Oilgae Blog - The Latest from the World of Algae Fuels
National Algae Association Algae Commercialization, Research and Business Networking Forum
You are at: Oilgae Blog.News release
Houston, Texas
January 29-30, 2009
The National Algae Association will hold its fifth algae biofuels commercialization, research and development conference on January 29-30, 2009 in Houston. The event will start with presentations from algae producers and technology providers Sapphire Energy, BioCentric Energy, Kai BioEnergy, Guava Technologies, Rosetta Genomics, Bard LLC, REG, and AlgaeLink. The conference will also feature break-out sessions for innovations and scientific advancements in algae research and development.
The National Algae Association is the first national trade association for the algae biofuels industry in the United States. Algae is a source of biomass that can produce many types of biofuels, including biodiesel, ethanol, biocrude, jet fuel, and renewable diesel. Algae is a renewable fuel feedstock, does not affect the food channel and consumes C02. The byproduct biomass is used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, bio-plastics, and organic fertilizer. The NAA brings algae researchers and companies together to share ideas and exchange information to overcome technological hurdles.
"The prospect of producing billions of gallons of clean fuels from algae holds enormous appeal," said NAA founder Barry Cohen. "Algae will play an increasingly significant role in helping the US achieve energy security, create new green jobs, and environmentally sustainable biofuels." Massive algae production plants will be required to produce economically continuous quantities of algae biofuels for the automotive, trucking and airline industries.
"Recent breakthroughs in synthetic biology, closed-end loop photobioreactor systems, and raceway pond developments are helping to accelerate the advancement of commercialization of algae biofuels," said Will Thurmond, Chairman of R&D for the NAA and author of Algae 2020. "In this effort, the National Algae Association is uniquely dedicated in providing quarterly forums to showcase and support the advancement of these endeavors," said Thurmond.
Forums fill up fast! For more information, or to register for the event:
When: Jan. 29-30, 2009
Where: The Sheraton North, Houston, Texas
* Special room discounted rates
Registration : www.nationalalgaeassociation.com
For more information, contact 936.321.1125
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Labels: Algae-Fuel-Research
The Algae Lab in the Shipyard @ Berkeley, California - for Open Source, DIY Community
You are at: Oilgae Blog.A nice attempt here to help people by teaching them all about algae, algaculture and more.
The Algaelab team has created a community algae lab for the development of open-source, DIY-oriented algae technology
The site says, "Whether you are looking for a job in the exploding algae biofuels field, or thinking about creating your own farm, we can help you get up to speed!"
The lab these folks have created is an independent, non-profit algae laboratory for teaching and research using low-cost, widely-available materials, and we would love to teach you how!
Get to know more from here
http://algaelab.org/
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Labels: Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Fuel-Research
JAL Flight to Test Algae-Jatropha-Camelina Fuel in Jan
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Japan Airlines will use second-generation feedstocks camelina, jatropha and algae oil for a demonstration jet flight in Japan on Jan. 30. Japan Airlines announced plans Dec. 16 for the one-hour demo flight from Tokyo. A blend of 50 percent biofuel and 50 percent Jet-A (kerosene) fuel will be tested in one of four Pratt & Whitney engines in a JAL-owned Boeing 747-300 aircraft. The biofuel component will be a mixture of three second-generation feedstocks: 84 percent camelina, 16 percent jatropha and less than one percent algae.
According to JAL’s announcement, the flight will have several firsts. It will be the first biofuel demonstration by an Asian airline, the first biofuels test using Pratt & Whitney engines, the first to use camelina and the first to use a combination of three sustainable feedstocks.
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Labels: Algae-Aviation-Fuel
San Diego Algae Biofuel Technology Company Cluster
You are at: Oilgae Blog.What's it about San Diego that makes it the algae biofuel company capital of the world, you might wonder. Perhaps it is the climate, perhaps it is something else, or perhaps it is just nothing at all.
Whatever it is, one thing is for true - you will find phycologists in many places in San Diego today. Some of the company that operate from this area are:
Sapphire Energy
Synthetic Genomics
Genomatica
General Atomics
SAIC
HR Biopetroleum (I had thought they were HQ-ed in Hawaii?)
Earthrise Farms
Carbon Capture
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Labels: Algae-Energy-Companies
Solix claims cut the costs of growing algae by 90-95%
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Algae in bioreactors – clear, water-filled chambers that let the microorganisms absorb sunlight – need carbon dioxide to feed and grow. Typically, the carbon dioxide is pumped in from a smokestack at a nearby power plant. Injecting that CO2 and circulating it around the tank, however, requires quite a bit of energy, which in turn adds cost.
The Durango, Colo.-based company, which can trace its lineage, in part, back to the algae projects at the National Resources Energy Lab in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s, says it has come up with a way to lets CO2 essentially enter and swirl inside the tank in a relatively passive manner.
As a result, Solix claims that it has cut the costs of growing algae by around 90 percent to 95 percent. Solix's bioreactors are relatively flat plates that increase the amount of light that can be absorbed by the algae.
"Bubbling in CO2. That is where a large part of the energy costs come from," Henston said in an interview. "We understand where the big buttons are."
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The Durango, Colo.-based company, which can trace its lineage, in part, back to the algae projects at the National Resources Energy Lab in the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s, says it has come up with a way to lets CO2 essentially enter and swirl inside the tank in a relatively passive manner.
As a result, Solix claims that it has cut the costs of growing algae by around 90 percent to 95 percent. Solix's bioreactors are relatively flat plates that increase the amount of light that can be absorbed by the algae.
"Bubbling in CO2. That is where a large part of the energy costs come from," Henston said in an interview. "We understand where the big buttons are."
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Labels: Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Photobioreactor
VC investment in green energy technologies in 2008 exceeded $7.7 billion
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Greentech Media Inc., the industry-leading online media company covering green technology news and analysis, released the most recent quarterly data showing that venture capital investment in green technologies exceeded $2.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008, a modest decrease from the previous quarter's total of $2.9 billion.
"Greentech VC investors remain optimistic on this sector and still have faith in the VC model. Investors continue to fund early stage deals as well as later stage deals," said Eric Wesoff, Senior Analyst at Greentech Media. "At least 30 of the 115 deals this quarter were seed stage or A rounds."
"VCs are now digging deep in the greentech sector and looking outside traditional technologies at previously underinvested areas like energy storage, energy efficiency, recycling, water, cleaner coal and green IT," he added.
Greentech Sector Total Q4 VC Funding Number of Deals
Solar $1,335.9M+ 29
Ethanol, Biofuels, Gasification $358.55M 18
Wind $218M+ 5
EE, DR and Smart Grid $208.5M 11
Batteries, FCs, Energy Storage $101.55M 14
Energy Project Development $96M 2
E-Waste and Recycling $74.8M 7
Green IT $37.3M+ 7
Automotive and transportation $29.03M 4
Green Agriculture $25M 2
Lighting $23.9M+ 7
New Coal Tech $9M+ 2
Misc. Greentech $8.6M 2
Green Buildings $4.0M 1
Geothermal $3.5M 1
Environmental Technology $3.9M 2
Water $1.5M 1
Q4 VC Totals $2540M 115
Source: Greentech Media
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Labels: Algae-Energy-Investments
Primafuel Algae Biorefinery Program - Upstream Production, Refinery in Plans
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Signal Hill, Calif.-based Primafuel has unveiled its international Algae Biorefinery Program intended to combine upstream algae production and downstream biorefinery systems that will inevitably serve as an innovative platform for commercializing algae technologies.
Primafuel holds an exclusive licensing agreement with the Ben-Gurion University Microalgae Biotechnology Lab, a team recognized internationally as experts in strain selection, genetic engineering and aquaculture.
Led by Dr. Sammy Boussiba, the Isreal-based team is comprised of more than two-dozen scientists, researchers and engineers.
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Labels: Algae-Energy-Companies
Continental Flight Takes Off on Algae & Jatropha Fuel
You are at: Oilgae Blog.The U.S.'s first commercial jet flight powered by biofuel runs one engine on African weed mixed with a smidgen of algae
Continental jet 516 took off on 7 Jan 2009 in Houston with one of its two engines powered by a 50-50 blend of jet biofuel and petroleum-based kerosene.
The Boeing 737-800—completed a two hour test flight out of Houston today with one engine powered by a 50-50 blend of regular petroleum-based jet fuel and a synthetic alternative made from Jatropha and algae.
"The properties of the fuel are fabulous, in fact, the bio part of the blend has a lower freeze point than Jet A," says Billy Glover, managing director of environmental strategy at Boeing, which is helping organize similar test flights throughout the world. "The fuels we're testing now have equal or better energy content than the Jet A requirements," of at least 48 megajoules per kilogram (20,700 British thermal units per pound).
In fact, the alternative jet fuel—known as synthetic paraffinated kerosenes—has as good or better qualities than Jet A refined from petroleum: It does not freeze at high-altitude temperatures, delivers the same or more power to the engines, and is lighter, as well. And the refiners, UOP, LLC, a division of Honeywell, can turn almost any plant oil into the alternative jet fuel.
For this flight, UOP transformed gallons of oil derived from the seeds of the Jatropha provided by Terasol Energy. The Jatropha oil made up the bulk of the biofuel but 2.5 percent of the blend was also derived from 600 gallons of algae oil procured by Sapphire Energy from Cyanotech, an algae grower in Hawaii—the first time such algae oil has been used for flight.
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Oilgae Comprehensive Report comprises over a hundred research insights on new methodologies, perspectives and experiments on how best to derive energy from algae.
By the way, have you subscribed to the Oilgae Blog?; How about joining the Oilgae mailing list?; and our forum to discuss on with others?University of Kentucky works on Algae CO2 Sequetration
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University of Kentucky researchers are among a growing number around the world looking at algae as a potential answer to our energy puzzle.While most of the research into these oily aquatic plants focuses on how to turn them into liquid fuels, UK's Center for Applied Energy Research is also looking at using algae to scrub carbon dioxide and other pollutants from coal-fired power plants.The idea is to use the way algae, like other plants, naturally soaks up carbon dioxide. The algae, which grows quickly, could then be converted into liquid fuel and other products.
"This would not only allow us to continue to use coal in an environmentally acceptable way, but would also allow us to reduce dependence on petroleum," said Rodney Andrews, director of the UK Center for Applied Energy Research and an associate professor of chemical engineering.
Put another way, the $3.5 million research project, with money from industry and the state's environmental cabinet, could help keep Kentucky in the coal business.
In addition to Andrews, the UK research is being led by Mark Crocker, associate director of the Center for Applied Energy Research; Czarena Crofcheck and Mike Montross, both associate professors of biosystems and agricultural engineering.
They're conducting their research in a climate-controlled laboratory where algae grows in tubular tanks fueled by grow lights. The tank water turns greener as the algae colonies expand. There are tens of thousands of algae species."We're looking for some that can tolerate those flue gases, and continue to grow robustly," Crofcheck said.
But, so far, the process is impractical. Even under the best circumstances, Andrews said, it would take a lake of about 8 square miles to produce enough algae to remove carbon dioxide from a midsized — 500 megawatt — power plant.Yet despite the challenges, something needs to be done.
"Industry and everybody else understands we have to solve what we are going to do with carbon dioxide in a state that's 92 percent coal-fired," he said.
"This would not only allow us to continue to use coal in an environmentally acceptable way, but would also allow us to reduce dependence on petroleum," said Rodney Andrews, director of the UK Center for Applied Energy Research and an associate professor of chemical engineering.
Put another way, the $3.5 million research project, with money from industry and the state's environmental cabinet, could help keep Kentucky in the coal business.
In addition to Andrews, the UK research is being led by Mark Crocker, associate director of the Center for Applied Energy Research; Czarena Crofcheck and Mike Montross, both associate professors of biosystems and agricultural engineering.
They're conducting their research in a climate-controlled laboratory where algae grows in tubular tanks fueled by grow lights. The tank water turns greener as the algae colonies expand. There are tens of thousands of algae species."We're looking for some that can tolerate those flue gases, and continue to grow robustly," Crofcheck said.
But, so far, the process is impractical. Even under the best circumstances, Andrews said, it would take a lake of about 8 square miles to produce enough algae to remove carbon dioxide from a midsized — 500 megawatt — power plant.Yet despite the challenges, something needs to be done.
"Industry and everybody else understands we have to solve what we are going to do with carbon dioxide in a state that's 92 percent coal-fired," he said.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Fuel-Research
Kalahari Focuses on Growing Algae in Bioreactors
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Kalahari Greentech Inc. a global energy company, today announces it's forward looking statement for 2009.
Commenting on the outlook for 2009 CEO Konstantinos Kardiasmenos said "We are pleased that signed the deal, in 2008, with Vaau Energy and we anticipate the co-operation between Kalahari and Vaau Energy to be further strengthened in 2009 as we raise the last capital needed to engage in the final development of the 200MW project in the Tuticorin area in the Tamil Nadu state of India. Furthermore, we are developing the business in a number of new areas such as solar energy projects in Romania and Botswana and new wind energy projects in Poland and Italy"
Kalahari is also looking into new areas of green energy, more specifically the growing of algae in bioreactors, and is in advanced discussions with a project developer in Italy. For every ton of algae biomass (dry weight) produced, 1.3-1.8 tons of CO2 has been bio-fixated or consumed enabling the project to not only produce energy, but also income, through the sale of carbon credits.
Commenting on the outlook for 2009 CEO Konstantinos Kardiasmenos said "We are pleased that signed the deal, in 2008, with Vaau Energy and we anticipate the co-operation between Kalahari and Vaau Energy to be further strengthened in 2009 as we raise the last capital needed to engage in the final development of the 200MW project in the Tuticorin area in the Tamil Nadu state of India. Furthermore, we are developing the business in a number of new areas such as solar energy projects in Romania and Botswana and new wind energy projects in Poland and Italy"
Kalahari is also looking into new areas of green energy, more specifically the growing of algae in bioreactors, and is in advanced discussions with a project developer in Italy. For every ton of algae biomass (dry weight) produced, 1.3-1.8 tons of CO2 has been bio-fixated or consumed enabling the project to not only produce energy, but also income, through the sale of carbon credits.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
Algae-Powered Jet Proves Biofuel in Continental Test
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Continental Airlines Inc. conducted a demonstration flight today using biofuel, the first such test in the U.S. with a commercial jet, as the industry experiments with ways to curb pollution that leads to global warming.
A fuel blend made from algae and jatropha scrub plants powered the unmodified twin-engine Boeing Co. 737-800, Continental said. The flight, which took off without incident about 12:15 p.m. Houston time at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, lasted about 90 minutes.
“It all went according to plan,” said David Messing, a Continental spokesman. “The initial observations are that there’s no difference in terms of the performance of the airplane.”
Continental is the first to use the jatropha-algae mix. The plants are attractive as a fuel source because they don’t reduce stocks of food crops or contribute to deforestation, Raney said. The 737’s engines didn’t need modifications to burn biofuel in today’s test, Raney said.
“Algae has been identified as one of the most promising alternatives so we are eager to see how it performs in normal operating conditions,” Paul Steele, executive director of the Geneva-based Air Transport Action Group, said in a statement. The group represents airports, airlines, engine makers and pilots.
A fuel blend made from algae and jatropha scrub plants powered the unmodified twin-engine Boeing Co. 737-800, Continental said. The flight, which took off without incident about 12:15 p.m. Houston time at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, lasted about 90 minutes.
“It all went according to plan,” said David Messing, a Continental spokesman. “The initial observations are that there’s no difference in terms of the performance of the airplane.”
Continental is the first to use the jatropha-algae mix. The plants are attractive as a fuel source because they don’t reduce stocks of food crops or contribute to deforestation, Raney said. The 737’s engines didn’t need modifications to burn biofuel in today’s test, Raney said.
“Algae has been identified as one of the most promising alternatives so we are eager to see how it performs in normal operating conditions,” Paul Steele, executive director of the Geneva-based Air Transport Action Group, said in a statement. The group represents airports, airlines, engine makers and pilots.
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Labels: Algae-Aviation-Fuel
Investors Move to Algae and Synthetic Biology Companies
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Green-tech venture capital funding soared last year, aided by megadeals in thin-film solar companies, according to preliminary figures released Tuesday by the Cleantech Group.
During 2008, green-tech venture investments jumped to $8.4 billion, a 38 percent increase, according to the report.
Group's senior research director, Brian Fan, said in a statement:
Investors also continued to migrate from first-generation ethanol and biodiesel technologies to next-generation biofuels technologies, led by algae and synthetic biology companies. Other sectors with healthy investor interest included smart-grid companies, small-scale wind turbines, plastics recycling, green buildings, and agriculture technologies.
Following solar-energy firms in attracting VC dollars were companies specializing in biofuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, synthetic biology, and algae. The sector captured 11 percent of green-tech venture investments last year, while transportation companies, such as makers of electric vehicles, advanced batteries, and fuel cells, accounted for 9.5 percent.
Oilgae Comprehensive Report provides extensive details on profiles and info on over a hundred companies and commercial efforts in this domain.
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Algae Investment -Texas and New Mexico are making direct investments
You are at: Oilgae Blog.The story by Mr. DAVID WASHBURN on "Trying to Turn San Diego into the Green Houston" investigates the possibility of San Diego becoming the "green Houston" because of all the research and development into algae as a biofuel.
He says, The story went on to talk about how states are showing a willingness to take the lead in developing and supporting green industry rather than waiting around for the feds to show them the way, and cites California as an example. However, some of the folks I spoke with say they are worried that California and San Diego aren't doing enough to hold on to the algae industry being developed here.
For example, San Diego-based General Atomics is spending tens of millions of dollars (much of it coming from the U.S. Defense Department) on developing algae-based fuels, but its test facility is in Texas because the state government there provided matching funds to get the facility built.
"California is behind right now," said David Hazlebeck, the biofuels program manager for General Atomics. "Texas and New Mexico are making direct investments."
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Labels: Algae-Energy-Investments
Primafuel Algae Biorefinery Program to produce Fuels and Other Products
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California-based Primafuel announces its international Algae Biorefinery Program. By combining upstream algae production and downstream biorefinery systems, Primafuel offers an innovative approach to commercializing algae technologies. Primafuel's proprietary process reduces costs and maximizes the economic potential of algae by producing a range of high-value products and renewable fuels.
Primafuel's algae technology team has been at the forefront of algae research for more than three decades and has a successful track record of commercializing algae production systems. Primafuel holds an exclusive licensing agreement with the Ben-Gurion University Microalgae Biotechnology Lab, a team recognized internationally as experts in strain selection, genetic engineering, and aquaculture. Led by Dr. Sammy Boussiba, the Israel-based team is comprised of more than two-dozen PhD scientists, researchers, and engineers. Primafuel's biorefinery technology team, with labs in California and Europe, has been recognized as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum for transformational biomass processing technologies.
Primafuel's algae technology team has been at the forefront of algae research for more than three decades and has a successful track record of commercializing algae production systems. Primafuel holds an exclusive licensing agreement with the Ben-Gurion University Microalgae Biotechnology Lab, a team recognized internationally as experts in strain selection, genetic engineering, and aquaculture. Led by Dr. Sammy Boussiba, the Israel-based team is comprised of more than two-dozen PhD scientists, researchers, and engineers. Primafuel's biorefinery technology team, with labs in California and Europe, has been recognized as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum for transformational biomass processing technologies.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-Fuel-Research
GreenShift Receives Grant for Bioreactor from Montana Board of Research
You are at: Oilgae Blog.GreenShift Corporation today announced that it has received a grant award of $375,000 to further the development of GreenShift`s patented and patent-pending algae bioreactor. The funding is provided through the Montana Board of Research and Commercialization, a unit of the Montana Department of Commerce. The objective
of the grant award is to demonstrate the production of algae from an industrial source of carbon dioxide in Montana using GreenShift`s patented and patent-pending bioreactor technology. GreenShift is to provide matching funds of $125,000.
GreenShift`s CO2 Bioreactor
GreenShift's patented and patent-pending bioreactor technology uses thermophillic cyanobacteria to consume carbon dioxide emissions. The organisms use the available carbon dioxide in the emissions and water to grow and give off oxygen and water vapor. The organisms also absorb nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide and can be harvested for extraction and conversion into value added carbon neutral products once they grow to maturity.
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General Atomics' David Hazlebeck Confident of Affordable Algae Fuel
You are at: Oilgae Blog.The academics and the folks at General Atomics think they can get biofuels from algae sustainably and affordably. David Hazlebeck, the General Atomics biofuels chief, said the company has developed a plan to build a 40-acre demonstration plant that would produce algae fuel for $1 per gallon within three years. That does not, however, mean that motorists will be pumping algae into their tanks by 2011.
See the full article here
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Labels: Algae-Energy-Companies
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UCSD feels marine algae most suitable for biofuel
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Marine algae good for green fuel
Scientists see marine algae as the most promising bet for a green fuel that would help ease the dependence on fossil fuel and power
vehicles of the future.
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Californa San Diego (UCSD), scientists along with their counterparts from its division of biological sciences are part of an emerging algal biofuel consortium that includes academic collaborators, CleanTECH, public and private partners.
Scripps biologist Greg Mitchell is quick to point out to anyone who asks that marine algae are the most efficient organisms on earth for absorbing light energy
and converting it into a natural biomass oil product, the biofuel equivalent of crude oil.
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Japan Scientists Say Floating Seaweed Can Fight Global Warming
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Huge water-borne farms can turn the tide against increasing greenhouse gases
If a group of Japanese scientists is to be believed, the fate of humanity may rest on colossal floating islands of sargassum and Sostera marina.
The team envisages 100 vast nets full of quick-growing seaweed, each measuring six miles by six miles, floating off the northeast coast of Japan.
The seaweed in each net, growing to a weight of 270,000 tonnes a year, will absorb prodigious quantities of greenhouse gases and convert them to oxygen before being harvested 12 months later as a rich source of biomass energy.
The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry mentioned carbon dioxide absorption by seaweed in its Technology Roadmap for 2005. The project is led by Masahiro Notoya, a world expert on seaweed from the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology. Dr Notoya believes that Sostera marina and sargassum, herded to the right parts of the ocean, will grow up to 40ft every year, absorbing about 36 tonnes of carbon dioxide in the process. Those seaweeds are also popular fare for a variety of fish whose stocks have dwindled.
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Labels: Algae-Cultivation
Petroalgae Grows Algae in Plastic Tubes
You are at: Oilgae Blog.A picture of Fred Tennant, vice president of business development for Petro-Algae, examining plastic tubes filled with algae from floridatoday.com. The algae is used to innoculate larger tanks. Tennant said"This is where we grow our babies,". PetroAlgae plans to produce 6,000 gallons of biodiesel per acre per year at the operation in Fellsmere.
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?template=zoom&Site=A9&Date=20090104&Category=NEWS01&ArtNo=901040319&Ref=AR&Profile=1006
Source
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Labels: Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Energy-Companies
OriginOil Lab with Two Test Batches of Nannochloropsis Algae
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Reuters.com has published a picture of Nicholas Eckelberry, co-founder and inventor of OriginOil, standing next to two test batches of nannochloropsis algae at the company's laboratory in Los Angeles
http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/searchpopup?picId=7690856
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Labels: Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Strains
GreenShift Receives Grant for Algae Bioreactor Technology
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GreenShift Corporation today announced that it has received a grant award of $375,000 to further the development of GreenShift`s patented and patent-pending algae bioreactor.
The funding is provided through the Montana Board of Research and Commercialization, a unit of the Montana Department of Commerce. The objective of the grant award is to demonstrate the production of algae from an industrial source of carbon dioxide in Montana using GreenShift`s patented and patent-pending bioreactor technology. GreenShift is to provide matching funds of $125,000.
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The funding is provided through the Montana Board of Research and Commercialization, a unit of the Montana Department of Commerce. The objective of the grant award is to demonstrate the production of algae from an industrial source of carbon dioxide in Montana using GreenShift`s patented and patent-pending bioreactor technology. GreenShift is to provide matching funds of $125,000.
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Labels: Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Energy-Investments, Algae-Photobioreactor
Symbiotic Microalgae and Fish Production Method in Ponds
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Came across an interesting abstract for algae cultivation: "A method for producing biomass of microalgae and fishes economically by establishing a symbiotic relation between the above two organisms in a culture pond exposed to sunlight or artificial illumination."
A method for producing microalgae and fish biomass in commercial quantities through symbiotic co-culture, said method comprising continuously co-culturing microalgae and fish in high density in a body of water which is exposed to sunlight or artificial illumination, the density of said microalgae in said water being sufficient to supply the oxygen requirements of said fish, and to assimilate nitrogen excreted therefrom sufficient to prevent a level toxic to said fish from developing said microalgae density being at least 0.3 g (dry weight)/1, the density of said fish in said water being sufficient to supply the carbon dioxide and nitrogen requirements of said microalgae for optimal growth, and sufficient to prevent protozoal contamination, said fish denisty being at least 30 g/1, said microalgae and said fish being periodically harvested from said water thereby maintaining said density of said microalgae and said fish.
Read the full patent details here
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Labels: Algae-Cultivation
Excellent Algae Fuel FAQ from HR Biopetroleum
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Lots of good questions and brief but useful answers - a good reference.
Link here
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Labels: Algae-Energy-Products
Algal Blooms for CO2 Sequestration in Ocean
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Scientists have known for some time that artificially created algal blooms could be used to absorb greenhouse gases, but the technique has been banned for fear of causing unforeseen side effects in fragile ecosystems. However, based on the UK team’s evidence that the process has been occurring naturally for millions of years, and on a wide scale, the UN has given the green light for a ground-breaking experiment later this month.
The team will seek to create a massive algae bloom by releasing several tons of iron sulphate into the sea off the coast of the British island of South Georgia. The patch will apparently be large enough to be visible from space.
If successful, the technique could be rolled out across vast swathes of the Great Southern Ocean. Scientists calculate that if the whole 20 million square miles was treated, it could remove up to three and a half Gigatons of C02, equivalent to one eighth of all global annual emissions from fossil fuels.
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Rodney Andrews Said Fuel From Algae Costs $18 to $30 per gallon
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Sapphire Energy of San Diego announced in September that it had raised more than $100 million to bring its algae-derived "green crude" to market. Investors include Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.The U.S. Energy Department, which got out of algae research in 1996, has jumped back in with a partnership between its National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Chevron to collaborate on algae-based fuels for jets and other uses.
"The real question that needs to be resolved," he said, "is can you do this at a commercial scale?" That answer, for now, is "no," Andrews said. Fuel from algae currently would cost consumers $18 to $30 per gallon, he said.
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Labels: Algae-Energy-Cost
"Algae and Jatropha feedstock cost is low" - UOP'S General Manager
You are at: Oilgae BlogUOP general manager renewable energy and chemicals Jennifer Holmgren says UOP researchers were told they would never get the low freeze point, the high flash point or the high energy content needed for an aviation biofuel.But they have done just that using a process similar to one already used to produce conventional fuel and expect to license it mid this year.
Holmgren estimates the carbon footprint of a biofuel can be as little as 25 per cent of conventional fuels."The reason is very simple: the carbon dioxide emitted in use is completely recycled because it's picked up by the plants that are then grown to create the next wave of fuel."
Holmgren also believes the fuel will be cost-competitive with existing biofuel. "The fact is that more than 80 per cent of fuel cost is actually from the feedstock cost and that's why initiatives on the algae side and the jatropha side are so important because they are driving the cost of the feedstock down."
"We think we can get to large-scale commercial production by 2012, which I think is consistent with Air New Zealand's aspirations."
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Labels: Algae-Energy-Cost
Algae to Plastics - PetroSun, Others Trying this?
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Several firms are betting that the oils from algae might replace the petrochemical oils used to manufacture plastics, says this post. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have shown it’s possible, and PetroSun is using some of the algal oil from its farm to conduct bioplastics research, it continues. The European Union has also funded research into algal bioplastics.
Now, that's interesting. Petrochemicals is a huge industry - I'd reckon it is something like a trillion $ per year industry (the total chemical industry market size is somewhere around $1.7 trillion). Just imagine algae being a main feedstock for that industry. Boy, we live in interesting times, don't we!
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Labels: Algae-Energy-Companies
