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South African company to make fuel out of algae

November 29, 2006

South African fuels firm De Beers Fuel Limited plans to produce 16 to 24 billion litres of bio-diesel a year from algae within five years with an initial investment of 3.5 billion rand ($487.4 million), it said on yesterday.

The company has bought licenses for 100,000 acres to be developed into algae farms - for which the initial investment is targeted - and within five years from now the intention is to increase that land area to 800,000 acres.

De Beers Fuel, which is unrelated to the world's biggest diamond producer De Beers, said in a statement that South Africa uses about 8.1 billion litres of bio-diesel yearly.

De Beers Fuel already runs a plant which produces 144,000 litres of bio-diesel daily from sunflower seed oil, at Naboomspruit in the northern Limpopo province. A bio-diesel algae reactor installed at the plant will be showcased to investors, experts and the media later this week.

"The project is highly capital-intensive. The first 100 acres will require about 3.5 billion rand, this has been sourced mainly from foreign private equity groups," Hendy Schoombee, a senior official at De Beers Fuel said.

"We had initially intended to list the company to raise the money. We might list at a future date to raise money for further expansion," he said.

One acre of algae can produce 92,000 litres of bio-diesel, compared to 350 litres produced from one acre of a sun-flower seed farm, he added.

The company will use land that is not arable or useful for most other purposes, and will also generate electricity from waste material out of the bio-diesel-making process.

Its bio-diesel will be targeted for industrial use and for future exports, and is based on technology supplied by a US company, GreenFuel Technologies Corporation, while Green Star Products, also of the US, will build the bio-diesel reactors.

:nono:

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I can make fuel out of baked beans.

I dont think we need to know what fuel type that is Rob :stirthepot:

  • Poison Fish. Poison Fish. TASTY FISH!!!
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I think it's an awesome idea. (The Algae, not Rob).

92,000L of Bio-Diesel and a Hamann Level III 535d = :wub:

Small Diesel Engine Technology has come a long way in only the last decade, you only have to see the small difference in performance between the stock 535d and 545i V8.

The Mercedes SLK Tri-Turbo and SL Twin-Turbo showpieces are other examples. The SLK320D features a triple turbo 3.2L V6 with 210kw and 630nm of torque while the larger SL400d has 231kw and 730nm (!) produced by a 4litre, twin turbo V8 diesel. All while returning 37mpg or 15km to the litre!

Mercedes AMG Diesels

Lumpy :stirthepot:

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