Pond scum eyed as biodiesel source

WASHINGTON, July 30 (UPI) -- Energy researchers say they see some great potential in lowly pond scum as a future source of biofuels for the United States.

Certain strains of the fast-growing algae are rich in biofuel compounds and they can be cultivated in ponds without taking up arable farmland.

CNN said one of its producers has been driving around the country in a car fuel by bio-diesel and reports that algae can be turned into a pretty good fuel.

"There's no difference running algae than there is running any other bio-diesel fuel," said CNN's Cody McCloy. "I've noticed very little difference in any of the biofuels that I run in this car or in the 1984 diesel Mercedes that I run at home."

The economics of growing pond scum for fuel is a key question, the report said. A research project in the 1990s determined that the cost of growing algae and refining it into vehicle fuel was too high; however, that was when crude was selling for about $20 per barrel compared to more than $120 this year.