Comments on: First portion of huge algae farm in New Mexico is done

By: The Dark One

The Dark One — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 12:06:06 +0000

I look at it as a learning tool. It is a new technology that some one has to pave the road by doing. My question is what else can they do with the algae? Medical, plastics, lubricants? With a new industry now that some one HAS paved the road others should be getting into it so that their niche in the market can be filled.

By: guest

guest — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 13:21:55 +0000

$135million invested so far. 100barrels per day of biofuel.

Another $400 Million for further scale up.

And this is supposed to compete with $4/gal diesel at the pump?

By: Green Machine

Green Machine — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 23:35:51 +0000

Folks I can understand all of your concern about all the conflicting data and the high costs of the bio fool. Yes fool as this technology makes no sense and is gangrene not green. Bill Gates gave this money as he knows nothing about thermodynamics. The UD Govt money came from the Department of Argriculture as Chu Chu Train had wasted his billions on the other bio fools. I am a chemical engineer and a guy who studied thermodynamics and did strategic planning for Genentech till I recently retired. So I know a little about biotech as well. Shell has given up on bio fools. Total wishes they had never invested in Amyris. BP has lied to world that they and UC Bezerkely would yield bio fools for the masses. Exxon Mobil lied that they and Stanford would solve the earth’s bio fools needs. Look you can fuel some of the people some of the time but you cannot fuel all of the people all of the time. The end of the waste of tax payers’ money on gangrene science is near. Obama on’t waste another dime after November if he wins and Romney does not concern himself with rising oceans so Mr. Gates’ trip into green fuels will just peter out like his studies at Harvard. They were kind of idiotic to choose the name Sapphire which is all about the Blues. They should have chosen Emerald for their name and their green fake-out could have lasted longer. go to http://www.greenexplored.com to really learn about matters green and how to see the wood from the trees and the pond scum from other scum.

By: Nick Braak

Nick Braak — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 21:00:38 +0000

Interesting to read other comments using simple arithmetic to extrapolate costs and yields into the future.

Folks, this is RESEARCH, aka R&D, not a dollar-for-dollar replacement for current crude. It may be our savior or a Google Buzz-like boondoggle. But we won’t know what is worth pursuing until someone tries and turns theory into proof-of-concept, into a production environment. And that costs real money and takes time. More green power to ‘em!

By: Nick Braak

Nick Braak — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 20:53:21 +0000

By: The North Coast Curmudgeon

The North Coast Curmudgeon — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 20:33:03 +0000

I wonder what they mean by “barrels?”

The buckets in the image accompanying this piece appear to be 5 gallon buckets, not 42 gallon barrels typically used in industry.

The US Navy recently paid over $26.00 a gallon for biofuel.

In any case, let’s hope the technology matures and the price of production goes down.

By: factor

factor — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:56:53 +0000

based upon my estimates…..in order for them to become profitable it will take 400+years (including the gov’t subs)!!! haha!!!!

By: guest

guest — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:02:54 +0000

Have been hearing about green crude for the last 5 years. Where is the “green crude”? All ponds in New Mexico have crashed due to the heat. Where can I buy some of theat green crude? Isn’t the word crude used in the oil patch? Never heard of it in the nutraceutical industry.

By: wellis

wellis — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 12:13:54 +0000

He must need a BIG tax loss.

By: MySchizo Buddy

MySchizo Buddy — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 10:06:16 +0000

considering Bill Gates is the investor i would say yes they did the math