Maersk, the world's largest shipping company, is currently evaluating the replacement of low-grade marine heavy oil and diesel fuel with algae oil on its 98,000-ton container ship. The company tested 30 tons of algae oil supplied by the US Navy on a European-Indian ship; last month, the US Navy tested 20,000 gallons of algae oil on a retired destroyer. Both tests used a mixture of algae oil and traditional marine heavy oil, with algae oil accounting for between 7% and 100%. (1 gallon is about 3.79 liters) A spokesperson for Maersk said: "The test has not been completed, but the company has not encountered any problems."
The Guardian said the collaboration between Maersk and the US Navy is expected to boost the use of renewable marine fuel. Maersk's 1300 ships consume more than $6 billion in marine heavy oil each year, while the US Navy burns about 40 million barrels of oil a year. As part of its Green Fleet project, the US Navy plans to test algae oil on more ships next year and plans to reduce traditional fuel consumption by 50% by 2020. (1 US dollar is equivalent to 6.32 yuan)
Jacob Sterling, head of the Maersk Climate and Environment Division, said: “Boats consume 350 million tons of oil per year and emit 3-4% of all greenhouse gases. So find a replacement for the vessel. Fuel is very attractive. We expect at least 10% of the world's ships to use biofuels in 20 years."
Seaweed is one of the 30,000 single-celled organisms known in nature. Their food comes from plants such as crops. After the algae are decomposed, they receive nutrients and convert their sugar into oil.
At present, only the US Solazyme company has its exact attributes. The company has a giant seaweed oil production fermentation bank in Pennsylvania. Chief Financial Officer Tyler Painterm said: "Technology is already there. The question now is how to mass produce. The company has received a 450,000 gallon seaweed oil order from the US Navy for ship testing. We tested thousands of seaweeds grown in swamps, mountains and oceans and are now able to produce different oils from a variety of seaweeds."
The world's largest integrated energy company Chevron, the US agricultural company, Bunge, and billionaire Richard Bryson have expressed interest in algae oil, including Bryson's Virgin Airlines. Algae oil aircraft fuel was tested. Not only that, Solazyme intends to build a plant in Brazil with an annual output of 50 million gallons of algae oil.
Most of the early biofuels used for transportation are extracted from food crops, while the “second generation†biofuel production consumes only plant waste and does not compete with people and animals for food. The production of algae oil requires a large amount of raw materials. According to Maersk estimates, about half of the land waste of Denmark is used as raw material to produce all the algae oil needed for the company's vessels. But even if part of the seaweed oil is used, it can reduce air pollution on a large scale. Marine heavy oil is slightly heavier than asphalt and is the most polluting fuel in the world. The pollution generated by burning heavy oil per vessel per year is equivalent to 50 million vehicles.
However, the Guardian said that it is uncertain how much algae oil can reduce greenhouse gases. Seaweed consumes carbon dioxide during its growth and releases carbon dioxide during the combustion process. Solazyme and Maersk claim that algae oil can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 80% compared to gasoline on long-term use.
In fact, the competition in the algae oil market is also fierce. In October 2010, the US Navy purchased 20055 gallons of algae oil at a price of $424 per gallon, but in December last year, prices fell to $26.67 per gallon.
At the same time, Craig Venter, the world's first bioscientist who arranged the human genome and designed the first synthetic cell, is working to develop a genetically modified algae fuel that relies on sunlight and seawater. Growing, can be cultured in the ocean.
“There are three main elements: carbon dioxide, daylight and seawater, plus equipment and refining technologies, and we can achieve the entire conversion process. We are looking for sites with these elements globally, this is a long-term plan,†said Fant. The Guardian said that if the US Navy really uses algae oil or other biofuels, it would mean the end of the naval era fueled by gasoline.
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