綠色魔術(shù):海藻變石油
????藍寶石能源公司(Sapphire Energy)在新墨西哥州哥倫布市面積達2,200英畝的荒漠地帶建造了世界上第一個大型海藻農(nóng)場,并從中提煉原油。藍寶石公司于5年前成立,目前已耗資6,000萬美元建造了大約70個養(yǎng)殖池塘,每個都有足球場大小。這家公司還修建了一座煉油廠,并從今年夏天開始提煉石油。目前,第一批海藻石油已經(jīng)成功問世。 ????海藻石油“或?qū)⒏淖兪澜?,”藍寶石公司首席執(zhí)行官辛西亞·華納稱,因為蓬勃發(fā)展的海藻煉油技術(shù)將讓任何國家都獲得產(chǎn)油能力。華納擁有28年石油行業(yè)從業(yè)經(jīng)驗,在加入藍寶石前,她是英國石油(BP)全球煉油業(yè)務(wù)負責(zé)人。華納無法抵御海藻煉油的巨大誘惑。海藻是一種繁殖能力極強而且用途廣泛的植物,生長周期很短,無需專門培養(yǎng)。在太陽光照下,海藻能吸收二氧化碳,然后在細胞內(nèi)生成油脂。無論是咸水還是微咸水,海藻都能適應(yīng),所以人們可以把池塘修建在那些貧瘠的土地上。經(jīng)過遺傳基因改良過的單細胞海藻在池塘中只需五天就可收獲。它們被從水中撈出,在經(jīng)過一種熱化學(xué)工藝的“濕性提取法”處理后,油脂便從海藻中分離出來了。藍寶石計劃在新墨西哥州進行日產(chǎn)量為100桶的海藻煉油試驗。如果一切進展順利,該技術(shù)有望在2018年正式商業(yè)化,原油日產(chǎn)量有望達到10,000桶。 ????藍寶石目前已從風(fēng)投手中募集到3億美元,投資者包括比爾·蓋茨旗下的瀑布投資(Cascade Investment)。藍寶石還獲得了5,000萬美元的政府資助和5,440萬美元的聯(lián)邦貸款擔(dān)保。不過,目前還沒有任何公司能將藻類石油的成本降至化石石油的水平。綠色燃料的價格仍無法像黑色燃料那么便宜。真可惜! ????譯者:項航 |
????On a 2,200-acre expanse of desert scrub in Columbus, N.M. (pop. 1,678), Sapphire Energy has built the world's first large-scale farm to grow algae and produce crude oil. The five-year-old company has spent about $60 million constructing an array of about 70 ponds, each the size of a football field, and a refinery, which began producing oil this past summer. The first barrels are rolling out now. ????Algal oil "has the potential to change the world," says Cynthia Warner, Sapphire's chief executive, because the process by which it is grown will allow any nation to produce oil. Warner joined Sapphire after 28 years in the oil business, most recently as head of global refining at?BP?(BP). She couldn't resist the allure of algae. Productive and versatile creatures, they grow fast, don't need to be fed, and build up oil in their cells after being exposed to sunlight and CO2. They like salty or brackish water, so ponds can be built on cheap land where not much else will grow. Into each pond go genetically engineered single-celled algae that grow to maturity in about five days, after which they are skimmed from the water and put through a thermo-chemical "wet extraction" process to separate the oil. The company plans to make about 100 barrels of oil a day in New Mexico. If all goes according to plan, commercial production of perhaps 10,000 barrels a day will begin in 2018. ????The company has raised about $300 million?from venture capitalists, including Cascade Investment, which is owned by Bill Gates. Sapphire was also awarded a $50 million stimulus and a $54.4 million federal loan guarantee. Alas, no company can make algal oil at a cost that enables it to compete with conventional petroleum -- yet. Green crude just isn't as cheap as the black stuff. |