Funding bonanza for oil-from-algae firm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/30/greenbusiness.oil?gusrc=rss&feed=business ^

[chessplayer]

A Californian start-up company promising "green crude" fuel from algae has been given $50m (£25.33m) in funding from investors, including Britain's biggest charity, the Wellcome Trust.

The year-old start-up, Sapphire Energy, came out of "stealth mode" this week with an announcement that its trials have been so successful that its backers have promised no-limit funding.

[kcm.org]

Why? The crude oil bubble is about to burst, which will send oil done to $40/bbl.

[ConservativeMind]

Ping.

[L,TOWM]

LOL

[AmericaUnited]

Well let’s keep going till we hit $20. “20 per barrel” has such a sweet sound to it... like angels singing...

[wendy1946]

These guys (Sapphire) are basically growing gasoline; their oil product does not even need to be refined. If nothing else it has the potential to ensure that we never pay $4 per gallon of gasoline again.

[Wonder Warthog]

"These guys (Sapphire) are basically growing gasoline; their oil product does not even need to be refined."

Well, a lot LESS refinement, anyway. At a minimum, it has to be separated from the aqueous matrix that contains the micro-organisms---so "some" level of post-treatment WILL be necessary.

[Recon Dad]

I agree with you this bubble will burst soon.

[Recon Dad]

It will be five years before “green crude” is commercially available.

The Dems will say, so why bother.

[ovrtaxt]

Pyle preferred to indulge in US-based jingoism, despite the fact that funding comes from Wellcome, which sees its investing role as benefiting the world at large. "Sapphire Energy was founded on the belief that the only way to cure our (US) dependence on foreign oil and end our flirtation with ethanol and biodiesel is through radical new thinking and a commitment to new technologies," he told the recent Simmons Alternative Energy Conference.

Guess what, Guardian, We are Americans first and citizens of the world later. If some Brits had developed this, you wouldn't have to listen to our "jingoism", but they didn't.

[Red Badger]

Rest In Peace, old friend, your work is finished.....

If you want ON or OFF the DIESEL ”KnOcK” LIST just FReepmail me.....

This is a fairly HIGH VOLUME ping list on some days.....

[kcm.org]

It still takes more oil to produce this biofuel than it saves. Sadly, a pipe dream.

Red Badger has the answer [diesel] but doesn't seem to be anyone important listening to him/her.

[PapaBear3625]

Why? The crude oil bubble is about to burst, which will send oil done to $40/bbl.

Because by the time they are ready for production, there will be a new oil bubble to pop

[kcm.org]

Diesel is the answer—but just shouting in the wind, FReeper! sniff sniff

[Red Badger]

We can make diesel from coal, from algae, from sewage, from garbage, from recycled plastics, from biomass, from recycled cooking oils, from just about anything you can name.................

[kcm.org]

Thanx, the runup of diesal is the story that is not being told, but it's the solution. KISS [Keep It Somple Stupid] is almost the divine answer to problems/

[chrisser]

It still takes more oil to produce this biofuel than it saves.

Just curious, but how do you know this? There's little info on the process in this article.

I haven't even been able to find if they're using the algae that produce oil internally and have to be killed and squeezed, or the algae that produce the oil as a byproduct that needs to be filtered out of the water.

Not doubting you, I'd just like to learn more.

[wolf78]

It still takes more oil to produce this biofuel than it saves. Sadly, a pipe dream.

Facts? Data?

[PapaBear3625]

Diesel is the answer—but just shouting in the wind, FReeper! sniff sniff

Diesel is a stopgap until we get more nuke power, unless you are talking about coal-to-liquid diesel

[Tainan]

http://www.sapphireenergy.com