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The key to algae鈥檚 potential as a renewable fuel source lies in the way they store energy. That鈥檚 because some strains of algae store energy in the form of natural oils. Extract that oil and you have the raw material to make fuel for cars, trucks, trains, and planes.

Algae are small aquatic organisms that convert sunlight into energy. With more than 100,000 different species, algae are among the most diverse groups of organisms on earth. The key to algae鈥檚 potential as a renewable fuel source lies in the way they store energy. That鈥檚 because some strains of algae store energy in the form of natural oils.

But that鈥檚 exactly what Energy Department scientists and researchers are exploring right now 鈥?strategies to produce clean, renewable biofuel from algae. , we鈥檙e taking a behind-the-scenes look at the process for converting algae into fuel. Algae are small aquatic organisms that convert sunlight into energy.

Our intention first is to recover valuable products from microalgae followed by digestion of the residual biomass to biogas. Carbon dioxide is recycled to the algal cultivation process. For a positive net energy balance the use of waste gas as the carbon source is a basic requirement for photoautotrophic microalgae biomass production.