A San Diego company says it is turning algae into oil, creating a clean fuel that can be used in unmodified cars and trucks.
Sapphire Energy announced Wednesday that it is using algae, sunlight, non-potable water and carbon dioxide to make a "green crude" that it says is the chemical equivalent of sweet crude oil.
Chief executive Jason Pyle says the production costs per barrel will be similar to petroleum-based fuel.
But he says Sapphire's product will produce fewer pollutants and reduce reliance on oil, and it would not require using crops like most of today's biofuels.
The private, year-old company, expects to reach full commercial-scale fuel production in five years.
