La Jornada: One day, planes and ships will be able to run on algae

Massachusetts. Green cells spin around a chamber illuminated with red light, propelled by a blade through bubbling water. These tiny cells of seaweed, called gametophytes, will become a fast-growing variety of kelp, part of what was once a government-funded initiative to develop sustainable biofuels for transportation in the United States.

Electricity from solar and wind power can power cars; However, ships and aircraft largely run on liquid fuels made with a high percentage of petroleum or gasoline. When burned, they emit carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that causes global warming. Biofuel, refined from organic material such as plants or algae, is a possible option to change the composition of fuels.

One type of biofuel comes from kelp. Through a process that uses heat and pressure to produce fuel, known as hydrothermal liquefaction, this humble algae could power ships and aircraft without the need for any petroleum products.

“We need other sources of energy that are sustainable; we can’t rely solely on oil,” said Scott Lindell, a marine scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Boston. “There is hardly anything simpler, or that grows as quickly and as sustainably, as seaweed.”

Existing biofuels, such as corn-derived ethanol, function primarily as gasoline additives. Corn crops require agricultural land, fresh water and pesticides, while kelp, on the other hand, can be grown in the ocean with minimal resources.

Although any bioethanol – whether produced from corn or kelp – releases dangerous gases when burned, such as acetaldehyde, in general, these fuels produce fewer greenhouse gases compared to those derived from petroleum.

Researchers like Lindell have successfully bred varieties of kelp that, in some cases, produce up to three times more biomass than conventional strains. However, energy companies are reluctant to invest in large-scale aquaculture projects without demonstrated demand, and farmers are hesitant to expand production without a guaranteed buyer, creating a vicious cycle that has slowed the development of the industry.