by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...A large number of leading companies, and industry associations, reported that they had had no contact with the RAND report team. There have been allegations that the RAND team, either through naivete or deliberately, ignored projects
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) ...Kent Bioenergy has been harvesting algae for years, as part of their aquaculture business that dates back the the 1970s. The original company needed to learn how to clean the water used for fish farms and
by Ben Geman (The Hill/E2Wire) The ethanol industry is quickly attacking a draft EPA study that details a slew of ecological harms that could accompany increased biofuels production. “EPA’s failure to provide this report in any context with the environmental degradation done
by Lori Shull (Watertown Daily Times) Algae could, one day, save the Development Authority of the North Country money on its power bills. The agency is teaming up with a group of researchers from Clarkson University to find out whether wastewater
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Last week [after previously exiting their investment in Choren, a Fischer-Tropsch technology based in Germany] Shell announced that it will will exit its shareholding in Cellana, a joint venture between Shell and HR Biopetroleum. Today,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...We hereby sentence the authors to a one-year subscription to Biofuels Digest. We continue to sound the alarm on “studies” that are, in essence, reviews of peer-reviewed literature reviews and interviews with secondary sources. It’s the
(Algal Biomass Organization) Today, the RAND Corporation published a study and accompanying press release calling into question the effectiveness of renewable fuels for military use. The report can be found here:http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/monographs/2011/RAND_MG969.pdf A copy of the press release can be found here:http://www.rand.org/news/press/2011/01/25.html It is
(RAND Corporation) If the U.S. military increases its use of alternative fuels, there will be no direct benefit to the nation's armed forces, according to a new RAND Corporation study. Any benefits from investment in alternative fuels by the U.S. Department of
by Vinod Khosla (Green Tech Media) Part 1: Production technologies: where are we? The financial crisis of 2008 set back a number of projects and slowed actual construction of pilot and demo plants like it did in all industries, be
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) Dr. Jason Pyle, the high profile CEO at the even more high profile “green crude” developer, Sapphire Energy, holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Physiology, as well as an M.D., from
by Dr. Jose A Olivares (Executive Director, The National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bio-Products Los Alamos National Laboratory) Dr. Olivares first provides an overview of the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bio-Products organization. Olivares discusses the organization’s involvement
by Bill Scanlon (National Renewable Energy Laboratory/Renewable Energy World) Most people scorn algae as pond scum, but Lee Elliott embraces the slime, captures it, filters it, and analyzes it for its potential to grow like weeds and fuel the airplanes
(Algae Industry Magazine) A new Australian company has been established to produce commercial quantities of clean, “green” fuels from algae. The company, Muradel Pty Ltd, is a joint venture of Murdoch University, Adelaide Research & Innovation Pty Ltd (the commercial development
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, Chromatin announced the successful first demonstration that genes can be assembled, stacked, and expressed in sugarcane using the company’s mini-chromosome technology. Now, what exactly is a gene stack and why should I care? Most
by Robyn L. Minor (Bowling Green Daily News) Officials studying logistical challenges facing biofuel progress With gas prices in December seeing the biggest jump in 18 months, consideration of alternative fuel development moves to the forefront. “Gas price certainly reinvigorates the conversation,”
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Ohio, Algaeventure Systems advises that, today, they are releasing an RFP targeting the nation's leading algae producers to act as demonstration sites for its SLS Industrial algae dewatering technology under its 2009 DOE ARPA-E
by Erin Voegele (Biodiesel Magazine) NX Global Inc. has received a $100 million funding commitment from a private U.S.-based organization. The financial support will be used to purchase property and fund construction on a waste-to-energy and algae facility in Canada.
Algae.Tec Limited (ASX: AEB) an advanced biofuels company with a pioneering highly-efficient algae growth and harvesting system (the McConchie-Stroud System) is listing on the ASX today at 10am WST January 14, 2011. The McConchie-Stroud System uses low-maintenance technologies and a
(Pacific Rim BioEnergy) Note: This is an update from an earlier post. The earlier post outlined the concepts but did not have any specific details. This post utilizes current figures and displays the economic principals based on those current figures. The
by Bob Brooks (Automotive Industries) Photon8, a new venture algae oil development firm has emerged from research work at the University Of Texas, Brownsville, TX, by placing its priority on the economics of making algal based diesel fuel oil at
by Will Thurmond (Biofuels Digest/ Emerging Markets Online) 1 Emerging Markets Growth US and EU-based algae producers and licensors of technology are increasingly looking to the Emerging Markets in Latin America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East ... 2 Renewable Oils
The First International Algae Competition was launched at the World Algae Congress held in San Francisco, CA, December 6-8, 2010. Algae Competition objectives are to create an open source collaboratory that expands and shares a vision for algae in our future
by Integrated Gemomics (Algae Industry Magazine) To the untrained eye, microalgae are typical photosynthetic, unicellular organisms. Most species are characterized as green, red, or brown in color with a moderate growth rate and size as small as one micron in
by Barry Cohen (National Algae Association) ... Some of the accomplishments include: - Construction of commercial-scale demo PBR at Lone Star College - Delivery by NAA Engineering Consortium of plans and design for the 100-acre challenge - Delivery by NAA finance team of first financial
(PhysOrg.com) Charles Yarish is, by his own definition, a seaweed enthusiast. Over his 35-year career, the Stamford professor of ecology and evolutionary biology has followed his marine algae instincts around the world, studying seaweeds’ relationships, their physiology, and their interactions with
(Green Car Congress) The US Department of Energy (DOE) is seeking input from industry, academia, and other biofuels stakeholders regarding supply systems and services for the production, handling, storage, transport and delivery of algae via a new Request for Information (RFI)
by M.S. Swaminathan(The Hindu) ... On December 26, 2010, which marks the sixth anniversary of the tsunami which caused severe damage in Tamil Nadu and other States, a Salt Satyagraha Memorial Programme is being launched at Vedaranyam by the M.S.
(Green Car Congress) The Nikkei reports that Tokyo Institute of Technology, Takenaka Corp. and other partners are planning to build an offshore pilot plant to grow algae for use in biofuel production. ...The wide-ranging project aims to develop technology to absorb
by Willie Vogt (Farm Futures) ...Cellana, an algal biofuel research company based in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, is leading a consortium that includes Cornell, Duke University, San Francisco State University, the University of Hawaii and the University of Southern Mississippi. The
(Algae Industry Magazine) The National Research Council has proposed to the National Academies to appoint a committee to examine the promise of sustainable development of algal biofuels, identify potential concerns, unforeseen sustainability challenges and unintended consequences for a range of
by Luke Geiver (Biodiesel Magazine) Confined Animal Feeding Operations and algal biomass may have a unique link that could help move algae-to-energy developments closer to commercialization. Why? According to Thomas Byrne, president and CEO of Byrne & Company LLP, a
(Algae Industry Magazine) According to Texas A&M University’s Robert Burns, writing in the Western Farm Press, Texas AgriLife Research engineer Dr. Alex Thomasson has developed an optical-electronic sensor to automatically measure algae growth stages and allow micro-management of its production
by Cynthia Barnett (Florida Trend) Some Florida businesses are squeezing a trickle of fuel from algae, claiming they can help power the world. But right now, a few expensive drops in the bucket are all they have to show. On 1,000
(Algae Industry Magazine) ...(W)e decided to go right to the experts and see what was on their minds over this past year. It’s pretty easy to do this in the Internet Age. Through analytics we are able to see how
(AZOCleantech) IHS, a pioneering leader providing critical data and insight, has published its first study comparing process designs and the financial side for the production of 30 million gallons per year of biodiesel from three different microalgal technological methods in
(Renewable Energy Magazine) Compact Contractors for America (CCA) has developed a dry process biofuel from algae which the company hopes will power military Unmanned Aerial Vehicles such as Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk in the not too distant future. CCA’s founder
by Kassia Micek (The Courier of Montgomery County) Instead of trying to get rid of that slimy, green substance that habitually grows in water, Lone Star College-Montgomery students are are growing large amounts of the organism in hopes of turning it
by Bruce V. Bigelow (Xconomy.com) The U.S. military’s interest in developing algae biofuels dates back at least three years, when the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) began to assess the technical capabilities needed to produce JP-8 grade jet fuel. By
by Jeffrey Decker (FlightGlobal) Commercial production of jet biofuels could find authorisation in December under fuel specification amendments being considered by certificating body ASTM International.Enormous investments and economies of scale are far behind testing that consistently confirms the safety and
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...But a new generation of companies has come along with new ideas about how to develop scale in a world of empty wallets. You might have heard of them as Amyris, Solazyme, LS9, Gevo, Joule
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...This week in Honolulu, Chris Tindal of the US Navy joined advanced biofuels CEOs Jason Pyle of Sapphire Energy and Jonathan Wolfson of Solazyme at BIO’s Pacific Rim Summit, to discuss the scope and scale
(PhysOrg.com) Is red seaweed a viable future biofuel? Now that a University of Illinois metabolic engineer has developed a strain of yeast that can make short work of fermenting galactose, the answer is an unequivocal yes. ...(M)arine biomass can be easily
(Algae Industry Magazine) Dr. B. Greg Mitchell is a research biologist and senior lecturer at the University of California San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography. ...For more than two decades Greg has promoted mass culture of algae to mitigate CO2 and
(National Air and Space Administration) NASA has entered into a lease with E Green Technologies, Inc. (EGT) Kellyton, Ala., to bring the world’s largest airship to NASA Research Park at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. Under the terms of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Honolulu, much of the leadership of the advanced biofuels and renewables chemicals industries have gathered this week at BIO’s Pacific Rim Summit. ...(W)hat are the key trends? Here are 11 that the Digest spotted. 1.
by Anthony Esposito (Fox Business/Dow Jones) Two of the most important players in Chile's fuel and energy market, fuel and forestry conglomerate Empresas Copec SA (COPEC.SN) and power generator E-CL SA (ECL.SN), will team up to create biofuels from micro-algae. ... The
(OriginOil) Pilot Partner MBD Energy Praises OriginOil Team on Expertise and System Operation 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 the successful completion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Oak Investment venture partner (and now Aurora chairman) Brian Hinman noted that “Aurora Biofuels has made a significant genetic engineering achievement in doubling the productivity of its proprietary algae, and this round of funding will
(Algae Industry Magazine) Australia Australian scientists are claiming the world’s best production rates of oil from algae grown in open saline ponds, following a joint $3.3 million project led by Murdoch University and involving the University of Adelaide. The claims are
(People's Daily) A Chinese science academy in east China's Shandong Province has clinched a deal to introduce photobioreactor technology from Chosun University in the Republic of Korea (ROK) to aid the former's research on mass producing oil-rich algae for biodiesel
(BusinessWire) Viral Genetics, Inc., (Pinksheets: VRAL.PK) has launched a subsidiary called “VG Energy, Inc.” The new entity is majority-owned by Viral Genetics and its current shareholders, and was formed to market the company’s biofuel technology. “The new brand will help open
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Shockers in the 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy Our picks for most underrated company? American Process at #97 and Fiberight at #85 got short shrift from the voters this year, and Targeted Growth has an outstanding story
by Bryan Walsh (Time/CNN) ...One of the best options on the horizon is biofuel made from algae, which counters a lot of the problems with corn ethanol. (The right strains of algae secrete oils that can be used to make
(Algae Industry Magazine) A report from the Savannah (GA) News, states that after more than 4 years of research, Bebout and Associates has patented a process for growing algae for biofuels that promises faster growth rates, higher oil production and greater
(Algal Biomass Organization) Document intended to remove confusion, increase cohesion among experts evaluating algae technology The Algal Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, today released its “Algal Industry Minimum Descriptive Language” document — the first attempt at establishing
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...In renewable diesel there are two companies that are getting it done, in terms of putting fuel on the street in meaningful volumes. Those are Dynamic Fuels and Neste Oil. Dynamic, which is a JV
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Australia, World Wide Carbon Credits Limited announced today that it has successfully lodged final patent applications over a gene that encodes an enzyme capable of producing a class of hydrocarbons known as triterpenoids, including di-hydro
(OriginOil) Former DOE Aquatic Species Program Site Will Enable Commercial Scale Testing for Algae-to-oil Industry 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
(MarketWire) Applied Concepts for Energy, Inc. a subsidiary of NX Global, Inc., announced November 22, 2010, a joint venture to redevelop at least four former paper and pulp processing plants in the U.S. and Canada. Each one of these sites are Brownfield sites perfectly
(Algae Industry Magazine) The National Algae Association is putting out a call to educators to network with other educators and algae researchers in the enhancement of algae curricula by attending their January 13 Conference in The Woodlands, Texas, and then the
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) ...Up until recently a low profile player in the algae arena, Eldorado Biofuels has developed a niche that may not have received much attention so far, but has the potential to make a strong
(Algae Industry Magazine) he U.S. military wants New Mexico State University to find improved ways to turn algae into a sustainable source for jet fuel. The research project is part of a $2.346 million grant funded by the Air Force where
by Alan Yonan Jr. (Star Advertiser) ...As the algae companies slowly move forward with their research and development, however, another source of renewable energy is blossoming -- literally -- on the Big Island. Hawaii Pure Plant Oil, or HIPPO, is
by Stacy Feldman ( SolveClimate/Reuters) With over 100 start-ups hard at work, industry predicts it can deliver success in under a decade if granted production tax credits ...The head of the 170-member Algal Biomass Organization (ABO), Mary Rosenthal, predicts the fledgling fuel
(Algae Industry Magazine) Independence Bio-Products Inc., a Dublin, Ohio-based algae production startup which secured its initial funding from a European investor two years ago, plans to break ground next year on a 100-acre commercial-scale algae production facility. The company is
(Algae Industry Magazine) From Sergio Hernandez at the Village Voice comes word that New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection has a new pilot program that will convert algae at a Queens waste-water treatment plant into biofuel for cars, by
(The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center) National Method employs cost saving catalyst and produces useful byproducts The National Alliance for Biofuels and Bioproducts (NAABB), a consortium of leading scientists and engineers from universities, private industry, and national laboratories announced today that they
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) Since June of this year, Greg Bafalis has been CEO of Aurora Algae, formerly Aurora Biofuels, overseeing the Company’s strategy, operations, and high-level relationships. ...Aurora was founded in 2006 by three gentlemen from U.C. Berkeley.
(PetroAlgae) Joint Effort with Leading Airline Focuses on Renewable Jet Fuel PetroAlgae Inc., a leading U.S. renewable energy company that licenses its commercial micro-crop technology globally, today announced it has entered into a non-binding offtake supply agreement with Sky Airline, a
by Vijaysinh Parmar (Times of India) Scientists from across the country, belonging to a consortium of nine laboratories, are working on an ambitious project called 'New Millennium India Technology Leadership Initiative' ( NMITLI), to develop a viable and scalable process
(Algae Industry Magazine) From Dan Boyce at Montana State University comes word that researchers there have found a way to get four times as much biofuel from a given amount of algae by adding baking soda, a concentrated source of carbon
by Matthew Rivera (MSNBC.com) ...Not only has the federal government invested heavily in the emerging biofuel, but the military has stepped up as a potential customer. Algae biofuel, while still experimental, also is attracting the attention of big oil companies
(Algae Industry Magazine) Algae are an agricultural product and algae producers should consider the Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) guidelines developed in Europe and Asia as well as the US guidelines for genetic engineering (GE) of agricultural products. ... While algaculture will
by Paul Hanley (The StarPhoenix) ...Today, algal growth is being looked at as a new source of biofuel. Biofuel -- fuel made from new plants (corn, canola, sugar cane) instead of old plants (petroleum) -- already makes up a small but
(Solazyme) Joint Venture will accelerate the Commercialization of Revolutionary Microalgae-Based Healthy Food Ingredients and Oils olazyme, Inc. the California-based leader in renewable oil and bioproducts and Roquette Frères, the global starch and starch-derivatives company headquartered in France, today announce that they
(Algae Industry Magazine) In a keynote speech at this week’s Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference, Andy Swiger, senior vice president of Exxon Mobil Corporation, said that strong partnerships and innovation are crucial to meet rising global energy demand while
(BusinessWire/PetroAlgae) New Source of Protein Can Replace Menhaden Fishmeal in a Variety of Farmed Fish Species PetroAlgae Inc., a leading renewable energy company that licenses its commercial micro-crop technology globally, announced today that a third party study done by the Aquaculture Research
by Dr. Mark Edwards (Algae Industry Magazine) There are several firms in the algae industry engaged in genetic engineering, (GE), with the intention of patenting designer algal strains. Some organizations have filed patents for naturally occurring species that have valuable qualities
by Steven E.F. Brown (San Francisco Business Times) A report from Berkeley’s Energy Biofuel Institute says developing and testing biofuel based on algae will likely take at least a decade. Even though about 100 companies in the United States are seeking this
by David Schwartz (Algae Industry Magazine) Dr. Jerry Brand, a PhD biologist and photosynthesis researcher, began his association with the UTEX Culture Collection of Algae in 1987, when he performed an extensive survey of the capacity for hydrogen gas production in
by Shelley Ridenour (Daily Inter Lake) Whitefish-based Algae Aquaculture Technologies has received a $350,000 grant from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to build a commercial algae greenhouse that converts waste wood chips into organic fertilizer. The 5,500-square-foot greenhouse will be constructed
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Florida, INEOS New Planet BioEnergy has awarded the EPC contract to build its 8 million gallon per year advanced bioenergy facility in Vero Beach to AMEC of Tucker, GA. The facility will also produce up
by Ronica Shannon (The Richmond Register) A new research facility at Eastern Kentucky University could help the state become a national leader in alternative fuel technology, according to Sixth District Congressman Ben Chandler. Chandler was the keynote speaker Thursday at an
(Algae Industry Magazine) Photon8, Inc., of Brownsville, TX, has announced that it has succeeded in producing “drop-in” fuel components from its “genetically improved” algae. The recent tests were performed by an undisclosed commercial laboratory using gas chromatography analysis for determining carbon
(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
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