Today, Renewable Energy Group, (REG), announced that their biodiesel is not only "green," but also is made from green.. green algae that is.

Much like the process that yields other biodiesels, oils are extracted from plants and converted into fuel. REG is working to find partners who can provide mass quantities of algae so that production of the biodiesel can be sold in the commercial market by 2013.

REG’s biodiesels are the cream of the crop. They beat ASTM standards offering cleaner fuels with “reduced free and total glycerin levels, a reduced acid number and reduced free water and sediment,” which all contribute to easier-to-burn fuel. REG biodiesels can be used in vehicles, ships, and in intense industrial and military fleets because the fuel can burn in a range of temperature conditions -- from a cold start on a winter day to extreme heat in the desert.

The production process-extraction of oil from algae, cleaning out impurities, and refining the oil into biodiesel-is complicated and achieved in-house. This means that REG can adjust the product as necessary to fit desired needs and monitor production performance. REG CEO Daniel Oh notes that “by defining the processing parameters for larger volumes of algae oil, we can process the algae oil using REG’s commercial-scale production technology like any other feedstock out there today," thereby adding to the portfolio of biodiesels on the market and renewable energies.