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Last update - 00:00 14/03/2007
Israeli firm: Seaweed could be used to solve energy crisis
By Ofri Ilan, Haaretz Correspondent

The dramatic increase in the price of fuel in recent years has succeeded where many environmental groups have failed: It convinced many firms around the world to seek alternative sources of energy. One of the cheapest alternatives, already commercially available, is the production of fuel from a variety of agricultural produce, mostly corn.

However, the increase in the demand for corn has also caused a significant price hike and developing nations' populations are experiencing difficulties obtaining corn for consumption.

It is now possible that new technology may offer a solution to the problem, which Israeli firm Seambiotic Ltd. revealed earlier this week. The technology allows the production of commercial quantities of fuel from a surprising source, one that will not undermine global food sources: seaweed.
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The new technology unveiled by the firm at an international conference on marine biotechnology that opened on Sunday in Eilat, allows the industrial cultivation of seaweed through the use of carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

Instead of allowing the polluting gas -one of the main contributors to global warming- to escape into the atmosphere, the gas passes through a filtration process and enters a pool, where it feeds microscopic seaweed. The seaweed is used to produce fuel.

According to the scientists who developed this technology, it is possible to produce a liter of fuel for every five kilograms of seaweed.

The technology was developed in the experimental farm set up by Seambiotic Ltd. three years ago in the compound of the Ashkelon power plant, with the support of the Israel Electric Corporation.

The seaweed pools are situated several hundred meters from the power plant smokestacks, and are filled with sea water that is used to cool the plant's turbines. The seaweed used is found in the Mediterranean in small concentrations, but the carbon dioxide allows it to grow in the pools at a concentration of one million times greater.

Last week, the company filed a technology patent in the United States.

"In the scientific literature, it is stated that it is impossible to grow seaweed through the use of carbon dioxide from power plants, because of the large quantities of pollutants released from the smokestacks," says Amnon Bachar, director of Seambiotic.

"But it appears that whoever wrote that does not know how to grow seaweed. We have found that seaweed can grow on the basis of the carbon dioxide being emitted from power plants. We get the carbon dioxide for free, and the power plant produces less pollution," he said.

The use of carbon dioxide reduces the cost of production radically, to about 50 cents per kilo of seaweed.
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  1.   That doesn`t suprise me 01:48  |  Chris Linthwaite 14/03/07
  2.   I love the creativity of the Jewish people! 02:15  |  RP 14/03/07
  3.   50 cents per kilo? 03:01  |  Eli 14/03/07
  4.   What won`t the Israelis think of next? 03:05  |  Gina 14/03/07
  5.   Seaweed for fuel 03:13  |  Laura Peterson 14/03/07
  6.   Huh? 03:35  |  Mr. Marty 14/03/07
  7.   #1 is kidding, right? 03:38  |  amazed 14/03/07
  8.   What to do with all that energy 04:22  |  Eliezer 14/03/07
  9.   this is no big deal 05:11  |  consorts 14/03/07
  10.   I always say in order for Israel to survive in the future... 05:39  |  Tom 14/03/07
  11.   Why didn`t you patent the idea if it is so simple, smart rear #9? 06:08  |  The Doc 14/03/07
  12.   expensive gas 07:53  |  dave 14/03/07
  13.   #1 Linthwaite`s obsessive hatred 08:38  |  Robins 14/03/07
  14.   Seaweed minus the sea 08:53  |  Cheech 14/03/07
  15.   we are brilliant...what can I say 09:06  |  don 14/03/07
  16.   Israeli firm: Seaweed could be used to solve energy crisis 09:26  |  Ofri Ilan 14/03/07
  17.   Not Economical.... Yet!!!!!! 09:33  |  NE 14/03/07
  18.   What is the cost per KW from seaweed? 09:34  |  sam 14/03/07
  19.   #1 Chris Linthwaite 10:29  |  ChanahS 14/03/07
  20.   NE # 17 - Presumably 10:33  |  ChanahS 14/03/07
  21.   Yet, another scientific and technological Israeli 10:41  |  Anat 14/03/07
  22.   CONSORTS.Developing an idea to practical conclusion is a big deal 12:13  |  PETER SM 14/03/07
  23.   I hate to p*ss on your chips as it were 12:49  |  sean 14/03/07
  24.   To sean, you are wrong and a racist 13:16  |  Mark B. 14/03/07
  25.   Sean do you know who has the most practical& viable process? 14:07  |  PETER SM 14/03/07
  26.   IT WOULD BE LOVELY 14:56  |  Ian 14/03/07
  27.   Let`s hope that this technology is... 15:10  |  Willy 14/03/07
  28.   Bravo,Haaretz 15:14  |  Hastaroth 14/03/07
  29.   "wouldn`t it be luvverly" 15:16  |  Ari ben Yisrael 14/03/07
  30.   Now clickFOOL can put his bike away...LOL 15:24  |  Ari ben Yisrael 14/03/07
  31.   Im moving back to Southend-on-sea 16:05  |  Ronnie Wolman 14/03/07
  32.   #31 Ronnie & what about the Lancs/Cumbria coast 16:23  |  Ari ben Yisrael 14/03/07
  33.   More bullocks from Chris Linthwhat? 16:53  |  Michael Korn 14/03/07
  34.   # 24 Mark B. Exercise in political correctness...?? 17:30  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/03/07
  35.   Ari: Those Heathens Up North 18:00  |  Ronnie Wolman 14/03/07
  36.   Less reliance, less pollution 18:12  |  Moises 14/03/07
  37.   #19 You wanted proof 19:38  |  Chris Linthwaite 14/03/07
  38.   Here in the US Swiss (Dino) 19:43  |  Philo-Semite 14/03/07
  39.   Smart Seaweed application 20:03  |  Arkady D 14/03/07
  40.   # 38 Philo-Semite 20:28  |  Swiss (Dino) 14/03/07
  41.   No Big Deal 21:00  |  Steve Roman 14/03/07
  42.   LEAVE IT TO ISRAEL 21:02  |  TOBIA 14/03/07
  43.   Einstein 21:06  |  The Guru 14/03/07
  44.   Seaweed could be used to extract money from investors 22:09  |  Dr. Ari Nir 14/03/07
  45.   Sadly, if Israel plants offshore seaweed farms 22:37  |  Jake 14/03/07
  46.   Swiss Dino, RE: "Japs" 22:46  |  Jake 14/03/07
  47.   Sean, but what about using the seaweed to produce fuel 22:55  |  Jake 14/03/07
  48.   Ethanol made from sugarcane 23:36  |  Luis Brasil 14/03/07
  49.   Zionist conspiracy to reduce global warming 23:39  |  Dave Loev 14/03/07
  50.   seaweed 23:58  |  gordon 14/03/07
  51.   Great idea! Now rid the world of the extremist aka Zionist 00:02  |  Lisa 15/03/07
  52.   Mark B - people like you promote racism... 00:37  |  sean 15/03/07
  53.   Innovation and progress is usually incremental 00:58  |  Raymond from DC 15/03/07
  54.   #1 Chris, you are beyond contemt, 01:54  |  TOMY 15/03/07
  55.   #1 Chris, you are beyond contemt, 01:55  |  TOMY 15/03/07
  56.   #28 Hastaroth, your idea would work if 02:08  |  TOMY 15/03/07
  57.   I am not surprized, Israeli inventions you could 02:18  |  TOMY 15/03/07
  58.   Gas in Europe already costs more than this 02:22  |  Efox 15/03/07
  59.   Vegitarian chopped liver? 03:00  |  HonestAbe 15/03/07
  60.   LISA Re extremists,8dead Buddhists in Thailand,3/14.Good jihad! 04:02  |  PETER SM 15/03/07
  61.   CLINTHWAITE.SO why haven`t other countries who imported seaweed 04:34  |  PETER SM 15/03/07
  62.   American Electric Power 06:15  |  Stack 15/03/07
  63.   #62 Stack 09:53  |  S 15/03/07
  64.   #51 Lisa Of no fixed abode another of the brave 10:37  |  Ari ben Yisrael 15/03/07
  65.   Micro-algae, not seaweed! 10:44  |  Nyctamere 15/03/07
  66.   No big deal? 11:33  |  Ruby 15/03/07
  67.   seaweed and the Japanese 11:39  |  Ruby 15/03/07
  68.   Seaweed 21:05  |  ChristianPeter 15/03/07
  69.   Seambiotic is not the leader..... 12:21  |  Brian G Smith 19/04/07
  70.   israeli craetivity ??? 00:34  |  ricardo 18/12/07
  71.   lisa is seeking immortality by hanging on to the bottom of our co 15:57  |  ralph 06/04/09
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