EFFICIENT, AND ECONOMICAL ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SUPPLY

DECLINING ENERGY RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRODUCTION AND IMPORTATION OF FOSSIL FUELS AND THE PRODUCTION OF NUCLEAR ENERGY HAVE PRODUCED A NEED FOR RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT OF SAFE, EFFICIENT, AND ECONOMICAL ENERGY ALTERNATIVES. SOLUTIONS MUST BE FOUND THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF THE U.S. ENERGY DEMAND AND YET BE LAND, WATER AND NUTRIENT CONSERVATIVE. LABORATORY STUDIES OF OIL PRODUCING FRESHWATER AND MARINE PHYTOPLANTKTON (MICROALGAE) INDICATE THAT SEVERAL SPECIES ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING OILS IN THE RANGE OF 25-50% OF TOTAL DRY WEIGHT. AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS CAN BE DESIGNED TO PRODUCE LARGE ENOUGH QUANTITIES OF OIL TO CREATE AN ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SUPPLY THAT WOULD BE SAFE, EFFICIENT, ANDECONOMICAL. TECHNICAL EXPERTISE DEVELOPED UNDER THE SPIRULINA PROJECT CAN BE USED TO HELP DEVELOP FIELD CULTIVATION TECHNIQUES FOROIL-PRODUCING ALGAE. THE PHASE I EFFORT UNDER THIS PROPOSALWOULD SPECIFICALLY FOCUS ON: (1) IDENTIFICATION OF HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE SPECIES THAT PRODUCE LARGE AMOUNTS OF VALUABLE LIPIDS; (2) ACTUAL CULTURING OF SEVERAL OIL PRODUCING SPECIES TO INCLUDE BOTRYOCOCCUS BRAUNII, CHLORELLA VULGARIS,ETC.; (3) ADAPTATION OF SPIRULINA FIELD CULTIVATION METHODS TO THE OIL PRODUCING SPECIES SELECTED; AND (4) DEVELOPMENT OF HARVESTING AND OIL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY. WE EXPECT TO DEMONSTRATE, FOR AT LEAST ONE SPECIES, THE FOURBASIC PREMISES REQUIRED FOR THE FEASIBILITY OF ENERGY/CHEMICAL PRODUCTION THROUGH AQUACULTURE: HIGH PRODUCTIVITY, HIGH OIL CONTENT, ABILITY TO DOMINATE IN THE POND CULTURE, AND FLOCCULATION FOR SIMPLE HARVESTING.