Suriname freshwater algae for the production of biofuel: a clean energy source

Suriname is searching for new and sustainable energy sources and given the climate, biofuels are an attractive option. In this project, we aim to explore the potential of the local biodiversity of algae found in freshwater bodies in Paramaribo and the hinterland of Suriname, as a source of biofuel, but also for the sugars available to produce bio-ethanol. Specifically, the hinterland community will develop an independency toward energy. Currently, the polluting fossil fuel is expensive and time consuming to transport to the hinterland. Beside the deficiency of knowledge in this field, there is locally a tremendous lack of suitable facilities for research on algae and the production of biofuels. Moreover, the need to enhance both algae biology (in terms of biomass yield and oil content) and culture-system engineering is crucial.  Suriname is searching for new and sustainable energy sources and given the climate, biofuels are an attractive option. In this project, we aim to explore the potential of the local biodiversity of algae found in freshwater bodies in Paramaribo and the hinterland of Suriname, as a source of biofuel, but also the sugars available to produce bio-ethanol. Specifically the hinterland community will develop an independency toward energy , since the polluting fossil fuel is expensive and time consuming to transport to the hinterland. Beside the deficiency of knowledge in this field, there is a tremendous lack of suitable facilities for research on algae and the production of biofuels. Moreover, the need to enhance both algae biology (in terms of biomass yield and oil content) and culture-system engineering is crucial.