PetroSun Subsidiary to Commence Field Testing for Algae-Based Biodiesel Production

biz.yahoo.com ^ | 12/04/2006 | Press Release

[Red Badger]

PHOENIX, AZ--(MARKET WIRE)--Dec 4, 2006 -- PetroSun, Incorporated (Other OTC:PSUD.PK - News) announced today that Algae BioFuels, a wholly owned subsidiary, will commence the field testing stage of the cultivation of algae for biodiesel production during the first quarter of 2007. The test site will be located in Arizona.

ADVERTISEMENT click here Algae BioFuels will install a biodiesel refinery in Arizona upon the successful completion of the field cultivation trials. The initial phase of the refining process will produce up to ten million gallons per year. The refining capacity will be increased after the initial phase of production and refining has been evaluated. Algae BioFuels is also conducting a feasibility study of production and refinery sites in Australia and New Zealand to complement future PetroSun operations in those regions.

Extensive research has been conducted to determine the utilization of microalgae as an energy source, with applications being developed for biodiesel, ethanol, methanol, methane, and even hydrogen. Independent studies have demonstrated that algae is capable of producing in excess of 30 times more oil per acre than the current crops now utilized for the production of biofuels such as corn and soybeans. Biodiesel produced from algae contains no sulfur, and is non-toxic and highly biodegradable.

The Office of Fuels Development, a division of the Department of Energy, funded a program from 1978 through 1996 under the National Renewable Energy Laboratory known as the "Aquatic Species Program". The focus of this program was to investigate high-oil algae that could be grown specifically for the purpose of wide scale biodiesel production. Some species of algae are ideally suited for biodiesel production due to their high oil content, in excess of 50%, and extremely rapid growth rates.

One of the biggest advantages of biodiesel compared to many other alternative transportation fuels is that it can be used in existing diesel engines, which relieves manufacturers of having to make costly engine modifications. Biodiesel can also be mixed, at any ratio, with conventional petroleum diesel. As a result, the hybrid alternative fuel can be used in the current distribution infrastructure, replacing petroleum diesel either wholly, or as a diesel fuel blend with minimal integration costs.

About PetroSun

PetroSun's current operations are concentrated in the Ark-La-Tex region with plans to expand into New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Australia in 2006. PetroSun provides a comprehensive array of products and services to the oil industry. Algae BioFuels, a wholly owned subsidiary of PetroSun, is an emerging producer of biodiesel derived from the cultivation of algae. The Company's cutting-edge technologies, combined with a proven ability to apply them effectively and safely within a disciplined ROI framework, creates long term value for PetroSun shareholders and partners. PetroSun is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information about PetroSun visit the company's website at http://www.petrosun.us.

Except historical matter contained herein, matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties, which may affect the Company's business and prospects and cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements.

Contact:

Contact: PetroSun, Inc. Investor Relations Email Contact (602)-487-6486

Source: PetroSun, Inc.

[Red Badger]

Welcome news indeed! Hurry up and JUST DO IT!............

[Red Badger]

Rest In Peace, old friend, your work is finished.......

If you want on or off the DIESEL "KNOCK" LIST just FReepmail me........

This is a fairly HIGH VOLUME ping list on some days......

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

If they could use algae, that would be helpful. Algae is much easier to produce in large quantities than soybeans.

[DrGunsforHands]

Wish they had stock. They're privately funded.

[Abathar]

If you really want to read about algae and how well it works I recommend browsing this site:http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/

[Red Badger]

...and Algae takes in CO2 and puts out O2, thus helping with that Globull Warming thingy..........

[TKDietz]

I think algae is going to really work out well as a biofuel feedstock. A lot of the varieties they are working with are about 50% oil that can be converted into biosiesel. It grows really quickly and is continually harvested. Most of it doesn't need that much sunlight and in fact will burn up if it gets too much sunlight, so a big tank of the stuff could be agitated or stirred such that all of it gets plenty of sunlight. It would be a good way to get rid of excess CO2 which could just be injected into the algae tanks to promote growth. And it doesn't have to be grown on good farmland. You could set up big algae tanks or covered ponds on an old parking lot if you wanted too or out in a desert. There is no reason why we would have to use up our prime farmland for algae production. Those working on this stuff think we'll be able to easily produce 10,000 gallons of biodiesel per acre, with some yield estimates ranging on up to over 20,000 gallons per acre. I could really see that happening in huge continuous harvest tanks. The biggest problem they are experiencing now is that they have difficulty keeping the stuff alive or keeping it from being contaminated with bad algae or bad bacteria. They'll figure those problems out in time and we're likely to see huge yields at a low per gallon cost and we'll probably be able to dispose of some pollutants in the process. Oily algae has a lot of potential as a biodiesel feedstock.

[TKDietz]

"The Office of Fuels Development, a division of the Department of Energy, funded a program from 1978 through 1996 under the National Renewable Energy Laboratory known as the 'Aquatic Species Program'."

Those researching algae as a biodiesel feedstock say the biggest problem with the "Aquatic Species Program" is that the research all centered around algae growing in open ponds. They've pretty much ruled this method out because it's hard to keep wild algae and other contaminants out of open ponds. Now just about all the research is focusing on closed systems using covered ponds or big tanks of some sort that allow light in.

[Red Badger]

http://www.greenstarusa.com/news/06-11-13.html

[Red Badger]

[ASOC]

Another link set is found here

I wonder if the 'nutrients' for the algae could also be the answer to the urban wastewater problems of Phoenix?

[Abathar]

Both industrial and urban waste. might take a big chunk of useless desert to build the farms, but so what? Money here is better than money to the Arabs, and it kills 2 birds with one stone - Waste removal and fuel.

[Clint Lippo]

I knew this would happen.First we kill the baby seals, then we threaten the spotted owls, now we're going to slaughter the algae./sarc

[ckilmer]

From what I understand, when the algae to oil conversion reaches 50% the production per acre goes to about 50,000 gallons@ year. Maybe you know differently. Here a link to efforts to combine desalination with algae to biodiesel production.

[TKDietz]

I don't know how much they'll be able to produce. A lot of the algae they are working with is about 50% oil or even a little more. It comes in nature that way. They already know how to extract the oil and get close to a gallon of biodiesel from every gallon of oil they extract. The only problem is consistently producing big yields of the types of algae they need to produce under controlled conditions. They'll figure that out. It may be possible that they could get 50,000 gallons per acre eventually. Who knows? Even if they could just get a few thousand gallons per acre they could turn this into a big money making operation that makes it unnecessary for us to import oil. Think about it. If people would drive diesels that get 40 miles per gallon, and many do a good bit better than that already, an average 10,000 mile per year driver would only need 250 gallons per year. Five thousand gallons from an acre would be enough for 20 people. Multiply that by say 10 million acres of this stuff and it would be enough fuel for 200 million drivers. We use a lot more acreage than that right now to grow corn for ethanol and only get enough fuel for a good bit less than 10 million drivers. This technology has enormous potential.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Git 'er done!

[Red Badger]

Exactly! Why we don't have a national program to do just that, I do not know. It's a proven technology. It has been studied for decades and it will work..........