(The Economist) Biofuels are back. This time they might even work. MAKE something people want to buy at a price they can afford. Hardly a revolutionary business strategy, but one that the American biofuels industry has, to date, eschewed. Now a new
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Pike Research released a report projecting the growth of algal fuel production to only 61 million gallons per year by 2020. Interestingly, the Pike Group projected an overall value of $1.3 billion, or more than $20
by Dr. Miles Palmer (Founder, Palmer Labs) Dr. Palmer analyzes the capital and operating expenses for commercial algae production, with a variety of considerations. His analysis shows facilities larger than 400 acres can be profitable, with high internal rate of return for
by Sophie Cocke (Pacific Business News) Monday’s grand opening of the Center for Microbial Oceanography at the University of Hawaii Manoa could work in tandem with the state’s push towards renewable energy. Microbial oceanography, an emerging sub-discipline within oceanography, studies marine microbes,
by Ed Laurent (Water & Oil Technologies, Inc./Algae Industry Magazine) ...In algae production, if synthetic polymers are used to floc the high lipid content algae, and water is recycled back to your algae cultivation area, you are adding residual acrylamide
by Eric Staats (NaplesNews.com) ...Today, growing algae to turn into biofuel is serious business, and (US Senator Bill) Nelson wants to give the fledgling industry a tax break. Nelson, D-Fla., toured the headquarters and research labs of Algenol Biofuels off Alico Road
by Dexin Luo, Zushou Hu, Dong Gu Choi, Valerie M. Thomas, Matthew J. Realff, and Ronald R. Chance (Environmental Science and Technology) Ethanol can be produced via an intracellular photosynthetic process in cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), excreted through the cell walls, collected
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Hawaii is a code word meaning “paradise” not only to sun-starved tourists, but to bioenergy developers. It has all the hallmarks of the “perfect market”. 1. A state that generates no energy from fossil fuels and
by Bill Sizemore (Virginia-Pilot) The Navy took a step toward breaking its dependence on petroleum Friday, powering up a boat with fuel derived in part from seaweed. In a demonstration at Norfolk Naval Station, an experimental boat was put through a series
(Algae Industry Magazine) ...“For the past three years, hundreds of large companies, entrepreneurs, development agencies and investors have asked for our help in launching their algae programs,” said OriginOil CEO, Riggs Eckelberry. “With our own products now hitting the market,
(Algae Industry Magazine) The Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) is praising the U.S. House of Representatives for passing H.R. 4168, the Algae-based Renewable Fuel Promotion Act. ABO specifically recognized Reps. Harry Teague (D-NM), Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), Dave Reichert (R-WA) and Brian
(Algae Industry Magazine) Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) and Arizona State University (ASU) on have announced the creation of a world-class center dedicated to researching and bringing to fruition “green” technologies using algae. The announcement was made at the fourth annual gathering
(Chicago Breaking Business/Dow Jones Newswire) Boeing Co., in cooperation with Air China Ltd. and others, plans to test a commercial-jet biofuel in China produced from a locally grown plant by the middle of 2011-part of an effort to commercialize cleaner fuels
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) California’s clean energy initiatives and businesses are at a crossroads, pending the outcome of Proposition 23 on the November ballot. Should the proposition succeed, it would suspend California’s 2006 history-making climate bill, AB32, which mandates,
(Algae Industry Magazine) LakeMaster Corporation, of Rochester, NY, has announced a move to co-locate in space within the refinery of Northern Biodiesel, Inc. in Ontario, NY. LakeMaster will produce lipid oil made from algae as a feedstock for the NBI refinery
(Yahoo! Finance/PR Newswire) U.S. Rep. Connie Mack and Lee County Commissioners Tammy Hall and Ray Judah join in celebrating new advanced research labs and integrated biorefinery that will diversify local economy and create clean energy jobs Algenol Biofuels Inc. celebrated the opening
(FIS Worldnews) A new project, which is financially supported by the Chilean government, will promote the diversification of energy through the production of biofuels from microalgae. The main objective of the initiative is to develop algae production which captures carbon dioxide
by Analia Murias (FIS Worldnews) Pesquera San José plans to produce biofuels from brown algae (Macrocystis pyrifera), better known as huiro. With this objective in mind, the company is now co-developing the InnovaChile project BAL Biofuels, a consortium of biotechnology research, development and
(AP/Bloomberg Business Week) Several Nebraska universities will share a $20 million grant to develop new research focused on algae and nanotechnology, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced Monday. Part of the five-year National Science Foundation grant will help one group of researchers build
by Lieve Laurens, Ed Wolfrum, and Al Darzins (NREL/Algae Industry Magazine) At NREL’s National Bioenergy Center, we are working towards developing a new method for estimating the oil or lipid content and chemical composition in a wide range of algal strains
(Algae Industry Magazine) The National Algae Association’s (NAA) collective of producers, researchers, technologists, engineering and equipment manufacturers have developed preliminary designs for a 100-acre commercial-scale algae production system and have identified the majority of the CAPEX and OPEX issues, according to
by Tamra Fakhoorian (Algae Industry Magazine) Recent press about the seemingly novel concept of powdered algae as a jet engine fuel has raised eyebrows in the airline industry, and among competing algae processing technologies. However, Robert Fulton, president of Utah-based Compact
by Catriona Davies (CNN) Air travel could be powered from vast seas of algae growing close to airports within four years, according to researchers and airlines hoping to find a green future for aviation.Industry giants including British Airways and Airbus are
(Algae Industry Magazine) Ford Motor Company scientists have announced that they are working to understand the suitability of algae as potential automotive biofuels. This effort is an integral part of Ford’s desire to better understand the use of biomass to produce
by Mark Edwards (Algae Industry Magazine) ...The 2010 Algae World Europe Industry Survey was conducted in association with the Centre for Management Technology and 2nd Algae World Europe 2010 Conference in Brussels. The 2010 Algae World Survey follows the 2009
by Will Thurmond (Biofuels Digest) What exactly does the commercialization and research effort on algal fuels look like? A collection of highly funded home brewers? Secretive temples of technology peopled with mad scientists intent on unleashing bizarre Frankenfuels on an
by Rebecca McClay (Arizona Capitol Times) ...One Arizona firm, Phyco Biosciences, is banking on its agricultural-style series of plastic-lined troughs bubbling with oxygen and nutrients to commercialize algae biomass. The Phyco system is different from the standard mass-cultivation process of growing
(MSU News Service) Algal biofuel production could double in yield and in far less time, thanks to a chemical trigger discovered at Montana State University. The chemical trigger is a well-timed dose of bicarbonate, a low-cost, easy-to-use chemical, similar to common
(Science Daily) Faster development of the promising field of cellulosic biofuels -- the renewable energy produced from grasses and trees -- is being significantly hampered by a "deep and thorny regulatory thicket" that makes almost impossible the use of advanced
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, Friends of the Earth released a report “Synthetic Solutions to the Climate Crisis: The Dangers of Synthetic Biology for Biofuels Production,” concluding that synthetic biology projects including the creation of algae with synthetic
(Focus Taiwan) ...The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) , which developed the technology, showed off the process of turning microalgae into biodiesel at the four-day Taipei International Invention Show and Technomart exhibition organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council... During
(USA Today) ...Ford says it wants to better understand the use of biomass to produce future biofuels as part of an overall strategy to reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil and address climate change. ...This year, Ford researchers visited Wayne
by Will Thurmond (Biofuels Digest/Emerging Markets Online) Macro-algae attracts greater investment for sugar-based Advanced Biofuels, Drop-In Fuels and Chemicals An emerging rise in investment in from petrochemical majors and governments in Asia, Europe and the Americas aims at extracting sugars from
(FIS) Scientists are proposing the creation of methane gas from algae grown in great offshore farms to power adapted vehicles. A new GBP 5 million (EUR 6.1 million) UK and Irish joint project called BioMara disclosed the plan and seeks to
(TAPPI) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Washington, D.C., USA, has awarded the College of William & Mary, WIlliansburg, Va., $500,000 to study various aspects of using wild aquatic algae as both biofuel feedstock and as a medium for helping to
(CBS4Denver.com/AP) A Colorado State University study says turning algae into a biofuel is more environmentally friendly than the process for petroleum diesel or soy biodiesel. The study based its conclusion on the complete process for each fuel and included factors such
(Algae Industry Magazine) The analysis of the complete genome of Chlorella microalgae, a promising genus for biofuel production, has been completed by the Laboratoire Information Génomique et Structurale of CNRS. The Laboratory is currently heading an international collaboration involving American and
(US Environmental Protection Agency) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator for the Office of Research and Development, Paul Anastas, joins other science leaders to kick off the USA Science and Engineering Festival on September 29 in Washington, D.C. Dr.
(Green Star Products) Green Star Products, Inc., announced it has signed a contract to build a biodiesel facility. This is the first of several contracts in conjunction with an ambitious Algae-to-Biodiesel project on the west coast. Green Star has already started fabrication
(Algae Industry Magazine) Phyco BioSciences, Inc., has announced an agreement with Hong Kong based China Biological Engineering, Limited to develop two projects in the Peoples Republic of China beginning this Fall. The first project is a joint venture in JaingShu Province
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) If moving genes around on a chromosome is your idea of a good time, meet Dr. Stephen Mayfield, Director of the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology. ...Steve is now the John Dove Isaacs Professor
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...We have spoken to farmers, local business owners, environmentalists, community development officials, engine developers, scientists, policy makers, producers, investors, lenders, blenders, wholesalers, retailers, and end users. We have visited development projects on four continents. We have
by Val Walton (The Birmingham News) Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos wrote a letter of support last week for the SouthEast Region Algae Consortium (SERAC) -- a group of scientists, engineers and experts in biofuels and algae research which is pursuing a
by Steve Clark (The Brownsville Herald) Photon8 Inc., Brad Bartilson’s Brownsville-based startup company, has managed to plow through some sticky issues in its quest for commercially feasible algae-to-biofuel production and is two years ahead of schedule in terms of production milestones.In
(Algae Industry Magazine) Renewable Algal Energy, LLC of Kingsport, Tennessee, has announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded them $3,000,000 to develop “Algal Biodiesel via Innovative Harvesting and Aquaculture Systems.” READ MORE and MORE (Department of Energy)
(Algae Industry Magazine) The Sustainable Use of Renewable Fuels (SURF) consortium, which brings together Airbus, British Airways, Rolls-Royce, Finnair, Gatwick Airport, IATA and Cranfield University was announced at this week’s Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva. The consortium will take a
(Old Dominion University) ...During the past five years, researchers at Old Dominion University have devised ways to cultivate and harvest microscopic algae, and then to convert them into a biodiesel fuel by a proprietary one-step process. Now they have discovered
by Angel Gonzalez (Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal) Norwegian oil major Statoil ASA (STO) has agreed to invest in a San Francisco Bay Area start-up to develop ethanol from seaweed, and to potentially commercialize the fuel in Norway and other European countries. Under the
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) Training a workforce for the algae production industry is going to be a Catch 22 type of situation. It will take a large community of workers with highly developed skills to build the quantity of
by Andrew Pollack (New York Times) ...Now Dr. Venter is turning from reading the genetic code to an even more audacious goal: writing it. At Synthetic Genomics, he wants to create living creatures — bacteria, algae or even plants —
The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville is a recipient of a $10,000 EPA People, Prosperity, and the Planet (P3) Phase I grant. ...(A)lthough much research has been done on trying to convert algae oils into biodiesel, little has been done on
(Algae Industry Magazine) Solution Recovery Services, of Dexter Michigan, an employee owned industry leader in oil separation and purification systems has partnered with Touchstone Research Laboratory, a privately owned U.S. company with principal operations in Triadelphia, W.V. The project team together
by Tyler Hamilton (Toronto Star) Could a unique microorganism found in the waters of Atlantic Canada represent the future of jet fuel production? That’s what Halifax-based Ocean Nutrition Canada is hoping to find out as part of a four-year demonstration project funded
by By Jorge J. Muñiz Ortiz (Latin American Herald Tribune) State-owned utility AEE and the firm Bio-Lipidos on Thursday announced plans to build a plant in northern Puerto Rico that will produce a pure fuel based on tropical marine micro-algae. AEE’s executive
(AzoCleanTech) ...The two universities currently conducting the algae research are the Kasetsart University in the area of freshwater algae and the Burapha University in the area of marine algae. The Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Department will not only provide financial
(US Department of Energy) U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced September 8, 2010, the investment of up to $16.5 million for two major research and development (R&D) initiatives that will support the expansion of renewable transportation fuels production. The first initiative
by Lisa Gibson (Biomass Magazine) Ten years after NREL’s Aquatic Species Program was shut down, a similar initiative began and now is thriving in its algae research, which includes the evaluation of CO2 recycling. Between 1978 and 1996, the Aquatic Species Program at
(Algae Industry Magazine) Algae Bioenergy Solutions (ABS), of Augusta, Georgia, has announced preliminary plans to develop a three to five million gallons per year algae oil plant, expandable to forty million gallons a year, to produce feedstock for biodiesel and other
(Algae Industry Magazine) A recent post in Forbes by Chris Rhodes currently buzzing talks about a new method for identifying high lipid content strains of algae based on Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The near infrared wavelength spectrum occupies from 800–2500 nm,
(Green Car Congress/FavStocks) Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed and demonstrated the feasibility of a two-step hydrolysis-solvolysis process to produce biodiesel directly from wet algal biomass. Their process eliminates the need for biomass drying, organic solvent extraction, and
by William Hermann(The Arizona Republic) Clean, green energy source could replace fossil fuels. ...With its ideal climate and abundance of available land, Arizona is poised to become a major center of a multibillion-dollar, algae-based, biofuel industry. Scientists at Arizona State University's Polytechnic
by William Hermann (The Arizona Republic) Arizonans have cleaned algae from cattle tanks, swimming pools and fish tanks for decades. Now, Arizona researchers are developing algae as a promising 21st-century alternative fuel to power cars, trucks and planes and propel the
by Luis Andres Henao (Reuters) An Argentine company opened Friday the country's first factory to make biodiesel from algae, hoping to use pond scum as a replacement for soy in making biodiesel as part of a push for renewable energy. Argentina is
by Greg Peel (ninemsn) ...Algae.Tec is also in the process of an IPO. However at A$7.5m, Algae.Tec's issue is hardly one that can be described as exploitative or prematurely opportunistic, and the company's legally protected intellectual property represents years of
(Algal Industry Magazine) The Technical Standards Committee of the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) is currently in late stage review of its Algal Industry Minimum Descriptive Language Document, recommended for characterizing the economic and environmental inputs and outputs of an aquatic biomass
by Ariel DuChene (Syracuse University) Scientists and engineers seek to meet three goals in the production of biofuels from non-edible sources such as microalgae: efficiency, economical production and ecological sustainability. Syracuse University’s Radhakrishna Sureshkumar, professor and chair of biomedical and
(PRNewsWire) Biodiesel Industries announced today the company's selection by the California Energy Commission for a project grant to support the state's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program. This Biofuel Production Plants grant provides funding and financial assistance for the
(Algae Industry Magazine) An article by Rene H. Wijffels and Maria J. Barbosa, of Wageningen University in the Netherlands, published in the current edition of Science Journal, details the challenges and opportunities of algal biofuel development from a European perspective.
By Jennifer McEntee (The Voice of San Diego) Investors are a tough crowd to cultivate. Yet in the pond that is the biotechnology market, one product seems to be rising to the top like the green sludge it is: algae. Its
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, the secretive Joule Unlimited (then known as Joule Biotechnologies) emerged late last year from “stealth mode” with the startling announcement that their technology could produce up to 15,000 gallons per acre of drop-in hydrocarbon
(GTM Research) ...In this report, we focus on "third-generation" algae biofuels and "fourth-generation" biofuels that are either created using petroleum-like hydroprocessing, advanced bio-chemistry, or revolutionary processes like Joule’s "solar-to-fuel" method that defies any other category of biofuels. The opportunities that
by Tamra Fakhoorian (Algae Industry Magazine) Reinventing the wheel is usually frowned upon, but in the case of the Waterwheel Factory’s development of high-tech paddlewheels for open pond raceways, it is paying off nicely in terms of better efficiencies for the
by Ben Leach (Press of Atlantic City) A multimillion-dollar ethanol plant is planned for a former landfill site, but members of the community can get a sneak peak of the technology in action next week. Garden State Ethanol will demonstrate extracting the
(Standard-Examiner) Utah environmental regulators have set a seven-year deadline for Logan officials to cut the amount of phosphorus in sewage lagoons west of the city. Water from the lagoons discharges into Cutler Reservoir. Phosphorous fuels algae blooms that produce oxygen during the day,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But even were the US EPA to approve E15 ethanol blending, there are some other significant walls and thresholds to keep in mind. Here are the Digest’s Top 10. 1. The $60 oil parity wall. At the
by Rod Walton (Tulsa World) ..."I got into it because of the potential with algae," said Geoffrey Price, professor, department chairman and part of the research team. "It's because they take in sunlight more efficiently than other plants." Price and his
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson recently announced that $200,000 in Recovery Act funding has been awarded to New Mexico State University. A portion of that funding will go to the university’s Renewable Energy, Water and
(The Japan Times) Scientists from Tohoku University and Tohoku Electric Power Co. have developed a technology to efficiently generate ethanol from seaweed such as sea tangle and sea grape, group members said Saturday. The technology uses natural yeast discovered by the group
(Blue Fire Renewables) Name Change Designed to Better Reflect Its Fuel and Energy Production Capabilities BlueFire Ethanol Fuels, Inc., a company focused on changing the world's transportation fuel paradigm through the production of renewable fuels from non-food cellulosic wastes, today announced that
(Wageningen University/Science Daily) Within 10 to 15 years, it will be technically possible to produce sustainable and economically viable biodiesel from micro-algae on a large scale. Technological innovations during this period should extend the scale of production by a factor of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...A significant number of voices in the community continue to caution that algal biofuels are 10 years away, or likely to arrive at commercial scale only in the waning years of the existing Renewable Fuel
by Joseph Holroyd (Algae Industry Magazine) LakeMaster Corporation, a clean energy technology company headquartered in Rochester, New York, is engaged in the development and commercialization of a proprietary algal to biofuel system that captures carbon dioxide. The company recently filed for
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) ... “I’ve always wanted to work on things that are really important, at least to the company where I’m working and, ideally, beyond that. I don’t mind how big the challenge is or how hard
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...The announcement was greeted with a hilariously inaccurate story in the New York Times, which apparently confused PetroAlgae’s technology with the OMEGA project developed by NASA (NASA proposed to grow algae in sealed bags floating
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, here’s a look at some of the more interesting biofuel-related patent applications logged at the US Patent and Trademark Office in recent weeks. The USPTO’s archive is not for the faint of heart, or
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...On the microcrop, bacterial and algael research front. Lemna... The Archaea... Electricity from Waste via microbes... READ MORE
by Bryant Furlow (New Mexico Independent) ...Sapphire has inserted genes into its algae that alter the hydrocarbons algae normally produce, making it more like petroleum from which jet fuel and bio-diesel can be manufactured. The company has also inserted the
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Solazyme, which was ranked #1 in the 2009-10 “50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy” by Biofuels Digest readers and selectors, announced that it has raised $52 million in its Series D financing round.... In addition to its
by Patrick Peterson (Florida Today) Even as last of BP oil spilled on the Gulf Coast dissipates, interest in Florida's biofuel industry piqued by the spill may linger, and even grow. For the moment certainly, biofuels such as ethanol and algae-derived diesel
(Algae Industry Magazine) Dr. William L. Roberts, a professor in the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University, and his colleagues, four biologists and three engineers, are working on ways to produce and extract lipids from
by Dina Fine Maron (ClimateWire) One day, Big Algae may be competitive with Big Oil, but as researchers search for the ideal oil-producing algae strain to grow in commercial quantities, there are still a host of uncertainties standing in the
by Matthew McDermott (Treehugger) ...According to Anna Stephenson from the University of Cambridge, when algae is grown in clear-tubed bioreactors the energy required to move the algae around so that it gets enough sunlight means that per megajoule equivalent of
(OriginOil) Shipment of OriginOil Quantum Fracturing System to MBD Energy Triggers Payment OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technology to transform algae, the most promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum, today announced that it recently
by Ashley Bray (Minnesota Daily) The University (of Minnesota)’s Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering is working to develop sustainable, domestic biomass solutions. ...The University’s Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering — a division of the College of Food, Agricultural and
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) National security is at the root of the nearly seventy-year old Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the world’s leading scientific research institutions. While originally organized for a single purpose: to design and build the
(Algae Industry Magazine) Rosetta Green, a company specializing in the identification of unique genes in plants and algae for the cleantech and plant biotech industries, and Seambiotic, a company specializing in the growth of algae at industrial scale, have announced that
by Andrew Pollack (New York Times) ...“We’ve probably engineered over 4,000 strains,” said Mike Mendez, a co-founder and vice president for technology at Sapphire Energy, the owner of the laboratory. “My whole goal here at Sapphire is to domesticate algae,
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. is moving to Phase II with its algae project at one plant and planning to install corn oil extraction technology at all six of its ethanol plants. On July 20,
(Algae Industry Magazine) Renewergy Corporation, of Erie, PA, has begun cultivating algae with its patent pending Aeroponic Algal Culture system at the Erie Wastewater Treatment Facility. The system is designed to encourage and enhance the growth of naturally occurring algae with nutrients from the
by Jonathan Williams (Algae Industry Magazine) ...(O)one of the major roadblocks on the road to a hydrogen economy is the cost to produce hydrogen. If hydrogen is to become a viable fuel source, it will need to be produced cheaply.
by Gerald Traufetter (Der Spiegel) There are plans within the aviation industry to replace kerosene with biofuel derived from algae. The new fuel comes with a surprising benefit: Planes will be able to fly farther on the same amount of
By Alyson Zepeda (Reuters) * Greenhouse will test algae strains * Next step is outdoor testing * Spending will grow over the next decade Exxon Mobil Corp said on July 14, 2010,it opened a greenhouse facility to grow and test algae, the next step
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) Dr. Russell Chapman, Executive Director of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, in San Diego, takes great joy in sharing his passion for algae with his students.
(Algae Industry Magazine) ...One contribution that may inform biofuels research is reported in the July 9 issue of Science, where researchers led by the DOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI) and the Salk Institute presented the 138 million nucleotide genome of
(BusinessWire.com) Process eliminates the energy intensive and costly oil extraction step. Unitel Technologies, Inc. announced that the company has filed a patent application for a new technology for making biofuels from microalgae. The process involves minimal dewatering, and completely bypasses the
(OriginOil) New technology taps hydrogen generated by living algae. OriginOil, Inc. , the developer of a breakthrough technology to transform algae, the most promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum, July 8, 2010, announced a new invention that generates
by Jeffrey Tomich (StLToday.com) ...The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in Creve Coeur has emerged as a hub for algae-to-biofuel research thanks to millions of dollars in donations and grants, including a $25 million gift from local billionaire Jack Taylor that
by Richard Harth (Arizona State University) Cyanobacteria are among the oldest living forms in nature, responsible for generating the atmospheric oxygen we breathe today. Now Hyun Woo Kim and Raveender Vannela, researchers at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University
With an eye toward young water-process and civil engineering, talent leading the future development of the algae biofuel and biomass industry, the National Algae Association and Algae Industry Magazine.com are collaborating to produce, sponsor and host a collegiate scholarship that
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Among the changes proposed by the (Algal Biomass Organization) were: providing more flexible revenue requirements for qualifying under the program, including allowing consideration of co-product, or chemicals sales as part of revenue floors; increasing the
(Compact Contractors for America/YouTube/Algae Industry Magazine) The Dry Process Bio Jet Fuel from Algae utilizes raw algae for fuel for any aircraft or land based turbine. This methodology uses a variety of algae biomass to create a powdered turbine fuel.
(US Department of Energy) Despite algae's potential, many technical and economic challenges must be overcome for algal biofuels to be commercialized. To identify these hurdles and guide research and development activities, DOE convened the National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap Workshop, bringing together
(US Department of Energy) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced June 28, 2010, the investment of up to $24 million for three research groups to tackle key hurdles in the commercialization of algae-based biofuels. The selections will support the development of a
by Penni Crabtree (SignOnSanDiego.com) Algae’s potential vast, but the cost so far is immense. ...Scientists agree that the science to turn algae into fuel has arrived. It’s just the economics that remain elusive. “We all complain about the price of gas, but
(GreenAirOnline) The first public flights of an aircraft with an engine fully powered by algae-derived biofuel took place last week during the ILA Air Show in Berlin. The demonstration flights of a twin-engined Diamond DA42 NG light aircraft was undertaken
(Toledo Blade) By early next year, the University of Toledo's Scott Park Campus for Energy and Innovation will be home to a nearly $1 million facility to research and develop algae biofuels in hopes of accelerating the alternative fuel's commercialization. Ohio University,
(National Algae Association) The National Algae Association, a 501(3)6 non-profit association, located in The Woodlands, Texas is starting a new algae production incubator to help lower the cost and risks in the algae production industry. It will be the first commercial-scale algae production
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Like other sectors in advanced biofuels, macroalgae is a world of pilot projects and proposals – commercial scale projects are several years away, even if funding were to appear almost immediately. But more than funding,
by Janneke Pieters (REnewable Energy World) ...CO2 — along with sunlight and water — is needed to grow algae, which can in turn produce oil, otherwise known as “oilgae” or “green crude.” While in its nascent stages, the “oilgae” industry
by Robert Block and Mark K. Matthews (Orlando Sentinel) Charlie Bolden asked Marathon Oil for its opinion on Project OMEGA — but he has financial interest in Marathon, which has a competing project. While millions of barrels of spilled oil choke the
(Chemical Online) In the quest for alternatives to soybeans, palm, and other edible oilseed plants as sources for biodiesel production, enter an unlikely new candidate: A fungus, or mold, that produces and socks away large amounts of oils that are
by Shigeru Sato (Bloomberg Business Week) Toyota Motor Corp.’s research and development unit, Hitachi Ltd. and more than 40 other Japanese companies and institutions have joined a national study into algae’s potential for producing biofuel and chemicals. ...Japan abandoned a $132
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) ... I’ve heard a lot of people say that developing algal biofuels is just an engineering issue, that is, all we have to do is engineer more efficient growth ponds and cost effective harvesting and
(Times of India) In a major eco-friendly step towards renewable energy generation in India, seaweed sourced ethanol (ethyl alcohol), a biofuel additive in transport fuel, has been used to run a car for the first time. Central Salt and Marine
(Science Daily) Using genetic sleight of hand, researcher Xinyao Liu and professor Roy Curtiss at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute have coaxed photosynthetic microbes to secrete oil -- bypassing energy and cost barriers that have hampered green biofuel production. ..."The real
(Algae Industry Magazine) Richard Ira and Brian Niguidula, sixth grade students at Scofield Magnet Middle School, in Stamford, CT, won the National Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Award, for their original science project, a Community Algae BioReactor that extracts oil from algae. As they describe
(YouTube) Seaweed biofuel could be the largest renewable energy source of the the 21st century. This video by Mr. Kaare Bækgaard, Designer, demonstrates how. WATCH VIDEO
by Reid Wright (Currrent-Argus, CEHMM) It takes hundreds of thousands of years for fossil organisms beneath the earth's crust to simmer into crude petroleum. It takes a single day to make 1,000 gallons of crude algae biofuel at a small
by Joelle Dent (Biofuels Digest Asia) ...We’ve had enough of “tough oil” and the damage caused by leaks, spills and explosions as you risk your lives and ours for the a resource that’s already on the verge of exhaustion and
by Michael Tutton (The Canadian Press, Winnepeg Free Press) Tiny, slimy East Coast algae could eventually be a viable form of fuel for everything from jets to diesel generators and power a new Canadian industry, research scientists said Friday. Federal scientists
by Jennifer Tan and Seng Li Peng(Reuters) ...Although oil, coal and natural gas are expected to represent about 80 percent of global energy supply mix through 2030, nuclear and renewable energy such as wind, solar, geothermal and biofuels will play a
by John Morris (Aviation Week) EADS will make the world’s first public flight of an aircraft with an engine powered solely by third-generation algae-derived biofuel here at ILA. A Diamond DA42 with Austro Engine AE300 diesel powerplants has been flying for a
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In today’s profile, we look at the world of transformative algae technologies with a focus on this years’ #1 Hottest Company in Bioenergy, Solazyme, and 18 other ventures who have scored “Red Hot” in the 50
by Kambiz Foroohar (Bloomberg) ...In Japan, the U.K. and the U.S., green energy advocates and some well-heeled investors are obsessed with perfecting a way to turn the scum that coats ponds, lakes and fish tanks into a substitute for gasoline,
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) Seven years ago two former college roommates set up shop in a Palo Alto garage, with the mission of becoming the first company to develop commercial algae-based fuel. They built their business plan with the
by Rep. Harry Teague (D-NM) (Politico) ...It turns out there are two immediate barriers to raising capital for commercial-scale production of algae-based fuel. The first is a quirk in our tax code that provides tax incentives for cellulosic biofuel production but
by Joelle Dent (Biofuels Digest) ...Two years ago, the Korean Institute for Industrial Technology developed a process of extracting ethanol from seaweed, which proves to be more cost-efficient and advantageous than other sources of biofuel, writes Philippine Senator Edgardo Angara. Seaweed grows
by David Schwartz (Algal Industry Magazine) ..."Our near term goals are to continue to be the leading voice for the algae industry, to provide our members resources and networking opportunities, such as the 2010 Algae Summit, to grow their businesses
by Mary Rosenthal (Algal Biomass Organization) It was a great year for algae – and a great year for the Algal Biomass Organization. In the past 12 months, the algae industry has reached a number of critical milestones: significant federal policy
by Andrew Forgrave (Daily Post North Wales) Waste food and even cow slurry could be used to feed the world using a farm-scale process being pioneered in North Wales. Start-up company Merlin Biodevelopments has devised a new way of growing protein-rich
by Steve Clark (The Brownsville Herald) ...Brad Bartilson, Photon8’s president and CEO, says the Traveling Wave Tube technology boosts algae growth by 500 percent, representing a major advance in the profitable conversion of algae to biofuel — "profitable" being the key
(Kentucky.com) Alltech President Pearse Lyons said Monday that his company will announce in August the creation of a large algae factory in Kentucky to make bio-fuel and research new approaches for mitigating climate change. Lyons declined to give the location or other
by Ann Perry (USDA ARS) ...Agricultural Research Service microbiologist Walter Mulbry has been finding out there’s more to algae than just stringy masses that muck up streams and ponds. Though some scientists believe algae might be the next best thing
(National Algae Association) With an eye toward young talent leading the future of algaebioenergy development, the National Algae Association, in cooperation with Algae Industry Magazine, announces the launch of the Algae Innovation Awards, a scholarship competition for innovative university microbiology and engineering
(National Algae Association) The National Algae Association is pleased to announce that construction has been completed on a commercial-scale photobioreactor (PBR) demo located at Lone Star College in The Woodlands, Texas. “Thanks to donations of materials, time and effort by
by Manny Galvez (The Philippean Star) The government plans to develop a $5-million (P220-million) ethanol farm at a 100-hectare site in the province using the Korean technology of extracting ethanol from seaweed. Sen. Edgardo Angara told The STAR that the Department of
by Will Thurmond (Biofuels Digest) As we enter a new decade in 2010, leagues of prescient scientists , businessmen, politicians, commodity traders, defense hawks, activists, NGOs and social entrepreneurs are taking on future challenges by invoking ancient wisdom. Necessity is
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) ...When we look at the markets, it will come down to transportation as the deal killer on biofuels, including algae. The longer the distance from the production site to the processing site and to
by Daniel Walsh (pressofAtlanticCity.com) Mike Smith wants to bring the green energy revolution to Vineland. He plans to take the world’s fastest growing plant and make it grow even faster. Then burn it to create a natural gas and transform that
(ChemInfo) OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technology to transform algae into a true competitor to petroleum, May 4, 2010, announced a breakthrough direct-solar growth design that uses growth layers to harness the sun’s energy more effectively than existing pond systems,
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