NORTH PALM SPRINGS, CA --- Aquentium Inc. announced the company has secured 475 acres in New Mexico for the development of an algae biofuel production facility.

Algae are uniquely suited to serve as the foundation for a new generation of renewable and low-carbon transportation fuels, the company said. Algae represent one of nature's most prolific and efficient photosynthetic organisms.

Nearly all of algae's biomass is concentrated in the chloroplast, the engine that turns sunlight and CO2 into organic carbon, so that algae do not waste time or energy making stalks, roots, leaves or fruits. This efficiency leads to very high yields of oil.

For example, while palm oil can yield 554 gallons of oil per acre, but an algae crop can yield over 10,000 gallons per acre -- increasing oil output by a factor of 20. Further, algae have a short growing cycle and do not require arable land or potable water. Algae can be grown quickly in brackish or salt water in the desert, Aquentium said.

"As we enter this green era, by getting ahead of the curve, Aquentium can produce a new generation of transportation fuels for the world that are low-carbon, produced right here in the United States of America, and that generate renewed economic growth and new jobs," said Aquentium President Mark Taggatz.

Aquentium's algae-based fuels will emit approximately two-thirds less CO2 than petroleum-based fuels at scale, the company said.

"Fuel from algae is an extremely logical approach to meet the needs for a green solution to our dependence on fossil fuels. Fuel from algae is not just a laboratory experiment. The technology is ready now," said Taggatz.