Bangalore, July 22, 2010: In the area of second generation biofuels production, there are no established players since the technology is still in the development and demonstration stages. The key players will include companies with access to the biomass feedstocks such as sugarcane bagasse or corn cob, second generation biofuels technology providers, equipment and engineering companies, and project developers and operators. Other than these companies, biofuels trading and distribution companies will also play key roles. Being a a relatively new industry biofuels will continue to see lots of research and development through various start-ups, universities, research institutions, and established companies.

“Among the second generation biofuels, algae have several advantages. It doesn't need fresh water, as algae can be grown in sea water, it is environment friendly as it alleviate acidification of the ocean, it can be cultivated on a large scale, it provides employment to coastal population and the by products from algae can be used in food, pharma and nutraceutical industries and also as biofertilizers. India has  great potential in algae biofuel as it can make use of its 7,000 km of coastal line. Ocean itself provides all the nourishment for the algae to grow, so no maintenance cost is involved,” says Dr Dinabandhu Sahoo, Secretary, Indian Phycological Society, Marine Biotechnology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Delhi, India.

“Asia Pacific region has the tropical advantage as algae need more sunlight. In the APAC region Malaysia is the lead player in the palm oil-based biofuel production and in the second generation biofuel production, India, the Philippines, China and Vietnam are the leading countries. APAC countries have already gained awareness about the immense potential of algae biofuels. International events like UNESCO's Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts and Islands in Paris; and International Marine Biotechnology Conference in China; and joint R&D initiatives like the Asian Network for Using Algae as a CO2 Sink, under Asian Pacific Phycological Association (AAPA); and India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA), a trilateral developmental initiative, are positive initiatives on that direction,” elaborates Dr Sahoo.

“Biofuel is poised for a leap in the future. A crucial factor in the progress of biofuels would be successful commercialization of second generation biofuels. This could witness biofuel replacing substantial quantities of non-renewable fuel. At present 50 percent of Brazil’s fuel consumption is met through biofuels,” shares Mr Subramaniam.