Solazyme Continues to Develop Algae Fuel Technology

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    Previously, it was difficult to imagine that business movers were interested in obtaining cheap energy from algae. Of course, many large companies spoke of their readiness to help, but nobody particularly was going to fulfill their promises and confirm statements by deeds and not by additional statements. And today it became known that the company Solazyme, which is engaged in the creation of technology for producing energy from algae, received investments worth 52 million US dollars. Moreover, investments were provided not by rich scholars who decided to contribute to the benefit of mankind. The money was provided by Morgan Stanley Bank, probably many people know this name.

    Chevron and San-Ei Gen. also acted as investors. It is worth noting that Solazyme is very different from the likes of it - so far only this company has made such significant progress in creating a reliable technology for producing energy from algae that it is allocated such significant funds.

    Many companies try to do the same by cultivating special algae in open ponds or special plastic containers. After the algae crop has “matured”, they are harvested, dehydrated, and transformed into diesel fuel or any equivalents. But Solazyme works in a slightly different way - the company uses the ability of certain types of algae to turn sugar into oils.

    Last month, the company provided 5 cubic meters of fuel for the US Air Force jet engines. Fuel will be checked and in case of successful tests certified. The company is also working on the creation of food products and drugs to improve health (from those same algae), but this does not apply to the topic.

    Experts believe that if all the tests go well, and the company manages to develop a more efficient method for producing fuel, then soon the prices for “diesel fuel from algae” will fall sharply. It is interesting, if they really learn how to produce fuel on an industrial scale, will there be a drop in prices on the oil product market, and in general, will the company dump?

    In any case, investing large amounts of money in companies of this kind is a good indicator that a big business is really interested in alternative methods of generating energy (of course, not in order to help the world, but in order to earn even more). Let's hope that such investments will go into good use, and in ten years (or maybe earlier?) At the gas station there will be a separate column marked “green fuel”. Maybe, by that time it will be the only type of speakers at fuel stations ... Who knows, maybe this will be so.

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