Hutanbio Secures £2.25m Seed Investment to Fast-track Supply Biofuels to Global Shipping and Aviation Industries

(Hutanbio) The news is out and we are beyond excited to announce our first tranche of seed investment from London-based Clean Growth Fund – a £101m venture capital fund that is targeting the UK’s most promising early-stage “clean growth” companies that are pioneering carbon emission reduction in the areas of power and energy, buildings, transport, agriculture and waste.

After a decade of research and development in both the UK and around the world, this investment will accelerate the commercial use of our HBx biofuel oil.

None of this would have been possible without the expertise, dedication, and hard work from all the team and we are tremendously excited to have the support from Clean Growth Fund.

Our low carbon fuel – HBx biofuel oil – is a sustainable and scalable high energy density, low carbon, sulphur-free, fuel solution, that uses CO₂ greenhouse gas as a feedstock. We are quite simply replicating what nature has done for 2 billion years. Converting sunlight and carbon dioxide into flammable hydrocarbons by leveraging the power of marine microalgae.

Our goal is to support the decarbonisation of the hard-to-abate transportation sectors. To decouple the maritime and aviation industries from fossil fuels and remove carbon from our atmosphere.

Designed from the outset as a ready-made ‘drop in’ replacement for diesel and feedstock for aviation fuels, HBx blends seamlessly with existing infrastructure and supply chains. It requires no engine or vessel modification, meaning adoption of HBx can be immediate and without affecting operational efficiency. Vessel life can be maximised whilst carbon emissions are reduced without changing ship and port operations which is crucial for rapid deployment.

Unlike other energy crops, HBx does not drive deforestation, compete with agricultural land or use fresh water. It is disruptive but without disruption.

Our patented algae are grown in special “bio-reactor farms”. These farms, designed and engineered by HutanBio and controlled by Artificial Intelligence to optimise yields, will be built on unproductive and non-agricultural semi-arid and arid land in countries where there are high levels of sunlight.

Optimised to thrive in brackish to very salty environments HBx, unlike current biofuels from terrestrial oil crops, does not compete for food resources. Even more, it can bring life to barren desert landscapes and add to the planet’s photosynthesis capacity, helping to remove millions of tonnes of CO₂, cleanly and safely from the earth’s atmosphere.

The expansion of our engineering and business development teams in Cambridge to accelerate our pilot scheme deployment and advance the automation.

Excerpt from Biofuels International: HutanBio has solidified its commitment to the Cambridge entrepreneurial ecosystem with the announcement of expansion initiatives and the appointment of James Ibberson as Head of Engineering.

James Ibberson joins HutanBio with a wealth of experience as founder and director of Tebira Ltd. A technical consultancy specialising in electronic, software, and systems development for global clients.

James Ibberson said: "I am thrilled to be joining the exceptional team at HutanBio who have spent over a decade decoding the algal biofuel puzzle.”

The team has ambitious plans to decarbonise two of the toughest sectors; marine and aviation.

“These industries present unique technical hurdles due to their stringent performance, regulatory requirements and the need for high-energy-density fuels which is why the technology being developed by HutanBio is so exciting. It is quite simply pushing boundaries, blending advanced biological processes with innovative engineering.”

To support this key appointment, HutanBio has secured office space at the renowned St Johns Innovation Park as part of its strategic growth plans.

HutanBio was founded in 2019 following a decade of research and the discovery of a rare species of microalgae called HBx.
The algae produce a high energy density, low carbon, and sulphur-free bio-oil. READ MORE