Its apples to oranges comparing alcohol to Bio-d. For Bio-d, the algea is pressed, not unlike other ways to make VO (like soybeans, rapeseed, etc) - but for alcohol it is chemically (biologically??) fermented. The biochemistry group where my wife is attending college is working on using some microbe to assist the in the starch/sugar conversion process. I ain't real brite, so don't quote me, but basically the process involves breaking starches down into sugars and then fermenting those into alcohol. The university is trying to make alcohol using kudzu, but I think the challenges are similar for all 'cellular' ethanol production. Apparently, the yeilds from all alcohol crops can be increased this way and simultaneously more things can be used (like the WHOLE corn plant, wood chips, etc). Too bad that article didn't talk about HOW they were gonna do it.

FWIW, there is a big movement right now where people are making alcohol for fuel from waste products. Its cheap and fairly easy to make fuel using 'waste' donuts, bagels, bread and other 'leftover' food products - even grass clippings! (almost all of these currently go to landfill) I find this VERY appealing, since the problem w/WVO is there is so little of it compared to the amount of diesel consumed. Hell, I live in a SMALL town and when diesel price got out of control my WVO was being stolen left and right... The best part, almost any gas vehicle will run on 50% (190 proof) alcohol without modification!