MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine scientists research bio-diesel production from micro-algae

Vats of farmed micro-algae.

A team of Argentine researchers from the National Technological University of Mar del Plata (UTN) is working on a research project to produce bio-diesel from marine micro-algae, with the aim of developing economically viable and environmentally sustainable processes.

The group already designed a low-cost production module of micro-algae, from where it seeks to limit consumed energy to below 20% of the energy produced.

”A fundamental factor of this project centres on the replacement of high-cost raw materials, like carbon dioxide and cultivation items, with the availing of environmental liabilities like industrial emissions and sewage mud,” the university informed.

The research work is developed in the city of Mar del Plata, with the participation of scientists and technicians with know-how in aquaculture, phycology, biotechnology, environmental engineering and processes.

The production of bio-diesel from marine micro-algae has very important advantages: It does not restrict human food consumption (such is the case with soybean) and fresh water is not used, but rather sea water, which cools the equipment of a large factory near the location where the project is developed.

From each hectare of micro algae some 8,000 litres of oil are obtained per year, point out the experts, who rely on the collaboration of researchers of the National Technological University of Resistance, Chaco.

During the development of the project, which began in 2008, a species of very productive micro-algae with high oil content was adapted to local conditions and was cultivated in pools of up to 2.000 litres during the four seasons of the year.

The researchers emphasise that they reached compatible cellular densities with its mass production and the micro-algae were separated satisfactorily from the cultivation water by means of flocculation and centrifugation.

In addition, they extracted the total oil content and determined by means of gaseous chromatography that the oil obtained is apt for bio-diesel production (FIS)