Lolland CTF Map
There are three reasons that Lolland seems to be the ideal place for an offshore algal energy facility: 1) location, 2) location, and 3) location. Indeed, with regard to location: 1) Lolland is located in Denmark, which is a country that recognizes the need for sustainable, transportable, carbon-neutral fuels and is willing to invest in making these fuels available; 2) Lolland is located on the Baltic Sea, which is shallow and relatively calm in the vicinity of the island, making the region amenable to experimentation with algal cultivation; and 3) Lolland is the site of the world’s first and largest offshore windmill farm. It is not difficult to imagine how the existing and planned array of offshore windmills can be used to address some of the greatest challenges facing offshore algal cultivation systems. The grid of windmill towers provides a stable, accessible infrastructure that would be the foundation of the algal containment system and the abundant local wind power could be cleverly used to control culture conditions, to harvest, and even process algae.
The installation of the world’s first offshore algae energy research and development facility in the Lolland Community Test Facility (CTF) will be a draw for research scientists, companies, and investors worldwide. It will provide scientists and technologists an opportunity to explore the offshore algal energy option under realistic conditions and on a meaningful scale. It fits the Lolland CTF vision to be a destination for alternative energy R&D. It also fits the Lolland CTF vision of efficiency by amplifying the uses of the windmills, using both the turbine stanchions and the wind energy for algae cultivation. The production of algae from solar and wind energy, like the production of hydrogen by the electrolysis of water, is a way to conserve wind energy. In the case of algae, the energy is conserved in the form of biomass, which can be transformed into carbon-neutral biofuels. This seems like a good idea, but how feasible is it?
October 3, 2008
