Unfortunately, the  algae energy industry is haunted by exaggeration and irrational excuberance. There is definately a potential within algae biofuel, but the overly optimistic views are not particularly helpful to create credibility for the industry.

One might ask how many photons per (acre-year) are needed to make 20,000 gallons of any biofuel? Perhaps, Jan-Hendrik is alive and well and in Cambridge? For some background on issues, one might look at “Closed photobioreactors as tools for biofuel production ” Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2009, 20:280–285, which notes a photoconversion efficiency [PCE] of about 9%, and states: for reaching the ceiling of 9% PCE, photo-bioreactors have to be almost ideal concerning mass and light transfer. That is, of photosynthetically active photons in sunlight [PAR, 400-700 nm], only about 9% go into photosynthesis. Then, one must consider “how many” photons are needed per molecule of biofuel.

via IPBiz: Technology Review speaks of 20,000 gal/(acre year) biofuel production.

“The majority [of the efforts] are a gigantic hassle of time and capital because they’re trying to make coal out of diamonds,” said David Andresen, a clean-tech investment banker at Oracle Capital Securities. “There’s such a high level of scientific illiteracy in the investment community that you can really wow investors.”

via IPBiz: “A high level of scientific illiteracy in the investment community”.