Fueling the future

All photos by William White. Amber-colored algae oil contrasts in color with the jar of green algae to its right.

On most days the students at Eastwood Christian Academy in Opelika are between first and 12th grades.

Monday morning however, school Headmaster David James was educating a more diverse group of pupils, and the lesson of the day was alternative fuels.

James and several of his colleagues demonstrated a process by which multiple types of biofuels could be extracted from algae (pond scum).

“We’re proving that this can be consistently done,” James said.

A special machine capable of exploding the cells of the algae using pressure and thus extracting the oil used to make biodiesel was also part of the day’s demonstrations.

The biofuels derived from a process called transesterification were used to power several vehicles at Eastwood Christian Academy as a laundry list of local and state officials were on hand to observe.

Observe and hopefully become concerned about, if David Bransby has anything to say about it.

“I want to impress upon everyone that we are in a crisis as it pertains to our fuel situation in this country,” said Bransby, a researcher for Auburn University and an expert on alternative fuels who has spoken with President Bush on the topic twice during his administration. “Most people haven’t come to that realization yet.”

“A year ago, we were at $60 a barrel of oil. Friday that price closed at $126 a barrel,” said Bransby. “Gas prices went up significantly after Katrina, but we don’t have Katrina to blame anymore.”

Coupled with the fact that the United States imports nearly 60 percent of the oil it uses from countries with unstable governments around the world, and you have all the components of potential “crisis” in Bransby’s opinion.

“Ethanol fuels made from corn and soy products have done a great job in kicking this industry off, but we can’t carry on in that direction,” Bransby added.

Ron Putt agrees and has conducted extensive research with chlorella, a species of algae capable of doubling its size in a matter of hours.

“This fast-growing species of algae can produce up to 1,000 gallons of oil per acre per year,”said Putt, a chemical engineering professor at Auburn University. Putt also heads up AU’s algae-growing program. The ability to produce fuels from alternative sources could significantly reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil.

“My vision is to turn the Southeast into the new OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries),” said Putt.

James has plans in the works to have a pilot plant that produces biodiesel fuels up and running in Mobile by the end of the year.

That’s something Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks says he’s looking forward to.

“The demand on our energy resources is growing every day, and we have to be able to produce energy in this form,” Sparks said. “Every gallon of oil we can produce in this country is one less gallon we have to bring out of that desert.”

And while research and funding are key to expanding the biodiesel from algae operation, educating the public about the need to continue the search for alternative fuels is something Tommy Greene said is critical to events like Monday’s demonstration.

“Our goal is to make sure at least one member in every family (is) able to discuss alternative fuels in a knowledgeable way so that they and their family members can make an informed decision,”said Greene of T-CO Industries, a Georgia-based alterative fuels company.

Algae-turned-to-gasoline powered this mower driven by Racheal Lewis at Eastwood Christian School Monday.

Local, regional and state officials, researchers from Georgia, Georgia Tech and Auburn University and industry representatives were on hand Monday at Eastwood Christian School near Opelika to hear about the technologies and processes related to using algae to make fuels like biodiesel and gasoline.