-fossil fuel and, when one day it becomes available on a mass scale, it could make a significant contribution to reduce carbon emissions. The beauty of it is that there is a limitless amount of algae growing in oceans, lakes, and rivers, throughout the world. Chlorella is a genus of single-celled green algae and the name comes from the Greek word �chloros� meaning green, and the Latin diminutive suffix �ella� meaning small.

Recently there have been some promising technological breakthroughs in this field. Not too long ago the American Chemical Society released a statement saying that chemists reported the development of what they termed the first economical, eco-friendly process to produce chlorella biofuel, with the added bonus of not producing any wastewater.

One of the most exciting aspects of chlorella biofuel is that as a potential source of food and energy, chlorella�s photosynthetic efficiency can reach levels as high as sugar cane, or 8%. Through photosynthesis it multiplies rapidly requiring only carbon dioxide, water, sunlight, and a small amount of minerals to reproduce.

Besides the efficiency advantage, there are other factors that make chlorella biofuel a very attractive option: algae can be grown in non-arable land; it can be grown on marine or waste water, therefore saving fresh water; it avoids the food versus fuel problem. The drawback is that harvesting still is expensive, therefore before chlorella biofuel becomes economically viable for mass consumption, more research will be necessary. But it�s definitely a very promising renewable energy alternative.