University Gets A$2 Million Funding for Algae Project

Murdoch Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Jim Reynoldson announced that the University – a leader in environmental solutions and renewable energy - had received A$1.89 million to begin the innovative project from the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts.

The groundbreaking research will see 20 scientists develop and oversee large scale open ponds or ‘photo-bioreactors’ of algae growing in saline water in Australia, India and China - as part of Australia’s commitment to the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.

Murdoch Professor Michael Borowitzka, who leads the project, claims algae is the most promising biofuel option on the planet as it doesn’t compete with food production, can be grown in saline water, and produces 10-20 times the oil produced by other crops.

Australia was ideally placed for large scale algae biofuel production, he said, given its quantities of sunlight, easily accessible saline water and non arable land. However, it was currently too costly a process to be economically viable.

"At present the cost of producing biofuel from algae is too high," said Professor Borowitzka.

"It costs A$12 a kilogram, but we need to bring that down to A$1 a kilogram using well adapted algae strains and improving all the production processes."

Professor Borowitzka has been working on finding elite strains of algae and developing applications for microalgae for 30 years and says the size of land required to produce fuel from algae was tiny compared to that needed for agricultural-based biofuels such as canola, sugarcane or corn.

"For Australia to produce one per cent of biodiesel from algae you’d need a 100 square kilometre size plant – which is small compared to up to 2000 square kilometres required for the same amount to be produced from canola."

The Murdoch-led project will also investigate the anticipated low levels of carbon emissions produced in algae fuel production, and possible further energy generation from algae waste.

The University of Adelaide, Parry Nutraceuticals in India and South China Institute of Technology are partnering Murdoch University in the research.

Murdoch Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Jim Reynoldson said the Federal funding success built upon the University’s growing research commitment to renewable energies and low carbon technologies.

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