New Algae 2020 Study Asks: Can Algae Feed and Fuel The World?

(BIOFUELS DIGEST NEWSWIRE: Houston, September 23) Emerging Markets Online, a strategic management consultancy specializing in energy forecasting and technology commercialization, recently published a study Algae 2020: Biomass Market Strategies and Commercialization Outlook (460 pages, June 2009). Algae 2020 is a strategic guide for investors, fuel producers, agribusiness, researchers, stakeholders, and consultants.

The Algae 2020 study asks: Can Algae Feed and Fuel The World?

The answer is: it already does.

Can Algae Fuel The World?

We already use algae for fuel. It is in the car you drive, a fossil fuel. Today's crude oil originates from algae that has cooked in the layers of the earth for hundreds of millions of years. Fast forward 20 years. The US Department of energy estimates global demand for energy will increase by 50% by the year 2030. Most of this energy growth will come from the Emerging Markets of China, India, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas.

"Emerging Markets Online asks - how will the world meet this increasing demand for energy? The Algae 2020 study answers these questions and presents real-world, practical, achievable mid to long-term solutions for algae biomass and biofuels production," said Thurmond. "The US, Europe, China and India are addicted to imported foreign oil. Each of these countries has a plan to reduce oil consumption with biofuels. Oil and gas majors BP, Chevron, Exxon and Shell are investing in algae as their logical feedstock of choice to produce biofuels without compromising the rainforests or arable land. Plus, algae consumes CO2 from power plants, a double benefit for carbon reduction and biofuels production." said Thurmond.

Can Algae Help Feed The World?

We already use algae to feed livestock. Fish and cattle feed on algae produced from oceans, rivers and in ponds. Chickens feed on proteins from algal biomass, and humans consume these livestock. In the Emerging Markets of China, India, Africa, the Middle East and Africa, there is an increasing demand from rising middle classes for more beef, chicken, fish and protein in their diets, representing a huge opportunity for algae feedstock. According to of the United Nations, agricultural output will need to double by 2050 to feed more than 9 billion people, which notes increasing food production is a moral imperative to meet growing population demands.

"Emerging Markets' Algae 2020 study examines these challenges and finds algae will play an increasing role in bio-industrial production systems to create high-value feed for livestock and human consumption, “ said Thurmond. "Algae feedstocks have a key role to play in feeding this massive demand for food from the Emerging Markets by 2050," said Thurmond.

Will Industrial Algae Projects Help to Feed and Fuel The World?

"The increasing needs from Emerging Markets for feed and fuel are creating greater demands on arable lands" said Thurmond. "Algae 2020 concludes the commercialization of algae technologies will play a key supporting role in bridging the gap between today’s resources, and the future Emerging Market demands for feed and fuel," said Thurmond.

The Algae 2020 study was written by Will Thurmond, President of energy strategy and forecasting firm Emerging Markets Online. The Algae 2020 study was based on dozens of on-site visits with algae producers and more than four years of collaborations with scientists, biofuel producers, associations, governments, investors, inventors and NGOs, and includes a forward by Jim Lane, Editor of Biofuels Digest.