Taiwan unveils microalgal biofuel technology

The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) unveiled a Taiwan-developed technology for producing biofuel from microalgae, as part of efforts to target the growing environmentally friendly renewable energy industry. Lin Yun-hui, a manager at ITRIs biofuel laboratory, said production costs of microalgae biodiesel are high and it remains to be seen when such fuel will be commercially viable. The ITRI’s microalgal biofuel production technology development has been financially sponsored by the Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs in a four-year project that started in 2009. It will cost a total of NT$240 million (US$7.67 million). (October 2, 2010)