I’ve seen it profiled in very small scale on the tv show “Invention Nation” when the hosts of the show visited the campus of Northern Arizona University, but yesterday Sapphire Energy announced the unveiling of the world’s first renewable gasoline. They call it “green crude“. It’s chemically equivalent to sweet crude oil which means it can be used in existing cars and trucks with no modifications. Although production costs per barrel will be similar to petroleum based fuel, it will produce fewer pollutants, and it avoids the whole food vs fuel debate.

You’ll be surprised to learn that the magic ingredients are: algae, sunlight, non-potable water and carbon dioxide. As to when we’ll be able to start using green crude in our vehicles, Sapphire Energy expects to introduce its first fuels in three years and reach full commercial scale in five years.