What makes algae a particularly attractive biofuel feedstock?
We need relatively efficient fuels, as more efficient fuels generally require less land area to grow. This is largely why algae is so attractive a possible biofuel – the conversion efficiency in algae is potentially much higher than any other biofuel, allowing a small area of algae to produce as much fuel as much, much larger areas planted in other types of oil crops, and ethanol crops. The growth rates of algae species are also remarkably high, so per unit area and time you get the generation of a great deal more biomass, from which you can extract oils that can be converted to biodiesel. No perennial or even annual crop can grow anywhere near as rapidly as algae.
