Egypt enters the stage of production of biofuels from «green gold»

While oil has been the most important source of energy for decades, the world is showing great interest in bio-fuels as a source of renewable energy, especially from green algae, for clean energy.

Algae contribute to the treatment of C virus, sugar, Alzheimer’s and purification of sewage waterIndustrial application is the biggest obstacle facing the scientific discoveries of algae for the high cost of establishing farms

After years of experimentation and research, Egypt entered the stage of production of biofuels from algae. The scientists of the National Research Center, especially specialists in the field of water biology and biochemistry, succeeded in extracting biofuels from algae, in addition to other health and air extractions.
In spite of the benefits that will be returned to Egypt from the fight, but the results are still trapped laboratories, and waiting for scientists working on those discoveries stage of industrial application, which requires considerable material potential.

The members of the Department of Mechanical Engineering participated in the “Green Gold” conference. Dr. Mohamed Saber Mohamed Gad gave a lecture about the results reached in this field. He was also attended by Eng. Hassan Abu Hashish.
Dr. Farouk Kamel El-Baz, a professor of plant biochemistry, who has been working for years on these algae, said that Egypt does not import these algae, but it is extracted from Lake Bardawil, explaining that the biofuels were produced from them, The production cost of pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic products from algae is covered by this cost. He pointed out that the aircraft will use the “biodiesel” in their fuel by 20% starting in 2020 in accordance with the decision of the World Climate Conference to reduce the proportion of exhaust and pollution of the atmosphere, To work on reducing the hole The Zone.
Al-Baz revealed the installation of a unit for the production of algae is the first in Egypt and Arab and African countries with a capacity of 4 thousand liters, adding that one cell produces millions of cells that can only be seen through the microscope, each produces one cell every other every 3 hours, Until we get to extract algae oil used in biofuels.
According to Dr. Jamila Hussein, a professor of water biology at the National Center for Research, 10 researchers and scientists at the center have gone a long way in the world of algae took years, until they reached the stage of biofuels and extraction of oil from algae, in addition to other products, adding that a strain of algae The C virus is treated 90%, contributes to the reduction of sugar and Alzheimer’s, and adjusts the body weight. The economic cost of this research has been overcome by extracting other algae extracts that cover the cost of biofuel production, beta-carotene.
She explained that the “biodiesel” is characterized as clean energy, and does not need any change in motor cars when mixed with other sources of energy, such as diesel, saying it is economical and saves a lot of money.
The industrial application is the biggest obstacle faced by researchers after the scientific discoveries of algae, Dr. Al-Baz pointed out that this requires considerable physical potential and large tracts of land to establish algae farms for the extraction of biofuels, as well as the establishment of a mechanism to enter Egypt, the world of biofuels, The financial establishment of these farms is high and needs the potential of a state, pointing out that the other extractions of algae covered the cost after the feasibility studies that have been prepared, due to the difficulty of entry of investors in this area.
She said that the National Research Center is a research institution and its production is not for consumption, and the field application needs great potential that the center can not do. Out.
According to Dr. Jamila Hussein, the practical experiments have proved the purification of sewage after passing it in the algae farm, where they feed on carbon dioxide and other impurities, adding that the wastewater is purified to be suitable for recycling in food crops, after passing in consecutive lakes in 3 stages ( Bacteria, Anaerobic, and Algae), and pointed to the application of this in the drainage station Znin area in Giza, where the establishment of a farm of algae at a depth of 3 meters, where the oxidation of sewage water, to become pure and suitable for the crops that enter the human body.
She added that the industrial application of the work in the field of freshwater algae is facing a major problem, but the scientists of the center continued to research until they reached the production of algae in salt water, which benefit the field of aquaculture, where algae is a key component helps the success of fish farms by creating lakes for algae to feed Fish and water purification plantations.
“Algae also contribute to reducing pollution. The vapors of fertilizer plants filled with carbon dioxide have been passed through tubes in algae farms to purify those vapors, which are a natural food for algae. They are also used after bio-extractions in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products And animal feed. “