By Stella Davis
Current-Argus Staff Writer
07/08/2008
CARLSBAD — A major milestone has been reached in local efforts to produce a high quality biodiesel fuel from algae oil.
The Center of Excellence for Hazardous Materials Management recently harvested commercial-scale quantities of algae from its test salt water ponds located at New Mexico State University Agriculture Science Center in north Eddy County, according to Wren Prather-Stroud, spokeswoman for the nonprofit organization based in Carlsbad.
She said the produced oil appears to have all the right profiles for making high quality biodiesel fuel.
The algae are harvested from the ponds and pressed into a green paste, from which the oil is extracted.
Since 2006, the center has been conducting applied research in growing, harvesting and extracting oil from algae to find the most productive species to provide a biofuel.
Asked to define "commercial scale," Prather-Stroud said there are three scales in the ongoing algae-to-fuel research.
"The first is lab scale, which may only be a beaker full of algae oil. The second is a pilot scale, which is a little more. The third is commercial scale, which is a whole lot more," she explained.
She said the harvested oil is currently sent to different labs for standardized testing.
"We extracted a significant amount of oil from the algae and the dark green oil has been converted to biodiesel. It is undergoing standardized tests to show that it meets all the national fuel standard qualifications for transportation fuel," Prather-Stroud said. "This marks an historical milestone in developing the technology necessary to make endlessly renewable fuel that does not compete with food crops for resources."
Prather-Stroud said the center is projecting construction and operation of a commercial-scale integrated system for producing algae oil within the next 18 to 24 months.