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Denso Targets Algae-Based Biofuel
Denso Corp. is building a new facility in Amakusa, Japan, to cultivate and test algae as a potential biofuel.
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Denso Corp. is building a new facility in Amakusa, Japan, to cultivate and test algae as a potential biofuel. The company says it plans to have "large-scale cultivation" technologies ready by 2018.
Due to open in April 2016, the 215,300-sq-ft facility will have three oval ponds for growing pseudochoricystis ellipsoidea an oil-producing microalgae patented by Denso. The supplier, which has been studying algae since 2008, also has a 3,200-sq-ft research center to extract biofuel from the microorganism.
After harvesting algae from water, developers dry the organisms and extract their oil.
Proponents say algae has several advantages over other biofuel feedstocks, notably that it doesn't deplete food sources. Algae also is relatively easy and fast to grow it can be raised at sea or land (even on ground unfertile for most crops) and can yield a high oil output from a small footprint.
Downsides include high costs and unproven commercial viability.
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