Golden Algae Biofuel?

by: JAWVMM

Tue Nov 03, 2009 at 09:42:36 AM EST

I was idly wondering if, since Dunkard Creek is destroyed, someone might harvest the algae for biofuel. Like flat land created by mountaintop removal, streams chemically altered by mine drainage to create algae fields could be a real economic asset.

And then this popped up in my Scientific American RSS feed: Mining for Algae: Could Abandoned Mines Help Grow Biofuel?

"Algae are exceptional at sequestering metals," Vidt said, adding that the biodiesel produced on site could be used in additional mining operations. "This is a [public relations] boon for these guys: It works for them, they get some fuel, and on the flip side, they don't have to pay reclamation."

To naysayers who criticize the process for burning more energy than it produces, Vidt argues that the process brings more benefit than just biodiesel.

"Our other co-products, like environmental remediation and carbon dioxide sequestration, we don't know the price of those..."

The setup also provides a perk for mining companies faced with the task of cleaning up in the wake of excavation.

And

mines can be inexpensive, since mining companies have already done the most expensive site preparations.

They propose lighting underground mines with LEDs, which is why it takes more energy than it produces. But what about all those strip-mine ponds?  And thank goodness no-one has enforced AOC - now we have huge flat areas next to the impoundments just waiting for biofuel refineries!

The Future of Coal Mining

by: Clem Guttata

Sun Nov 09, 2008 at 12:54:35 PM EST

If you are curious why Gov. Manchin--the Gov. of a coal state--is starting to touting biofuels, read the section on "Biofuel Mix." It provides one potential reason.