North American biofuel development firm Bio Architecture Lab will be carrying out tests in Chile's Los Lagos area with the hopes of setting up a permanent production operation there in 2010, the Santiago Times reported. The company specializes in the development of biofuel ethanol from algal material such as seaweed, and believes that Chile's long coastline would be ideal. Seaweed is sustainable, can be grown at minimal costs and doesn't compete with land for food production. A $5 million investment makes the move possible, however, successful testing would require $100 million in additional investments to develop 10,000 hectares of seaweed plantations in Chilean waters.

(Santiago Times, November 24, 2009)

(http://www.santiagotimes.cl/…)