Company reveals renewable gasoline from algae

California-based Sapphire Energy has announced they have produced "renewable 91 octane gasoline that conforms to ASTM certification, made from a breakthrough process that produces crude oil directly from sunlight, CO₂ and photosynthetic microorganisms, beginning with algae." The company's breakthrough has offered up a new industrial category, Green Crude Production. According to the company,

Products and processes in this category differ significantly from other forms of biofuel because they are made solely from photosynthetic microorganisms, sunlight and CO₂; do not result in biodiesel or ethanol; enhance and replace petroleum-based products; are carbon neutral and renewable; and don't require any food crop or agricultural land.

Paul Dickerson, chief operating officer of the Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy says, "...Algae can flourish in non-arable land or in dirty water, and when it does flourish, its potential oil yield per acre is unmatched by any other terrestrial feedstock."

The full press release can be found here.