by Tom Rickey  (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)   A new analysis shows that the nation’s land and water resources could likely support the growth of enough algae to produce up to 25 billion gallons of algae-based …

by Andrew Herndon (Bloomberg)  Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), which has invested more than $100 million to develop algae-derived biofuels, is refocusing its research with Synthetic Genomics Inc. after almost four years of work failed to …

by Peter Hannam (The Age)  Whether it’s the use of organisms first found in the guts of rabbits in New Zealand or converting the mountains of rubbish disposed of by Londoners, airlines around the world are …

(Algae Industry Magazine)   An algae research proposal from Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center (FAPC) was ranked No. 1 of 28 plant-related research projects, resulting in $100,000 in funding …

by Barry Cohen (National Algae Association/PR Log) The DoE has spent $2.5 billion on algae research but to date nothing has been commercialized. Why? Because their mission is to develop technologies. It’s not their problem or …

by Adam Wilmoth  (News OK)  OSU researcher Gerald Schoenknecht and his team recently completed genome sequencing for an algae that thrives inside active volcanoes. The researchers hope to use their findings to help make tough …

by Matthew Landau (Aquatic Biosystems) In 2010, Qatar University initiated an algal biofuel project funded by Qatar Airways, and Qatar Science and Technology Park with a 3-year budget of USD 12 million. Completion of the first …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  The sector’s perennial hottest company strikes again — with “potentially disruptive” new technology to change the positioning and performance of triglyceride oils.
In California, Solazyme and AkzoNobel announced an agreement targeting …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  A Johns Hopkins University student team is working with a starter grant of $15,000 from the EPA to see if algae can consume nutrients from wastewater and produce clean bio-fuels and fish food. …

(Algae Industry Magazine) The National Algae Association’s (NAA) Algae Farming Workshop, held in the Houston, Texas, area on April 11-12, focused on NAA’s battle cry of getting algae production out of research and development and …

by Carlin Rosengarten  (Fueling Growth) Nearly 30 years ago, Paul Woods invented the Direct to Ethanol technology that his company, Algenol Biofuels, utilizes today to produce ethanol from blue-green algae at its state-of-the-art commercial development campus …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  The Japan News reports that in Miyagino Ward, Sendai, a project has started at a sewage treatment facility to extract a biofuel ingredient from wastewater using algae. This first of its kind …

Mary Rosenthal and leading algae experts from the membership of the Alge Biomass Organization will lead for a webinar on the potential for the use of non-freshwater resources for algae. The webinar takes place on …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Who’s behind the 8-ball, the algae optimists or pessimists?   It all comes down to the pace of innovation in 8 cores.
… In a recent survey of its members, the Algae Biomass …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  Tim Engstrom reports in Gannett’s news-press.com that a bill to repeal Florida’s Renewable Fuel Standard passed in the current legislative session and sent to Gov. Rick Scott for signing is putting Algenol’s …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  Nutrients PLUS (NP), a company headquartered in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Old Dominion University (ODU), in Norfolk, Virginia, have applied for a patent on recent discoveries they’ve made related to the use …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …It used to be that the outskirts of Honolulu had the dual scent of diesel and pineapple processing — but now, all you really smell is the diesel. Sugarcane and …

by John Davis (DomesticFuel.com)  Some researchers say that, at current production levels, algae biodiesel is not a commercially viable product. But some algae advocates believe researchers might have some ulterior motives for coming to that …

by Dil Vashi   (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Solutions 4 CO2)  Stillage, CO2 become valuable inputs in synergistic design
Many ethanol producers look for additional revenue streams beyond the core ethanol and distillers grains to extract corn oil …

(25 x ’25)  A series of short videos covering five years of Vermont Bioenergy Initiative projects and the farms and people involved are now up and available to watch on YouTube.
The initiative is a project …

Day 1 Algae Technology Platform AMERICAS: Investors Meet Developers.
Day 2 & 3: Practical short course on Algae Harvesting and Processing for Value Added Applications
In this program, Smart Short Courses joins forces with Algae entrepreneur Dr. …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Heliae emerges from stealth with Volaris — its next-gen algae platform — “This technology will unlock the industry,” the company says.
…Volaris is the result of five years of targeted innovation, …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  Researchers at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA) and the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM-CSIC), in Spain, have analyzed the potential of different species of microalgae for producing biodiesel, comparing …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  lgae Testbed Public-Private Partnership (ATP3) members from across the U.S. gathered at the Arizona State University Polytechnic campus April 15-18 for their national kickoff meetings to discuss strategies for advancing research and …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Pilot-scale biorefineries for drop-in military diesel, jet fuel the focus of the DOE’s latest grant round.
In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced up to $17.7 million in grants to …

(Algae Industry Magazine) A new map of the algae industry published online by the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) shows algae production facilities and research projects stretching from coast to coast, illustrating a nationwide opportunity for a new and growing industry …

by Anneli Waara (Algae Industry Magazine)   …However, a group of researchers at Sweden’s Uppsala University, led by Senior Lecturer Fikret Mamedov and Professor Stenbjörn Styring, have just announced a discovery that changes the view on …

(XS4Green.com)  Ductor, the Finnish biotechnology company specializing in disruptive algae technology, announce today that Red Herring, a global media company, has named Ductor a winner of the Red Herring Europe 100 awards.
Ductor’s products and business …

(PR.com/Nation First International Development Asia)  Nation First International Development Asia (NFIDAsia) has announced today they have signed an MoU with Hisham Koh & Associates (HKA) to facilitate algal based farming products throughout rural Myanmar.
While algae …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …. And surprisingly, a research team from the University of California, Davis has not only catalogued the impacts of treating microalgae with 83 different compounds. They’ve found that common antioxidants …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …You’ve probably seen it, in some way, for years — a local pond seems suddenly crowded with algae — or there’s news of a “red tide” blooming at sea — …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  Tony Raggatt writes in townsvillebulletin.com that James Cook University, a leading algal research facility located in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, has started to commercialize its research by selling their algae as a feedstock …

by Emily Pickrell (FuelFix)  On Jan. 1, Congress made algae-based fuel production eligible for a $1.01-per-gallon cellulosic biofuel production federal tax credit.
Cellulosic biofuels typically are made from woody, non-food material such as grasses or wood …

by David Wogan (Scientific American)  The idea is straightforward: grow algae in large quantities and harvest the energy dense byproducts as an alternative to fossil fuels. Like larger plants, microalgae use solar energy to fix …

(EurekAlert!/American Chemical Society)  Genes from the family of bacteria that produce vinegar, Kombucha tea and nata de coco have become stars in a project — which scientists today said has reached an advanced stage — …

(Star-Advertiser)  The state has invested $200,000 toward a initiative that seeks to develop an economically sustainable zero-waste conversion project in Hilo that will turn unmarketable papaya into biofuel and high-protein animal feed.
Gov. Neil Abercrombie presented …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Despite the sluggish economic recovery and questions over policy stability — biofuels ventures have been busy raising lots of capital.   In the past 6 months, $434 million.   Who got what, …

(Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona/Biodiesel Magazine)  Dinoflagellate microalgae could be used as a raw material to obtain biodiesel easily and profitably. This is the conclusion of a study led by Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) scientists, …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …One of the perplexities of our time: why solar systems are so photon-efficient and so troubled in energy storage; conversely, how biomass systems are so photon-inefficient yet have magnificently dense …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  Founded in 2009 by Pierre Calleja, Fermentalg is a French-based industrial biotechnology company specializing in the bio-production of chemical compounds from microalgae, for use in everyday products. Its patented technologies allow the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …As can be seen in the research by Perrine, Negi, and Sayre — a more optimal light distribution strategy is available to algae but they don’t take it, because they …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Today in part II, we look at a new set of technologies coming along that are redefining our ideas about scale and cost.
… A barrier to long term deployment? The …

by Ron Kotrba (Biodiesel Magazine)  A sit-down with Dave Elsenbast, vice president of supply chain management for Renewable Energy Group Inc.  For more than 25 years, Dave Elsenbast has been a leader in agricultural business …

by Ian Branam (Scientific American)  Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have found that nearly 14 percent of land in the continental United States, or roughly the combined area of Texas and New Mexico, …

This workshop covers the fundamentals of managing microalgae cultures, culturing techniques, measuring biomass, high-value natural products, harvesting and processing technologies, as well as life cycle analysis and operation at the commercial scale. Topics presented are …

(Institute for European Environmental Policy)  This report focuses on the potential sustainability of an advanced biofuel industry relying on mainly wastes and residues as the feedstock base. Presented as a series of ‘factsheets’ we consider …

(Tucson News/Sapphire Energy)  Sapphire Achieves Major Milestone with Continuous Green Crude Oil Production
Sapphire Energy, Inc., a leader in algae-based Green Crude oil production, today announced it has entered into a commercial agreement with Tesoro Refining …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …This past week in Rotterdam, I ran into algae biofuels’ very own “Dr. No”, John Benemann — known for his succinct and characteristic analysis of new ventures aimed at making …

(Algaetech International)  AMIC, Malaysia, and Algaetech International Sdn Bhd, Malaysia, announces the signing of a Research & Technology agreement on a “Waste to Fuel” project today 4th March 2013, at Algaetech International corporate head office. With …

by Dr. Hector Hernandez (The National)  …One area of particular interest is the energy potential of algae that live in the desert’s saltflats – known as sabkha.
Algae is one of the many forms of plant …

by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine)  It was in 2001 when Dr. Isaac Berzin, a PhD Chemical Engineer at MIT’s Center for Space Research, started to question the work of the Department of Energy’s Aquatic …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  Sara Volz, a 17-year old high school senior from Colorado Springs, CO, won the top award of $100,000 from the Intel Foundation for her research of algae biofuels. Honoring high school seniors …

(University of Sheffield/Biodiesel Magazine)  It may be better to tolerate lower oil content in algae grown for biodiesel to boost growth and overall productivity, according to research from the University of Sheffield. The research shows …

(Algae Industry Magazine) Greek biomass-from-algae producer Algae Energy is ready to invest 75 million euro ($98.4 million) over the next two and a half years in an algae farm in the southern Serbian town of …

by Debra Fiakas (Alt Energy Stocks)  As part of its program to promote beneficial reuse of carbon dioxide, the Department of Energy awarded a total of $27.2 million ($3.0 million in the first phase and $24.2 …

(AMEInfo.com)  Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies announced it presented details on the UAE’s growth and export potential in the biofuels-from-algae sector to …

(Vermont Bioenergy)  Vermont researchers and entrepreneurs demonstrate their innovations in algae to biofuel R&D in the Northeast  WATCH VIDEO

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Algae pioneer now at 50% above original productivity target — aims to complete demo in 2013, head for commercial-scale in 2014.
In Florida, Algenol confirmed that the company had exceeded production …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Wondering when affordable algae-based transportation fuels might arrive at your local retail outlet?   Might be sooner than you think. Here’s the lowdown.
…Further, we have to take into account that, …

by Joe Carroll (Bloomberg) Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM)’s $600 million foray into creating motor fuels from algae may not succeed for at least another 25 years because of technical hurdles, said Chairman and Chief Executive …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  A new survey of the algae industry conducted by the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) shows the industry expects increasing production in 2013 and price-competitiveness with fossil fuels by 2020.  The survey also noted the …

(PHYCO2/Biodiesel Magazine)  …The partnership will demonstrate the patent-pending PHYCO2-developed technology to sequester CO2, reclaim water and continuously grow multiple types of algae at an accelerated rate without sunlight. The goal of the demonstration project is …

by Jim Lane (BioInvest Digest)  GEVO, SZYM, AMRS — (investor) take off delayed by fog.  How soon will the potential of three of the hottest companies in the field be realized?  What are the key …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Sales increase 35 percent at participating test sites — and survey results reveal driver preference for algae-based Soladiesel over conventional fuels.
In California, Propel Fuels and Solazyme announced that sales grew …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Algae, drop-in fuels get a kick-start from $3.2 billion ARENA funds
In Australia, two key projects focused on algae biofuels and drop-in fuels from wood biomass and residues took major steps …

(BusinessWire)  Dr. Kenneth Hudnell, one of the foremost experts on harmful algal blooms, cyanobacteria, their toxins, and their effects on health and aquatic ecosystems is calling for a significant shift in government regulatory policy and remediation …

by Julia Whitty (The Atlantic/Mother Jones)  …To get to the Nimitz, 100 miles off Honolulu, our turboprop is flying a 50-50 blend of biofuel and standard JP-5 shipboard aviation fuel. The biofuel is made from algae …

(Science Daily)  Fat worms confirm that researchers from Michigan State University have successfully engineered a plant with oily leaves ­- a feat that could enhance biofuel production as well as lead to improved animal feeds.
The …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  … In the world of biofuels there is no sector as active as military and aviation biofuels in terms of willing customers. At the Low Carbon Fuel Conference, held over …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  Australia’s State Development Minister Colin Barnett has announced a $10 million government sponsored project for construction of a seawater pipeline to support the expansion of an algae industry at Karratha, in Western …

by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine)  A 32-page report by Lux Research picks winners and losers in 2012 among alternative fuel developers. The state of the market report, which is provided only to clients, also …

byDave Dreeszen  (SiouxCityJournal.com)  The Iowa Economic Development Authority board awarded financial aid packages Friday to two Northwest Iowa manufacturers planning to expand and add new jobs.
American Natural Processors, a specialty oilseed and grain processor in …

by Tina Casey (Clean Technica)  As pressure on the Obama Administration to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline ramps up, algae biofuel is emerging as yet another domestic energy source that undercuts every argument for the …

by Sepp Jannotta (Bozeman Daily Chronicle)  A Bozeman biofuels startup is partnering with Montana State University to turn a fungus discovered in the highly acidic hot springs of Yellowstone National Park into sustainable energy.
The discovery …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Nature hasn’t (so far) selected algae for long life. Generally, the little one-celled growth factories survive by blooming slightly faster than they get eaten. Making a world that’s safe for …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  22 projects around the world show the multi-faceted promise of algae.  Concrete, polyurethane, bioplastics, cosmetics and, oh, fuels — so many big things to make from algae, it’s become a …

(The Business Journal)  A planned biodiesel production facility will begin operating next year thanks to a $6-million grant approved this week by the California Energy Commission.
The facility is one of six projects throughout the state …

(FIS.com)  A team at the University of Kansas has demonstrated the feasibility of an integrated wastewater algae-to-biocrude process using hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) that can sustainably cultivate algal biomass for biofuel production. A paper on their …

by Mona-Maria Brinker & Roger Coombs (Waste Management World)  Rising prices, continued conflict in producing regions and the spectre of peak oil have highlighted uncertainties about the future of fossil transport fuels in Europe. Mona-Maria Brinker …

by Joao Peixe (OilPrice.com)  In Europe’s quest for alternative energy sources to reduce its ever growing consumption of coal, a new EU research consortium, known as AccliPhot, has been created. Based at the University of Aberdeen …

by Aino Siirala (Advanced Biofuels USA)  Aalto University School of Chemical Technology, Finland,  organized a biofuel seminar February 2,2013, where Finland’s leading companies in this field introduced their expertise and recent projects.
The EU has set …

by Kevin Quon (Seeking Alpha)  As a producer of renewable oils, Solazyme (SZYM) is often connotated (seemingly to its own detriment) with the production of biofuels. Yet the company has developed a novel biotechnology platform …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  The Swedish governmental agency for innovation systems, Vinnova, has decided to invest four million Swedish kronor ($623,000 USD) over three years in a project that uses micro-algae to produce bio-oil from the …

(National Algae Association)  Is the government’s commitment to alternative fuels being stymied by the American Petroleum Institute, or is the Department of Energy stymying the commitment all by itself?
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  In Ireland, former Ryanair CEO Declan Ryan has joined investors in backing Aer Sustainable Energy Ltd, better known as Aer Bio. He was a director of Ryanair Holdings from August …

(FIS)  A Cornell University team has used the Monte Carlo approach to quantify the role of uncertainty associated with process parameters in life cycle analysis (LCA) of algae-to-biofuel schemes for determining metrics such as Energy …

by Katie Fehrenbacher (Gigaom)  … One of the companies that’s the farthest along is Solazyme, a South San Francisco-based company that went public in the spring of 2011. Solazyme was one of the first firms to focus …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …In Maryland, The Wildlife Society released a Technical Review, “Effects of Bioenergy Production on Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat,” to provide answers to questions on bioenergy development and wildlife so that …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  Though building capacity globally, Solazyme’s operations in Brazil are getting traction fast – and raised $235M last week.   How much oil could be produced in Brazil via sugar-munching microalgae? …

by Zarina Khan (The National)  A simple suggestion during a standard orientation presentation led to one student’s discovery of a potential alternative energy source available in the open deserts of his home emirate of Abu Dhabi.
“Dr …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  DOE sets goal of 2,500 gallon per acre algae biomass demonstration by 2018.
In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced a “Advancements in Algal Biomass Yield” Funding Opportunity of up …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  The year 2012 will go down in history as a turning point for the algae industry. It was the year that algae biofuel became a heated part of the political arena, from …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Strong biofuels flight results, advances in algae, new commitments in venture capital and revived interest from the Canadian Navy.   Biofuels are off to a fast start in 2013 in …

(Algae.Tec/PR NewsWire) Algae.Tec today announced approval from the Australian Government for an AU$12.15 million cash refund on Australian and overseas development expenditure for the financial year 30 June 2012 to 30 June 2015.
The terms of …

(Balkans.com)  … It seems unlikely but motorsport engineers and specialists from around the world have been discussing just that at the 2013 Race Tech World Motorsport Symposium.
McLaren and Caterham Formula One racing teams, plus Audi Sport …

by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest)  …Now – it’s all about organizing sustainable, affordable feedstock and building capacity. And, airlines providing capital for the first commercial projects — to ensure that capacity building reaches levels in …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  …In October 2012, the Green Star delegation (which included Biotech Research, Inc.) was received by high level local and central government representatives in the Chinese province of Jiangsu. Video of these negotiations …

by Bradley Frieze (Advanced Biofuels USA)  Dr. Jennie Hunter-Cevera and Dr. Mark Jones of the National Academy of Science Division on Earth and Life Studies gave a public webinar on November 27th, 2012 about the …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  Streamline Automation, of Huntsville, Alabama, has been assigned a patent (8,303,818) developed by four co-inventors for a “method and apparatus using an active ionic liquid for algae biofuel harvest and extraction.” The …

(Algae Industry Magazine)  Edwin Hsiao reports in Taiwan Today that the ROC Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in Pingtung County, in southern Taiwan, has just released the results of a joint microalgae bioenergy development program, …