Designer Algae

In 2006, Renewable Synthetic Fuel acquired advanced technologies for the production of hydrogen using designer algae. The production method uses alga for the photosynthetic process of generating hydrogen. RSFuel worked to complete commercial-scale production of synthetic hydrogen (Syn-H) using algae.

Algae can be used to produce hydrogen energy through a process called "photosynthetic water splitting" or "biological hydrogen production." This process takes advantage of certain types of photosynthetic algae's natural ability to produce hydrogen under specific conditions.

Here's how the process works:

1. Cultivation: Algae are first cultivated in large photobioreactors or open ponds where they are exposed to sunlight and nutrients to grow and multiply. Algae grow by absorbing sunlight and converting it into chemical energy via photosynthesis, a process that also consumes carbon dioxide and produces oxygen.
2. Anaerobic Induction: The key to getting algae to produce hydrogen is to stress them by creating anaerobic (no oxygen) conditions. This is usually achieved by depriving them of sulfur, which causes the algae to switch from producing oxygen (normal photosynthesis) to producing hydrogen.
3. Hydrogen Production: Under sulfur-deprived conditions, photosynthetic processes are modified and the photosynthetic apparatus of the algal cells starts producing hydrogen gas. The hydrogenase enzyme is crucial in this process; it acts as a catalyst for the reaction that splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. However, in typical conditions, this enzyme is inhibited by oxygen produced during photosynthesis, which is why the anaerobic state is necessary.
4. Collection and Use: The hydrogen gas produced by the algae is then collected and can be used in fuel cells to produce electricity.

This method of hydrogen production is sustainable, renewable, and does not emit carbon dioxide. However, this method is still largely in the research and development phase. One of the main challenges is that hydrogenase is very sensitive to oxygen and loses its function rapidly in the presence of even small amounts of oxygen, which naturally occurs in algal photosynthesis. Therefore, methods are being developed to protect hydrogenase from oxygen or to use genetically engineered algae to improve hydrogen production efficiency.