Ford looks to algae as biofuel

Ford scientists are working to understand the suitability of renewable sources as potential automotive biofuels.

This effort is an integral part of Ford’s desire to better understand the use of biomass to produce future biofuels as part of an overall strategy to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil and address climate change.

Research received an added boost when the House of Representatives introduced a bill (HR 5142) – known as the Green Jobs Act of 2010 – to encourage investment tax credits for algae-based biorefineries.

This year, Ford researchers visited Wayne State University’s National Biofuels Energy Laboratory, which is actively analyzing suitable algae strains that could be used as a feedstock for biodiesel. At Ford, algae is one of the possible future biofuels researchers are watching.