Can algae be a feasible feedstock in producing ethanol?

Question

Some say that it is not feasible to set up a business to produce ethanol from algae because of cost in terms of producing it and buying the equipment and everything.

Answer 1

Why not any substance that is used to make alcohol? Check and see what the average beer brewer has in bad beer. We could use that bad beer to produce ethenol, no problem. But my question is why is corn considered the only good source?

Answer 2

Not at present.  Theres not enough starch in the algae to make an effective process.

Answer 3

Any vegetable that has a high starch (which can be converted to sugar during fermentation) or sugar (such as fruit, including overripe fruit) content can be used to make ethanol.  Algae does not have either so it cannot be used.  The yeast works on the starch and sugar to generate ethanol up to 17% when the yeast dies.  To get a higher percent, distillation is needed.  The ethanol content must be at least 100 proof (50%) for it to burn.  Higher concentrations are needed for combustion engines for various technical reasons.

Answer 4

it's hard to use corn to off set the cost ,i'm a farmer and im all for bio fuels ,but studys show that you would have to plant corn on every square inch of the us to of set the cost ,or make us less dependt on oil.