Exxon to Invest $600M in Algae-Based Fuel

Next hurdle: bringing it to market

(NEWSER) - Algae-based fuel is a step closer to reality. Scientists in California have genetically modified a microbe so that it can convert seaweed into biofuel, the Guardian reports. "Natural seaweed species grow very fast—10 times faster than normal plants—and are full of sugars, but it has been very difficult to make ethanol by conventional fermentation," says a researcher. The microbe breakthrough is a "critical step" toward an alternative form of ethanol, but there's still a long way to go. More»

(NEWSER) - It’s as slimy as it is unassuming, but algae could be the stuff the next great biofuel is made of. The simple organisms convert solar energy into an oily material that could, theoretically, be processed into a biofuel to power a car. But there are untold varieties of algae out there, the Wall Street Journal reports, and the hunt is on to find the right pond scum for the job. More»

From sawdust to agricultural waste, scientists drive toward new fuels

(NEWSER) - After decades of dreaming, schemes to turn waste into fuel are finally getting traction in the US, with some 28 plants in the works and a handful even up and running, the New York Times reports. They consume everything from wood chips to garbage, as once-prohibitively expensive processes become competitive with $4-a-gallon gasoline. “American innovation is going to come up with the solution,” one researcher tells the Times. More»

Brewer Sierra Nevada gets in on plan to produce alternative fuel

(NEWSER) - Brewer Sierra Nevada is part of an effort to turn byproducts of the beer-making process into usable, alternative fuel, CNET reports. E-Fuel sells a $10,000 portable ethanol refinery that the brewer will feed with its yearly output of 1.6 million gallons of “bottom of the barrel” waste. The company will first use the ethanol to power its own fleet, then supply workers and sell it on the market. More»

Behemoth stood still when oil hit record highs, now has $40B for buying spree

(NEWSER) - Flush with cash after resisting costly acquisitions while oil prices hit record highs, Exxon Mobil could be ready for a shopping spree that could alter the face of the world’s energy supply, reports the Wall Street Journal. The company has nearly $37 billion in reserves and could target another oil company, like Shell, and “change the industry structure forever,” say analysts. More»