Oilgae Blog - The Latest from the World of Algae Fuels
Cereplast Sees Algae as Viable Raw Material for Plastics
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Frederic Scheer, the owner of cereplast talks about bioplastics made from algae. Cereplast is a company that designs and makes sustainable plastics from starches found in tapioca, corn, wheat and potatoes
Cereplast hopes to offer a plastic made with algae for commercial sale by the end of 2010 and is projecting its annual sales will have doubled by then.
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Cyanobacterium to Transform Carbon dioxide to Biofuel
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Researchers from the University of California in Los Angeles found a way to create genetically modified bacteria called cyanobacterium, which consume carbon dioxide and produce the liquid fuel isobutanol, reported Science Daily.
The research originally published on Wednesday in the journal Nature of Biotechnology states that consumption of carbon dioxide is directly powered by the sun, a process similar to photosynthesis.
The new method has two major advantages: it recycles carbon dioxide which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and it uses solar energy to convert carbon dioxide to liquid fuel which can be used in automobiles.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
Saudi Arabia to Capture CO2 using Algae
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Saudi Arabia first disclosed plans for the carbon injection project in October, but Mr al Naimi detailed a longer-term strategy noting that the eventual goal was to tie carbon capture with the kingdom’s interest in producing biofuels from algae.
“We are looking at capturing carbon dioxide, injecting it in sea water, creating algae and hopefully producing two things: ethanol – you might be surprised by our interest in ethanol – and food products,” he said.
Producing fuel from algae has become a priority of researchers across the world, including major oil companies such as ExxonMobil. But experts say scientists still need to induce each unit of algae to absorb more carbon dioxide and produce more oils to make algae a commercially viable source of energy.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-Carbon-Capture, Algae-CO2-Capture
Biodiesel from Algae Used During United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Conference
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UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced that its Ecofining process technology was used to convert second-generation, renewable feedstocks to green diesel fuel that will power vehicles at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Conference (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen, Denmark.
UOP's process technology converted oil from algae provided by Solazyme, a renewable oil company, to green diesel, which will be utilized during the Driving the Future showcase organized by Denmark's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A Mercedes Benz E-Class Sedan, an unmodified, factory-standard diesel vehicle, will be powered by unblended (B100) green diesel for the duration of the event.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
Wastewater Grown Algae to Bio-crude Oil Demonstration Project
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The Minister of Energy Hon Gerry Brownlee will open the largest wastewater algae to bio-crude oil demonstration project in the world this week.
The project combines NIWA’s scientific expertise on advanced wastewater treatment and algal production pond technology with Solray’s bio-crude oil conversion technology and is hosted by Christchurch City Council at the Christchurch Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The aim of the project is for NIWA to produce between 150 and 300 tonnes of algae per year from the 5 hectares of wastewater treatment High Rate Algal Ponds. After harvesting and dewatering, this algae could potentially be converted into 45,000 - 90,000 litres (275 - 550 barrels) of bio-crude oil by Solray.
This bio-crude oil would normally be converted into a variety of products such as LPG, petrol, kerosene, diesel and bitumen, but if this amount were completely converted to petrol, it would power between 22 and 45 cars per year.
See more: Science alert
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation-Sewage, Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Energy-Products
Nalco Carbon Project Selected for New Department of Energy Advanced Research Funding
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A project that uses an electrochemical process to capture a key greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2), from coal-fired power plants is among 37 "transformational" projects to be funded by the United States Department of Energy (DOE).
The objective of this carbon capture program is to meet DOE goals of removing as much as 90% of the CO2 from a power plant's flue gas while using less energy and at a lower cost than current technology. The carbon captured could then be used for a variety of potential uses including algae growth for enhanced biofuels production or for enhanced oil and natural gas recovery. It will build on an existing research partnership between Nalco and Argonne to develop advanced
technologies to reduce, reuse and recover power plant cooling water.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
Algae - A Secret Weapon in Climate Change War
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Here's an interesting article entitled "Algae may be secret weapon in climate change war" By Ruth Morris (AFP)
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
W2 Plans to Sequester The Carbon Using Algae
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W2 Energy is forming a joint venture with Canadian battery recycler Toxco to generate electricity from battery waste. W2 will annually process 600 tons of plastics and carbon from recycled batteries and convert it into electricity and liquid fuel using gasification technology. This will be done in a mass-to-energy unit fitted into a truck trailer. The fuel and electricity generated will be supplied back to Toxco.
W2 plans to sequester the carbon and nitrogen oxides produced from the waste combustion and use it to grow algae in a reactor. In February, the firm paid USD375,000 to acquire plasma gasification technology from Kinectrics.
Source: StrategyEye
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Fuel-Research
Algae Link to Australia's Clean Coal Technology
You are at: Oilgae Blog.The former Queensland premier Peter Beattie said on Friday that algae could prove to be the solution to Queensland's clean coal dilemma and put Australia on course for a new future of alternative energy.
At a University of Queensland bioscience seminar, Beattie said Australia would fall behind the rest of the world if the nation did not quickly diversify its energy offerings. He said attitudes were changing quickly in the U.S. regarding energy usage as President Barack Obama poured money into green research projects.
He also suggested that Queensland scientists should collaborate with American institutes to be part of advances in solar, wind, wave, geothermal and algae-generated energy, saying the latter could provide a lifeline for Queensland's coal stocks.
Research into clean coal so far has focused on trapping carbon in the earth but concerns have been raised that it could leak out. However, technology could allow carbon created from burning coal to be captured and used to feed algae, getting rid of the storage problem, Beattie said.
Chemical compounds from the algae, which thrives on carbon dioxide, could then be extracted to make diesel or aviation fuel.
"We have to clean up coal because in 20 years, at the very latest, the energy mix is going to be different," he told reporters after his speech.
Source: Xinhuanet.com
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Fuel-Research
Green Plains Renewable Energy and BioProcessAlgae to Unveil Phase I Algae Project in Shenandoah, Iowa - Governor Chet Culver to Attend
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Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. announces the unveiling of BioProcessAlgae, LLC's Phase I photobioreactor pilot project. Green Plains is hosting the event at its Shenandoah, Iowa ethanol plant on October 14, 2009 in conjunction with the Iowa Power Fund Board meeting. BioProcessAlgae has completed the installation of Phase I of the multi-phase pilot project and algae production has commenced at the plant. The Company's research team will begin to collect production data over the next 120 days from the pilot project that will be instrumental in determining the scalability and functionality for future commercial deployment.
"We have directly linked the carbon dioxide (CO2) from the plant into our algae producing Grower Harvester(TM) technology and we believe this to be the first ever deployment of this type in the United States," stated Tim Burns, Chief Executive Officer of BioProcessAlgae, LLC. "The objective of this multi-phase pilot project is to gather critical data to determine the scalability of our Grower Harvester technology as we look to commercialize it in the future. Our focus is to perfect the growing and harvesting of algae in an industrial process."
"We are excited by the opportunities this technology offers to sequester the CO2 emitted at our ethanol plants," said Todd Becker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Green Plains Renewable Energy. "Our plants have warm water, waste heat and C02 which provide a perfect environment for the BioProcessAlgae Grower Harvester technology to be deployed. The algae produced have the potential to be used for advanced bio-fuel production, high quality animal feed, or as biomass for energy production, but our focus is solely on efficiently growing algae and sequestering carbon dioxide at this point."
"We are honored to have Iowa Governor Chet Culver attend this technology unveiling. The State of Iowa has been extremely supportive of this project, with the Iowa Power Fund providing a matching funds grant of $2.1 million for research and development. We firmly believe this technology has the potential to significantly help the environment, the ethanol industry and the Iowa economy," Becker added.
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Photobioreactor
Scotland's Whisky Distilleries Use Algae to Capture Carbon
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The Glenturret Distillery in Perthshire will use the ground-breaking system to turn fumes generated by whisky production into biodiesel.
David Van Alstyne, head of Scottish Bioenergy, said: "A couple of years ago the idea of using algae as carbon recycler sounded absurd but with the support of Shell, Edrington Group and the Scottish Environmental Technology Network we have built Britain's first pilot scale bioreactor."
Green MSP Robin Harper officially switched on the bioreactor, which could have implications for others in the industry.
He said: "This project is tremendously exciting, and I hope that it will be thoroughly successful.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
Australian Soil Becomes Food for Marine Algae
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The storms that engulfed Sydney in orange and yellow clouds last week may be a boon for sea life and lower carbon dioxide levels after as much as a million tons of dust were dumped into Australia’s oceans, providing a rich supply of food for algae.
The gale-force winds that ripped through Sydney may have dumped the iron-rich topsoil from Australia’s drought-ridden Outback into the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean, where it would have been absorbed by algae, said Craig Strong, a coordinator for DustWatch, a research and monitoring agency.
The infusion of so much soil into the ocean may prove a veritable feast for plankton that feed on algae and are then eaten by fish, crabs and krill.“It’s been pretty well established that if iron is available, then it will lead to phytoplankton blooms,” said Heiko Daniel, a lecturer in agronomy and soil science at the University of New England in New South Wales. “And they take up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.”
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Austria-based See-O-Two Developed Microalgae System for CO2 Capture
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Vienna, Austria-based See-O-Two has developed what it says is an industrial scale system to grow and use microalgae to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions and convert it into biomass to produce biofuels and bioplastics.
The company’s CEO Joachim Grill said its proprietary technology, developed in Austria and Germany, grows algae at three-to-six times higher productivity and at about 80 percent of the cost of competing systems. Grill spoke at the Cleantech Group’s Cleantech Forum XXIII in Boston this week as one of the jury-selected startups seeking funding.
He added that the company’s multi-stage growth process of the algae occurs in a closed pond system, which allows for temperature control. A two-acre plant, using the company’s technology, could produce 6,000 tons of algae and consume more than 13,000 tons of carbon dioxide, Grill said.
See-O-Two said it is already running a semi-installation at an undisclosed power company in Austria and recently sold a 20-acre plant to an undisclosed client in the Middle East. It's unclear whether the plant is operational.
“We have achieved market entry,” Grill said.
See-O-Two has raised $2.8 million to date from investors including See Private Equity Fund. See-O-Two brought in $200,000 in revenue in the past year. The company is projecting $14 million in revenue in 2011, mainly from licensing its technology.
The company is currently seeking investments of between $500,000 and $10 million, including co-investments made with blue chip private equity and venture funds to continue to scale its technology, Grill said.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Products, Algae-Fuel
Australian Pork Industry Considers Algae
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The Australian pork industry believes it can be carbon neutral within five years.
The peak industry body says consumers want to buy sustainably-produced food and cutting emissions from pig farms is an important part of that. Australian Pork Limited's research and innovation manager, Darryl D'Souza, says emissions will be eliminated by introducing new types of feed and making better use of pig waste.
"Technology is developing very quickly to deal with methane capture and we're looking at things like algae, potentially, as a source of energy [or feed]," he says.
Source: ABC rural
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
Duke and ENN Group to Work on Carbon-Capturing Algae
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Power company Duke Energy Corp. said Wednesday that it has struck its second deal in just over a month with a large Chinese power company to develop sources of low-carbon energy.
Duke and ENN Group say ideas for potential development between the two include commercial solar projects, coal-based clean energy, biofuels, natural gas, smart grid, energy efficiency and carbon-capturing algae.
China and the U.S. are No. 1 and 2 when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. The countries account for 40 percent of the world's total emissions. Both also heavily count on coal to drive their economies, with Duke using coal to generate about two-thirds of its electricity.
Jim Rogers, Duke's chairman, president and CEO, said if U.S. and Chinese companies can strike deals to work on climate change, then maybe it can lead to bigger solutions being reached by the governments of both countries. But he said the deals "mean nothing if they don't produce real projects, real solutions and are profitable."
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture
W2 Energy Combine Coal Gasification and Algae Cultivation
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W2 Energy will be using the Pennsylvania coal to show the industry that its technology will make 100% clean fuel plus electricity from the Pennsylvania coal.
W2 Energy will be gasify the coal in the NT Plasmatron non thermal plasma reactor. In the NT Plasmatron, this high-quality Pennsylvania coal will turn into syngas and will also generate heat. The heat will be turned into electricity via the SteamRay Steam Engine, and the syngas will be turned into jet fuel, gasoline and diesel fuel in the MultiFuel Gas-to-Liquid Reactor. W2 Energy will also be absorbing the greenhouse gases generated by the coal with its SunFilter Algae Reactor plant previously announced on August 13th 2009.
Source: Reuters
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
Carbon Dioxide Sources and the Production Of Algae
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Contributed Post:
SAM A. RUSHING
ADVANCED CRYOGENICS, LTD.
P.O. Box 419, Tavernier, FL 33070 USA
Tel 305 852 2597 Fax 2598
rushing@terranova.net
www.carbondioxideconsultants.com
Background
In the world of biofuels, algae is under the spotlight as a major destination of interest for CO2 usage from power and chemical projects, from the perspective as a greenhouse gas / carbon sink. Today, more than ever, methods for viable sequestration alternatives are essential to meet the changing political and environmental tone set by the US House of Representatives and the EPA – and ultimately established as a law. Also of strong interest is the usage of algae as a source of feedstock material for biodiesel, and perhaps fermentation. CO2 is an ingredient used by algae for normal growth, during photosynthesis, and of course, the challenge for a strong reduction of atmospheric CO2 content is one of today's greatest challenges. Algae can be a partial means to an end in this quest for greenhouse gas reduction, and at the same time serving as an essential ingredient required for algae cultivation. The driver in algae based CO2 fixation or sequestration has been CO2 sourcing from coal fired power plants. The coal fired power plants yield ½ of the power produced, and at the same time some 83% of the CO2 emitted from all power sources. For each Kwh of electricity, about 2.1 pounds of CO2 are produced, and sent out as flue gas, on average, from the coal fired power plants.
A range of 1.5 to 3.0 pounds of CO2 are required for one pound of algae cultivated. Power plant projects are under the greatest amount of pressure to reduce airborne CO2 emissions today, however, larger fermentation projects are also viable CO2 source targets; plus a number of commercial energy production and chemical manufacturing sources as well. Most of the testing for CO2 fixation by algae has been via the coal fired power plant, which is a lean CO2 content v. a fermentation project. The difference in CO2 content can make for a broad range in capital expense and production cost, as well as the raw gas specifications – that being nitrogen oxides (NO x) and sulfur oxides (SO x) are major culprits when defining which algae strains will accept the use of a raw flue gas with lots of the sulfur and nitrogen compounds v. a generally cleaner by-product from select chemical manufacturing processes; which may or may not require purification in this application. Therefore, hurdles via flue gas include selection of a viable algae for cultivation, assuming little or no purification takes place; plus the application of large volumes of raw gas could be problematic, from an application point of view.
Algae cultivation as a carbon sink is a popular consideration among those in the power generating business. In this scenario, generally DOE or industry sponsored demo projects have produced most of the headlines in the press as of late. In such settings, generally the algae project is located around or near the power facility, chemical manufacturer, or other projects which have a significant CO2 output. The difference among various CO2 emitters, in terms of the amount of CO2 available per pound or ton can be a day v. night scenario, and this would then create a range of requirements for capital investment, application technology, and results achieved. In real world terms, it is not always possible or convenient to allow an 'across the fence' algae production site, in part, since adjacent real estate is not always conveniently available.
As to algae fuel, this can represent up to 30 times more energy value per acre than a common crop, such as soybean. Other examples, include the difference with palm oil can average one – fifteenth the energy value when compared with algae. Given the high oil yield from algae, it is estimated that about one percent of today's one billion acres used in the United States for farming and grazing would be sufficient (as land, pond, or ocean space) to produce enough algae to replace all petro – diesel fuel used in the United States today. That is a significant number, and algae should be utilized and developed to take advantage of opportunities such as this.
Numerous challenges lie in this successful application of algae as a medium in the biofuels world, when considering CO2 applications, which include distance from the CO2 source to the algae production site, the nature of the CO2 source – and how it impacts the cost and feasibility in this application. All of this is highly sensitive to the increasing requirement to reduce carbon emissions.
Application of CO2 and Sources
Many of the projects which have been evaluated or are under a test today are electric power projects, generally coal – fired projects. Since coal – fired electric generating plants account for about 40% of today's CO2 emissions, and if CO2 emissions are reduced from this sector, a major impact on greenhouse gases would occur. In the United States, CO2 is now being recovered from the flue gas produced from coal fired cogeneration plants; and the economic model worked due to a prior energy law which fostered the use of cogenerated steam which is used in an amine (MEA) solvent recovery process – a method of concentrating the CO2 from a lean content in the flue gas. Further, when considering relatively large CO2 emitters, the ethanol industry has been in the spotlight due to a substantial amount of CO2 emitted in a concentrated form as a direct by-product of fermentation. As to fermentation by-product, anhydrous ammonia by-product, and the by-product of certain hydrogen reformer processes found in oil refineries, to name a few - would have CO2 raw gas content (often in a water saturated state) of 97 to 99% by volume.
When comparing this to emissions from combustion of various fossil fuels, such as coal, this can often range within the 12 - 15% by volume order of magnitude. Gas fired turbine exhaust in cogeneration can be below 3%; and heavier hydrocarbons have higher concentrations of CO2 accordingly. Some consider the need to concentrate the CO2 via traditional processes, such as MEA, which is quite expensive. If using MEA, this would represent between three and five times the cost of applying CO2 from a concentrated source, such as those named above – let's say fermentation. Other novel or test applications are underway with so-called proprietary processes, including membrane and refrigeration systems. In my experience, however, new and novel means of concentrating the CO2 are not commercially proven thus far.
Therefore, the economics behind what type of CO2 source is used, is driven by the raw CO2 content in the gas – source type, as well as the impurities found in this CO2 source. If the source is relatively clean, and well concentrated, direct application for CO2 fixation by certain algae strains is entirely feasible. Separately, when concentrating a flue gas v. using a highly concentrated source (chemical manufacturing by-product for example), the economics are like night and day.On the other hand, if these projects are DOE sponsored, or within the forthcoming greenhouse gas laws and CO2 emissions regulations call for economic considerations, perhaps the need for concentrating or refining is a viable possibility.
It has been found that select strains of algae might be able to endure a harsher environment when applying directly a power plant based flue gas. It has been found that a broad spectrum of algae will not endure the SO x and NO x content of raw power plant flue gas; however, algae strains specifically defined as NANNO2 grew after a lag period of time when under 300 PPM of nitrogen oxide. Other results when applying direct power plant flue gas in this application of algae growth, specifically NANNP-2 and PHAEO-2 algae proved to be successful with the harsh power plant flue gas in an untreated state.
Some of the above findings have proven well in a raceway type setting for algae cultivation, when diffusing power plant flue gas v. using a refined and / or liquefied CO2. The other consideration, beyond algae type and growth tolerance in the direct flue gas setting, would be the availability of real estate or physical space for algae cultivation. This thought precipitates the question of transporting the CO2 source to the algae cultivation site.
CO2 Transportation and Algae Cultivation Sites
Traditionally, CO2 has been transported (via pipeline, truck and rail) in a liquid form; always purified when used in the merchant markets. The exception to much or any purification has been for EOR – enhanced oil recovery. It is important to remember that liquid CO2 would represent a great deal more carbon dioxide presence v. simply trying to transport a gaseous, dilute, power plant product. The construction of a liquid carbon dioxide pipeline can easily run $1million per mile; and when transported as a liquid via pipeline, this distance can be substantial, these CO2 pipelines which transport liquid to enhanced oil recovery (EOR) sites are often long distance lines, up to one hundred , and even hundreds of miles; this would require sufficient compression on the front end and compression sub-stations in route. As to the case when considering algae fixation as a means of sequestering CO2, and a further means of producing a substantial raw material for the manufacture of biodiesel, it is entirely technically feasible to transport CO2 via pipeline. Consideration has been given to projects which use high pressure from enriched sources of CO2, such as fermentation for various destinations such as EOR. This concept could be applied to biodiesel in the fixation of algae with the CO2 by-product. As to transport of raw flue gas long distances, I would say this may be entirely new for a project such as this. First, the question is whether or not the algae will endure the SO x and NO x, plus other constituents; however there is evidence, as outlined before, this is possible with select strains of algae. Next, capital cost considerations for compression and pipeline as the basic infrastructure would be necessary. In the end, since massive quantities of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion in the power sector can amount to 20 million tons daily on a global scale – this is from a total amount emitted by all sources as 75 million tons of CO2 daily. When taking this into consideration, all means of containing, sequestering, or fixing CO2 via a environmentally friendly and extremely useful product such as algae is an extraordinary opportunity. The end result is twofold – the production of an extremely useful and rich in energy value v. grain and other organic matter feedstock materials such as soy and palm oil. Many of the test or small scale algae cultivation sites have occurred in a series of tubes, and bags, which have provided proof of growth capabilities. Larger scale cultivation of algae for energy sources, would probably occur in ponds, or captive seaside facilities. Please see caption number 1 as a conceptual flue gas from power plants for supply of carbon dioxide to the algae project.
Ethanol – Algae – Biodiesel loop
An interesting concept, in coordination with the production of ethanol, or other enriched CO2 sources, could be via a loop system, whereby CO2 from the enriched source could supply algae the ever-important carbon dioxide ingredient, in conjunction with sunlight, water and nutrients; thus producing algae and the high energy oil from a specific algae for biodiesel. The same algae could be a feedstock for fermentation as well; thus creating a full loop system. Please see diagram number 1 to view this concept.
Summary
The greatest level of CO2 content would be found among select by-product streams in the chemical manufacturing industry; and the larger scale plants are probably those to be targeted in the planned new legislation and EPA directives. The first 25,000 tons per year are exempt from any cap and trade, or other mechanism proposed by the House of Representatives and floating around in the EPA; however, other mechanisms beyond cap and trade may take place with the new CO2 related directives. Therefore, the focus for greenhouse gas reduction as carbon dioxide alone will apply to larger industrial projects, power plants, chemical manufacturing, oil refining, cement plants, etc. If the source is enriched, such as fermentation, then a higher quality stream of CO2 is available up to 99% by volume, with lower levels of impurities. If this stream is flue gas from power plants, the CO2 content would probably not exceed 12 – 15% by volume. In either case, we are working with a raw gas. If the CO2 is liquefied and or purified, then a further investment is required; such as concentrating the weak CO2 content in the flue gas off a power project or other large fossil fuel combustion project. The transportation of this raw gas would most likely take place as a pipeline operation; however, within a reasonable distance from the source to the algae fixation site would make the most sense – but long distance transportation is possible, at a price. The concepts surrounding the application of various forms of raw CO2 feedstock for the algae project are entirely possible. However the more complex the treatment of the raw stream is, and the more distant the algae site is from the source; the economic feasibility becomes more challenging. Since such a large focus on (fossil fuel) based power plants is now underway, and since this is the largest single source type for global CO2 emissions, the payback against the investment for the infrastructure surrounding CO2 treatment and transportation, in the form of revenues from the sale of algae for biodiesel may well outweigh the challenges. This form of sequestering CO2 is unique, since it represents carbon fixation in plant life, and it also is an ingredient essential for the growth of an energy rich product for the biofuels industry.
About the author
Sam A. Rushing is a chemist, and a consultant, as well as president of Advanced Cryogenics, Ltd., with decades long CO2 and cryogenic gas expertise with the merchant sector and as an international cryogenic gas and CO2 consultant, serving the biofuels, energy, and chemical industries. Advanced Cryogenics is celebrating a 20 year anniversary this year. e-mail: rushing@terranova.net , phone 305 852 2597.
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
Kirsten Heimann at James Cook Univ to Develop Algae Technology
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Australia is preparing to introduce technology that allows algae to capture half or more of the greenhouse gases emitted by a power station. The micro-algae thrive on carbon dioxide, producing food for livestock as well as biofuels and material for plastics.
The idea is to pump emissions from power stations into photo-bioreactors, which are large tubes filled with algae. When carbon dioxide from the power stations is mixed with water, the algae soak up much of it, using it as a nutrient. Once the algae are removed from the tubes, scientists say they can be buried in the seabed, where they could store indefinitely the carbon they have ingested. The algae can also be processed and used to create biodiesel fuel and fertilizer, as well as food for farm animals.
Kirsten Heimann at Queensland's James Cook University developed the technology.
"They take up carbon dioxide from the air or if you feed them carbon dioxide they take that and with the aid of sunlight they are converting that into sugars, proteins and oils," explains Heimann.
Three of Australia's biggest coal-fired power stations are building algae farms to help them reduce pollution in a country where 80 percent of electricity is generated by burning coal. Burning fuels such as coal and oil pump vast amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Fuel-Research
Aquentium Inc,US enters Algae Business
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Aquentium, Inc., a publicly traded company in the United States of America announced that the company has secured 475 acres in the State of New Mexico for the development of an algae bio-fuel production facility.
“As we enter this Green Era, by getting ahead of the curve, Aquentium can produce a new generation of transportation fuels for the world that are low-carbon, produced right here in the United States of America, and that generate renewed economic growth and new jobs,” stated Aquentium President Mark Taggatz.
Aquentium’s algae-based fuels will emit approximately two-thirds less CO2 than petroleum-based fuels at scale. When compared with conventional biofuels, such as corn ethanol and soy biodiesel, Aquentium’s Green Crude has significantly less than half their carbon impact, while delivering far greater energy density than either alternative.
“Algae-based fuels, one of the most promising technological developments to positively transform the world’s transportation industry. Fuel from algae is an extremely logical approach to meet the needs for a green solution to our dependence on fossil fuels. Fuel from algae is not just a laboratory experiment. The technology is ready now,” added Taggatz.
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
Algae Based CO2 Sequestration advancing
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He said Aurora has built a pilot facility “between a 7-Eleven and the beach” near Melbourne, Fla., and that for the past several months the new algae strains have been producing a gallon of biodiesel a day in an Olympic pool-sized pond.
Mr. Walsh said the challenge for Aurora is to commercialize its scientific advance. The company plans to have a demonstration plant capable of producing 1,000 gallons of fuel a day in operation by the second quarter of 2010. A full-scale production facility is to follow in 2011.
Aurora has raised $25 million from investors that include Oak Investment Partners, Noventi Ventures and Gabriel Venture Partners. Mr. Walsh said that financing will be sufficient to see Aurora through the construction of the demonstration algae biodiesel plant.
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Louisiana is Conducive for Algae Fuel Growth - Feasibility Report on Louisiana
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Louisiana Economic Development in partnership with KEMA Inc. recently released a feasibility report on Louisiana's commercial prospect for algae-to-energy ventures, in response to the growing need for alternative feed stocks in the renewable fuels industry.
The report demonstrates that Louisiana offers several advantages for algae industry development, including abundance of low-cost land, high-quality sunlight, array of Co2 sources, rainfall rate that exceeds evaporation rate, experience with aquaculture, and infrastructure and research capabilities.
"The results of the report confirm that Louisiana is well positioned to serve as the ideal platform for the emerging algae industry," said Kelsey Short, director of agriculture, food and forestry. "Accordingly, LED is actively seeking business development collaborations with algae investors and companies."
Key findings of the report include:
1. Louisiana is the leading state for scaled open-pond, freshwater algae development
2. Louisiana's rivers, aquifers and wastewater from industrial sources offer more than sufficient capacity for sustainable, scaled development of algae aquaculture
3. Louisiana has a potential capacity to produce up to 24.3 million tons of algae, based on existing industrial and power plant Co2 emissions
4. Louisiana has a potential capacity of 2.520 billion gallons of oil using existing Co2 resources, based on algae strains with 40 percent oil content
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation-Open-Pond, Algae-Cultivation-Sewage, Algae-Fuel-Research
University of Antofagasta & Chilean Companies to Enter Algae Biodiesel Research
You are at: Oilgae Blog.A news article in fis.com entitled "Microalgae-based biodiesel production to begin by 2014" reveals about chile's interest in microalgae based fuel production. The University of Antofagasta and some companies in Chile are trying to commercialize microalgae based biodiesel. A total investment of $7.5 million is slated for this project.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
CPI and Arup to try Algae Based Carbon-di-oxide Sequestration
You are at: Oilgae Blog.The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) in Redcar has linked up with engineering giant Arup by growing algae, which naturally draws in carbon dioxide, and using it to produce environmentally friendly products.
Both CPI and Arup believe the plant, which could also produce a rich compost and a non-chemical soil conditioner for crop production, has the potential to reduce the carbon dioxide that power plants emit by 70% to 80%, and dramatically reduce their carbon footprint.
Dr. Graham Hillier, low carbon energy director at CPI,said, "We are planning a rapid research and development programme to move the concept from small-scale testing to larger scale demonstration. We are also looking at ways of integrating the processes into existing power supply and waste management systems."
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Solix to Start Algae Fuel Demo Facility in Colorado
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Solix Biofuels is adding another $1.3 million to its Series A financing round, and announcing plans to start a commercial-scale demonstration of its technology within two months in southwestern Colorado.
These new funds bringing the company’s total Series A to $16.8 million — come from international investment group Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd., or SAIL, and point to expansion in Asia. That’s the plan, anyway, according to Solix CEO Doug Henston. In a release this morning, he said a relationship with SAIL will help Solix deploy its technology internationally, particularly in Asia.
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
DOE Grants $1.3 Billion for Carbon Capture and Sequestration Projects
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Chemical companies and other industrial sources of greenhouse gas emissions are eligible for $1.3 billion in grants for large-scale carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) demonstration projects under a Department of Energy program announced on June 8.
DOE's targets for the grants, the announcement says, are projects that are integrated into the plant's operations and are designed to capture and sequester 1 million tons of CO2 per plant per year by 2015. At least 20% of the project funding must be provided by the company.
DOE crants $1.3 billion to companies starting carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects
The same announcement also offers $100 million in funding for demonstrations of beneficial uses of CO2, such as using it to grow algae or converting it to fuel or chemicals.
More information about the funding opportunity is available at fossil.energy.gov/sequestration/publications/arra/DE-FOA-0000015.pdf.
Courtesy:Chemical & Engineering News
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The Welsh Assembly Government Supports Algae
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The Welsh Assembly Government (press release) is supporting a trial looking at how to use algae to feed off liquid digestate by-products from anaerobic digestion plants. It has given a £50,000 grant to community group Merlin Bio-developments to investigate the potential to further reduce the carbon footprint of AD facilities by using the liquid residues from the plants to encourage algae farming. Merlin Bio-developments said the algae could be used to capture carbon dioxide emitted from the AD process.
Currently, anaerobic digestion plants turn organic waste into bio-gas, a renewable source of energy. These plants are to play a major role in energy production in the coming years. As well as producing clean energy, the plants produce a by-product called ‘digestate’ that can be used as compost and a liquid fertiliser. The Assembly Government wants to see if extracts from the liquid element of this digestate can be used to grow algae, and potentially create a whole new market.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture
Algebra of Algae to Biodiesel and Co2 Sequestration
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Here is yet another research effort for Algae Co2 Sequestration. Environment Research Web has published an interesting blog entitled "Algebra of Algae to Biodiesel". This article compares the algae biodiesel production and CO2 emmision in US.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture
Renewed World Energies Uses Algae to Capture CO2
You are at: Oilgae Blog.RWE will be building its first facility in Georgetown County, South Carolina. South Carolina is where RWE’s oil processing plant and algae bioreactors will be located. The company grows several different strains of algae and has a “proprietary automated harvesting technology.”
Besides growing the algae, RWE recently announced a process that captures the CO2 and nitrous oxide from smokestacks to grow algae. In essence, the company is using the pollution generated from power plants and industrial smokestacks to grow clean energy products thereby killing two birds with one stone. I think this will be a fantastic idea of Co2 Sequestration as well as producing energy.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
Algae based CO2 sequestration gaining popularity; Sapphire Makes Case for Algae-Biofuels in Cap & Trade
You are at: Oilgae Blog.The president of Sapphire Energy, Cynthia J. Warner, testified today before the full U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to encourage legislators to allow industries that produce carbon dioxide, such as coal-burning electric generators, to collect and transport their CO2 to companies like Sapphire Energy that make industrial waste and greenhouse gases (GHG) into low carbon gasoline, diesel and jet fuels.
Warner says re-using the carbon dioxide to grow algae would remove that greenhouse gas from the environment and create a sustainable energy supply. She also points out that over the next few years the algae industry will directly create approximately 11,700 jobs and another 30,000 jobs from indirect sources. These developments all over the world clearly indicates that CO2 sequestration will possibly be the used method to capture CO2.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
Algae CO2 Capture in Coal Power Station
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Loy Yang Power has signed a memorandum of understanding with MBD Energy, a private Melbourne company whose algae-based technology will allow the brown-coal power station to cut its emissions of carbon dioxide.
The technology provides an alternative to carbon capture and sequestration for all coal-fired power stations in Australia, and can also be used by other big emitters such as mining plants or cement factories.
Under the deal, a $2.1 million display plant will be built next to Loy Yang by the end of the year. If successful, the second phase would involve a $23 million pilot plant in 2011, leading to the construction of a $300 million demonstration plant in 2013.
MBD's process involves capturing flue gasses, including carbon dioxide, from the power station and injecting them into circulating waste water to produce oil-rich algae. The process also purifies the waste water.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation-Sewage, Algae-Meal
Algae for Carbon Footprint Reduction - Sunflower Electric Trusts
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Sunflower will agree to environmental concessions designed to limit its carbon footprint when environmental groups started questioning Parkinson-Sunflower deal to build coal plants in kansas .
- Sunflower will decommission two oil-fired power plants in Garden City. The plants, however, haven’t been used in years, and are kept around only in case of emergencies.
- Parkinson and Sunflower CEO Earl Watkins said the new 895-Megawatt plant will incorporate the latest in technology to limit the carbon emissions.
- Sunflower agrees to build an experimental algae reactor that derives energy from the chemical processes of digesting algae. Algae CO2 capture is getting very popular everyday. When would all these experimental setups become commercial possibility?
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
BioProcessAlgae to Use Algae for Carbon Capture
You are at: Oilgae Blog.BioProcessAlgae, a joint venture among Clarcor, BioProcessH2O, Green Plains Renewable Energy, and NTR, has been awarded a $2.1 million grant from the state of Iowa to build the first photobioreactor systems attached to an industrial plant in the United States. The pilot project, which is supposed to be installed by the fall of this year, would capture CO2 from a Green Plains corn ethanol plant in Shenadoah, Iowa, and use it to grow algae.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Photobioreactor
Sapphires Carbon Calculation for Algae Cultivation
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Although the company uses energy to transport CO2 and water to its algae-production facilities in the New Mexico desert and to transport fuels they produce Zenk said, Sapphire's lifecycle emissions are two-thirds to three-quarters less than those of producing standard diesel.
Raytheon Co., National Energy Technology Laboratory, and other companies are also looking into the reuse of CO2 emissions for algae production.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
OriginOils Single Step Algae Oil Extraction Process
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As pictured above, algae enters one of OriginOil's tanks, and is quickly seperated into biomass and oil afterwards
Last Friday OriginOil applied for a patent. That patent is for a technology that makes extracting oil from algae an efficient, cheap, one-step process.
The business plan for OriginOil is to sell its technology to algae farmers who will use the extraction process to produce oil. Eckelberry says there are about 30 algae companies now, and he expects there to be over a 100 in the next year when he actually commercializes the technology.
If the company can advance this technology, the next step in its business is to sell modular systems to companies with factories throwing off CO2. He says those companies can channel their CO2 into tanks that have algae in them. The algae will grow off the CO2, then it can be processed and turned into fuel.
It's a win-win for companies. They cut back on CO2 emissions, which are pricey in Europe where a cap and trade system exists, and might soon exist in the U.S. And companies also get a new source of fuel for themselves.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Oil-Extraction
California Trusts Algae for GHG Emission Reduction
Today, the Air Resources Board adopted a regulation that will implement Governor Schwarzenegger's Low Carbon Fuel Standard calling for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from California's transportation fuels by ten percent by 2020. The new regulation is aimed at diversifying the variety of fuels used for transportation. It will boost the market for alternative-fuel vehicles and achieve 16 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2020
"The new standard means we can begin to break our century-old dependence on petroleum and provide California with greater energy security" said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. "The drive to force the market toward greater use of alternative fuels will be a boon to the state's economy and public health - it reduces air pollution, creates new jobs and continues California's leadership in the fight against global warming."
According to ARB analyses, to produce the more than 1.5 billion gallons of biofuels needed, over 25 new biofuel facilities will have to be built and will create more than 3,000 new jobs, mostly in the state's rural areas. Production of fuels within the state will also keep consumer dollars local by reducing the need to make fuel purchases from beyond its borders.
Seeking to enhance private sector and federal investment into alternative fuel production and distribution, California is also providing funding to assist in the early development and deployment of the most promising low-carbon fuels. The Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, AB 118 (Nunez, 2007), managed by the California Energy Commission, will provide approximately $120 million dollars per year over seven years to deploy the cleanest fuels and vehicles.
Regulators expect the new generation of fuels to come from the development of technology that uses algae, wood, agricultural waste such as straw, common invasive weeds such as switchgrass, and even from municipal solid waste.
The standard is also expected to drive the availability of plug-in hybrid, battery electric and fuel-cell powered cars while promoting investment in electric charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Investments
NASA Envisions "Clean Energy" From Algae Grown in Waste Water
NASA scientists have proposed an ingenious and remarkably resourceful process to produce "clean energy" biofuels, while it cleans waste water, removes carbon dioxide from the air, retains important nutrients, and does not compete with agriculture for land or freshwater. This is an excellent approach wherein clean energy is produced in addition the waste is also treated.
NASA Envisions "Clean Energy" From Algae Grown in Waste Water. Image Credit: NASA Ames Research Center
When astronauts go into space, they must bring everything they need to survive. Living quarters on a spaceship require careful planning and management of limited resources, which is what inspired the project called “Sustainable Energy for Spaceship Earth.” It is a process that produces "clean energy" biofuels very efficiently and very resourcefully.
"The reason why algae are so interesting is because some of them produce lots of oil," said Jonathan Trent, the lead research scientist on the Spaceship Earth project at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. “In fact, most of the oil we are now getting out of the ground comes from algae that lived millions of years ago. Algae are still the best source of oil we know."
"The inspiration I had was to use offshore membrane enclosures to grow algae. We're going to deploy a large plastic bag in the ocean, and fill it with sewage. The algae use sewage to grow, and in the process of growing they clean up the sewage," said Trent.
It is a simple, but elegant concept. The bag will be made of semi-permeable membranes that allow fresh water to flow out into the ocean, while retaining the algae and nutrients. The membranes are called “forward-osmosis membranes.” NASA is testing these membranes for recycling dirty water on future long-duration space missions. They are normal membranes that allow the water to run one way. With salt water on the outside and fresh water on the inside, the membrane prevents the salt from diluting the fresh water. It’s a natural process, where large amounts of fresh water flow into the sea.
Floating on the ocean's surface, the inexpensive plastic bags will be collecting solar energy as the algae inside produce oxygen by photosynthesis. The algae will feed on the nutrients in the sewage, growing rich, fatty cells. Through osmosis, the bag will absorb carbon dioxide from the air, and release oxygen and fresh water. The temperature will be controlled by the heat capacity of the ocean, and the ocean's waves will keep the system mixed and active.
When the process is completed, biofuels will be made and sewage will be processed. For the first time, harmful sewage will no longer be dumped into the ocean. The algae and nutrients will be contained and collected in a bag. Not only will oil be produced, but nutrients will no longer be lost to the sea. According to Trent, the system ideally is fail proof. Even if the bag leaks, it won’t contaminate the local environment. The enclosed fresh water algae will die in the ocean.
The bags are expected to last two years, and will be recycled afterwards. The plastic material may be used as plastic mulch, or possibly as a solid amendment in fields to retain moisture.
“We have to remember,” Trent said, quoting Marshall McLuhan: “we are not passengers on spaceship Earth, we are the crew.”
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Labels: Algae-Aviation-Fuel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation-Marine, Algae-Cultivation-Sewage
Midwest Research Institute Advances Algal Biofuels Research Utilizing Open and Closed Bioreactors
Just five months after announcing the creation of a state-of-the-art Center for Integrated Algal Research, Midwest Research Institute (MRI) has installed and activated two technically distinct bioreactor technologies to accelerate the Institute's pursuits in algae research. MRI recently activated an open pond "raceway" cultivation system at its laboratory in Palm Bay, Fla., and a continuous flow, closed loop photobioreactor at its field station near Kansas City, Mo.
MRI's open bioreactor system in Palm Bay includes two open pond raceway channels, each 40 feet long and 4 feet wide. The two raceways combined have a capacity of 8,000 gallons of water and are currently producing approximately 330 pounds of dry algal biomass per month with projections to increase biomass output with new
R&D improvements. The pilot raceway cultivation system provides a platform ideally suited for the investigation of technologies related to scale-up of algae production in open systems.MRI's closed loop photobioreactor in Kansas City provides a pilot scale algae production facility enclosed in a greenhouse to allow for year-round testing. This closed system has a capacity of approximately 1,000 gallons of algae dense medium and is capable of harvesting approximately 90 pounds of dry mass per month. Artificial lighting is available and allows for exploring effects from using a variety of real world and simulated environments. "This robust system provides a unique test bed for rigorous characterization of diverse algae strains and stringent monitoring of their associated growth conditions, said Roger Harris, Ph.D., MRI Associate Vice President and Director of the Energy and Life Sciences Division. "It also provides integration of harvesting and other processing equipment for end-to-end product operations."
By employing both systems, MRI will be better equipped to assist government and industry in maximizing the potential of algae for solving energy and environmental challenges. The Center's comprehensive focus includes characterization of preferred algal strains, growth optimization, contamination mitigation, harvesting methods, oil extraction, and carbon capture.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Cultivation-Open-Pond, Algae-Fuel-Research, Algae-Photobioreactor
Canadian government funds eight carbon-capture technology projects
You are at: Oilgae Blog.The federal government has put up $140 million for eight projects aimed at refining and proving carbon capture and storage technology.
The Great Plains Synfuels plant in North Dakota pipes its CO2 to the Estevan oilfield, where it is injected into the ground to create pressure that will allow the extraction of more oil.
Ken Caldeira, a climate scientist with the Carnegie Institution in Stanford, Calif., said - the problem with this technology is that liquefying coal, then burning the synthetic oil that results, emits 25 to 50 per cent more CO2 per energy unit than petroleum does.
Scientists have known for a while now that some strains of algae can be converted to biodiesel fuel, but the process was slow and expensive.
Now they’ve found that a particular metal oxide can be the catalyst for quicker, cheaper conversion of the algae.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Investments
APS to Bury C02, Run Experimental Algae-biofuel Plants
You are at: Oilgae Blog.APS has also experimented with capturing carbon to grow algae at their Redhawk natural gas power plant near the Palo Verde nuclear plant. The algae then produced biofuel which fueled company vehicles, however a planned large-scale demonstration of algae capture at the Four-Corners Power Plant by the Greenfuels Corporation was halted. The hope was that either biofuel for external use or some form of algae based fuel could actually power one of the Four-Corners boilers in lieu of burning some coal.
Fox said that APS will be using their own algae creation technology to capture carbon emissions, "Our first bioreactor has been operating for a few weeks and shows great promise to be a design that can be commercialized. In fact, we are building a small operation at the Redhawk plant to prove its scalability. That should be operational later this year."
Fox said that the question of how long carbon capture of some sort could extend the life of the Cholla plant "is a very complicated question and the answer has a lot to do with the cost of carbon in a carbon-regulated program and the cost of sequestration versus other technologies, including algae. I will make the assumption that if CO2 can be successfully captured and managed (either geologic sequestration or algae or something else), there will be no reason to close the plants provide we are able to meet other environmental standards and I have little doubt that we can do that now and in the future"
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation
Eastern Cape to Turn Algae into Power
You are at: Oilgae Blog.OWING to ideal climate and mix of industry, the Eastern Cape has been handpicked for a unique pilot project using marine algae to convert the greenhouse gas of carbon dioxide into biofuels and other products.
The use of algae as one of the next generation sources of biofuel has not been without controversy, but research at Jacobs University using marine algae to capture, through photosynthesis, the carbon dioxide in flue gases at two major power stations is yielding great results.
A low-cost, custom-built 800m² photobioreactor housed in a closed, greenhouse- type setting, and set up at a German lignite coal-based powerplant has been converting carbon dioxide into biomass since August last year.
By the end of June, a 200m² photobioreactor capable of producing two tons of dry biomass a year – will be up and running at NMMU. This will be followed early next year by the creation of two 1000m² photobioreactors at sites adjacent to interested industrial partners, to evaluate the technology in industrial applications.
To keep costs down, the photobioreactors will be built locally, based on the original Phytolutions designs. The use of black economically empowered enterprises has been planned.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Photobioreactor
Peterborough Renewable Energy Ltd Use Algae to Tap Up CO2 from Flue Gases
You are at: Oilgae Blog.The company has been invited to submit a full proposal to the European Commission's Research Dictorate by May 28, 2009, with the hope of attracting up to £2.5 million R&D funding.
The Algae Technology and Carbon Capture project could initially capture 10-20% of the energy-from-waste plant's emissions, with the algae making use of nutrients from the plant's potash to produce between 5,000 and 10,000 tonnes of biomass fuel a year.
The firm's managing director Chris Williams told New Energy Focus yesterday that ultimately, the project could develop technology capable of capturing higher proportions of emissions, producing enough biomass fuel for an entire dedicated biomass power station.
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Using Phytoplankton to Trap Carbondioxide in Ocean Faces a Snag
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Those researchers, led by Wajih Naqvi and Victor Smetacek, created a bloom of phytoplankton by fertilising an area of 300 square kilometres with six tonnes of iron sulphate, which dissolves in water. In two weeks the bloom’s mass doubled. But it also proved to be extremely tasty for small crustaceans called copepods, which gobbled the phytoplankton up so quickly that even with further iron fertilisation the bloom stopped growing. As a result, only a small amount of CO2 was dispatched to the ocean floor.
The problem lay with the species of phytoplankton in the bloom. In previous experiments the blooms had consisted of a group of algae known as diatoms. As diatoms have shells made of silica they are protected from copepods and so are more likely to die without being eaten and thus take take their carbon to the ocean floor. But in the area where the researchers were working natural blooms had already depleted much of the silicic acid, which the diatoms use for shellmaking. The result was that the beneficiaries of the iron were instead groups of algae such as Phaeocystis, which are among the most heavily grazed by copepods.
Since silicic-acid levels are naturally low across about two-thirds of the Southern Ocean, the expedition’s results suggest that iron-fertilisation would remove less CO2 from the atmosphere than optimists had hoped.
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LOHAFEX Gained Crucial Insights Into The Marine Biology
You are at: Oilgae Blog.The LOHAFEX team found that though the algae mass doubled in size after four tonnes of dissolved iron was dropped in a 300 sq km patch of ocean, most of it was quickly eaten away by a crustacean zooplankton species. "This grazing resulted in most of the CO2 trapped by the algae to be recycled into the air,'' said Dr S W A Naqwi from National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, who was co-chief scientist of the project.
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Climate Change Affects CO2 sequestration by Diatom
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Zoology professor Elena Litchman, who works at MSU's Kellogg Biological Station
Litchman analyzed data from lakes and oceans across the United States, Europe and Asia and found a striking difference between the size of diatoms in freshwater and in marine environments. In oceans, diatoms grow to be 10 times larger on average than in freshwater and have a wider range of sizes.
One factor that affects growth is nutrient availability, Litchman said. The research shows that limitations by nitrogen and phosphorus exert different selective pressures on cell size. The availability of these nutrients depends on the mixing of water from greater depths. Using a mathematical model, Litchman and her colleagues found that when those nutrients are constantly limited and mixing is shallow, smaller diatoms thrive.
But when nitrate comes and goes, as often happens in roiling oceans, diatoms evolve larger to store nutrients for lean times. Deep mixing also benefits large diatoms. Depending on how intermittent the nitrate supply is and how deep the ocean mixes, there can be a wide range of diatom sizes. Size matters for the creatures that eat them and also for carbon sequestration, as large diatoms are more likely to sink when they die.
Changing climate could alter the mixing depths and delivery of nutrients to diatoms and their subsequent sizes with a cascade of consequences, Litchman said.
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PetroSun provide Algae Biodiesel for Emissions Studies
You are at: Oilgae Blog.The emissions studies conducted by Carnegie Mellon will include the investigation for scientific evidence that the emissions from the combustion of algae derived biofuels are characterized and provide a comparison of emissions to that of fossil fuel combustion. The program calls for emissions testing from several different sources.
The UCLA program, funded by a multi-year grant from the US Department of Energy, will conduct research to advance scientific knowledge of particulate emission rates and the chemical and physical properties of those particles relevant to climate. Other properties of the fuel such as nitrogen oxide emissions and organic compound speciation may also be completed.
The NextEnergy research will be conducted as part of the National Biofuel Energy Laboratory program based in Detroit, Michigan. The goal of the project will be directed at comparing the effect of biofuels on a lab scale basis, engine dynamometers and the operation of vehicles during cold weather.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture
Algal Biofuel Research Program by CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship
You are at: Oilgae Blog.“The Flagship’s research has made significant progress in a short time and our extensive biofuels program will continue to develop solutions that result in a secure fuel future for Australia,” Dr Beer said.
“Although the findings of our study are very promising, challenges still exist in relation to cost, infrastructure needs and the scale of production required to make algal plants feasible,” Dr Beer said.“We see biodiesel from algae as one potential option for sustainable fuel production amongst a range of other technologies.”
The paper, Greenhouse gas sequestration by algae – energy and greenhouse gas life cycle studies, is authored by CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric researchers Peter K. Campbell, Tom Beer and David Batten.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Fuel-Research
Glenturret, Scotland's Sldest Distillery Captures CO2 from wastewater
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Scotland's oldest whisky distillery is taking part in a ground-breaking project to capture its carbon dioxide emissions and turn it into a biofuel using oil-producing algae.
The Glenturret distillery in Crieff, Perthshire, is one of Scotland's top tourist attractions - producing whisky since 1775. It is now the centre of a demonstration project that has just come to the end of its first phase turning boiler exhaust gas into oil that can be used as a biodiesel.
An added benefit of the process is that it cleans up the waste water from the distillery process, with the algae consuming chemicals and copper residues generated by the fermentation stills. This is indeed an excellent approach to produce energy from waste.
Having shown that the process works, Scottish Bioenergy Ventures, the company behind the project, is now embarking on an expanded algae reactor system.
The so-called "phase two" of the demonstration project from this summer should see the system capable of producing about 6,000 litres of biofuel during the course of a year - capturing 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide in the process.
Success could lead to a third phase, with a "commercial-sized" algae reactor system
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation-Sewage, Algae-Energy-Companies
Algae to Reduce Distillery Carbon Footprint
You are at: Oilgae Blog.The two firms hope to use bioreactors produced by Scottish Bioenergy to achieve a big reduction in the distillery's carbon footprint and operating costs.
The bioreactors are glass panels that contain water and algae. When carbon dioxide is percolated through the panels, the algae strips out the carbon atoms, which are made into biodiesel.
The process also produces proteins that could be used to enrich spent grain from the distillery so that it is suitable for sale to fish farmers.
Van Alstyne has high hopes that there could be a big market for the technology.
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Stimulus could exclude algae research
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A pilot project at the Schwarze Pumpe coal power plant in Germany can capture and store its own carbon dioxide emissions
But as Congress inches closer to final passage of the bill, a small group of startup algae companies, which had been almost entirely off the Washington grid until late last year, are making a last-minute sprint to get lawmakers to broaden the funds to an up-and-coming form of carbon capture. The technology uses algae to turn the carbon emissions into biofuels, rather than storing them in underground geologic formations.
Advocates say the algae-based technology, which could find funding under broad wording in the Senate bill, could be ready to go commercial in three to four years with proper funding and would cost significantly less than underground storage, giving the United States a near-ready option to move away from foreign fossil fuels.
According to Credit Suisse, traditional geologic carbon capture research, covered in the House bill, needs at least $15 billion worth of investment and 10 more years of research before it will be ready to go commercial.
Senate Energy Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) are also now aware of the problem, lobbyists say.
“This is truly the story of the little engine that could. These are small companies that have never dealt with Washington. They have no PACs and few connections. They’re just entrepreneurs,” Moeller said. “I don’t think it was congressional intent to leave this technology out, but this is something members will eventually become outraged about.”
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Investments, Algae-Fuel-Research
Algae Ponds for Carbon Capture - A Positive Thought By Prof Chris Rhodes
You are at: Oilgae Blog.However, if phytoplankton could be caused to bloom, 1 Gt (billion tonnes) of carbon could be captured annually. It is claimed that regenerative agriculture might sequester around 3 Gt of carbon each year , and that by 2050, biochar production could account for another 1 Gt of carbon annually. In principle the carbon in the soil can stay there and improve its quality, but if the other kinds of captured carbon could be harvested, it might provide a useful potential source of biomass/fuel. Growing algae on a local pond could provide energy to replace fossil fuels for local communities, without impacting on arable land.
Since we emit 7 Gt/year of carbon from fossil fuels, the sum comes out something like (in Gt): 7 - 3 - 1 -1 = 2 Gt left to worry about. A cut in fossil fuel use by 50% through biomass curbs that to 1 Gt. Photosynthesis already absorbs around 3 Gt of carbon/year into oceanic phytoplankton and land-based plants, and if localised algal production cuts emissions from oil by another 1 Gt (assuming that we need 1 Gt less since we have that from algal biomass), the combined scheme is carbon negative by -3 Gt/year.
Hence in 40 years this would have cut 120 Gt of carbon from the atmosphere, which would reduce the concentration of CO2 by around 50 - 60 ppm.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Products
First Refinery Plant with Green House Gas Recycling with Algae
You are at: Oilgae Blog.This will be the fist refinery of it's kind in America to include GHGs (Green House Gas) recycling with algae. It will be a closed system process by not just venting the CO2 into the atmosphere. This means a zero carbon footprint. We also will use waste and biomass not food, to produce the energy and ethanol. This green approach to alternative energy and fuels is an epiphany for the industry.
The Federal Department of Energy or Agriculture will guarantee capital loans for much of the cost. This will insure that Hawaii is not importing most of the ethanol we use. Blending gas now is 10% in Hawai'i and flex fuel vehicles can now use up to 85% ethanol though not sold here yet.
Diamond Head is second generation that is being put forward in new technology now. Algae grown in a vertical biogenerator can takeup the CO2 generated in the plant. Along with making oxygen the algae will be used in making biofuel.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Products
Indian Minister Jairam Ramesh says Algae - A Super-critical Technology
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Pointing out that India was already facing huge problems in areas like water supply and agriculture, Ramesh said: "Domestic imperatives should force us to look at the climate change far more seriously than we have."
The power ministry, he added, was already moving from "sub-critical to super-critical technology, which will reduce coal consumption" and described a new technique by which "we will capture carbon dioxide from flue (exhaust) gases (at power stations) and use it to produce micro-algae that in turn will produce oil".
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Fuel-Research
An Old Letter from GreenFuel, But an Interesting One!
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Bumped across a rather old letter from the (then) GreenFuel Technologies CEO Bob Metcalfe. This was written in Jun 2007, but I thought I'd give a link to it because it lays out some interesting things that happened at the algae energy pioneer company.
What's really funny is that the main problem that the GreenFuel Tech folks faced at that time was overgrowth of algae in the greenhouse - that is, the algae productivity was much more than expected leading to problems in managing orderly growth and harvesting. So they had to shut down the entire greenhouse.
The letter also lays out other challenges and the efforts undertaken to overcome these challenges. The one other challenge that caught my eye was that the greenhouse (construction?) cost was twice as much as expected.
An interesting case study. I liked the final statement from Metcalfe - "I keep asking the trillion-dollar question that led to the founding of GreenFuel: Why expensively sequester CO2 when it can be profitably recycled?"...which in fact happens to be the tagline at their company web site as well
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Energy-Companies
Liverpool John Lennon airport Uses Algae For CO2 Sequestration
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LIVERPOOL John Lennon airport is testing a revolutionary scheme to convert harmful CO² emissions into car and aviation fuel.Airport chiefs are running a 12-month trial of new hardware designed to capture CO² emissions from passengers and workers in the terminal.
They will then be passed through a gadget containing algae, which will convert them into material capable of being made into a biofuel.
This will be used to power some of the airport’s diesel vehicles and, depending on the trial’s success, could even produce aviation-grade fuel.
Spokesman Amy Dartington said: “This is a cynical piece of spin to make the airport look greener while they are planning on extending the runway.Algae-to-biofuel technologies are still in their infancy and it is not clear how this particular piece of kit actually works.We look forward to seeing concrete results so we can see if it has made any real difference.”
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation
WWF Opposses large-scale Ocean Fertilization Project
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Last year, the meeting of the parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) imposed a de facto moratorium on large-scale ocean fertilization experiments and commercial uses, only allowing for small-scale scientific research in coastal waters.
WWF encourages the development of innovative solutions to tackle the huge threat climate change poses to the planet, but these solutions need to be carefully assessed in order to not create more problems than they solve.
This year is a pivotal year for climate change, and WWF is working to ensure a robust agreement is reached to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the Copenhagen Climate Summit in December.
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Major Industry Emitting CO2 needs Algae Installation
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Eckelberry sees this algae tech spreading rapidly across Europe where last year the E.U. tax on CO2 emissions quintupled. If you have a plate glass factory, cement plant, utility burning and fossil fuel, you need an algae tank that consumers that CO2. Turns waste into valuable resource. Eckelberry and I speculated that in the future there may be CO2 pipelines delivering the valuable gas to algae-driven utilities. Meanwhile, every major industry that generates CO2 or other organic gas emissions needs its friendly algae installation.
How confident is Eckelberry? “We’ll provide the technology and there’ll be a tornado of adoptions.” He’s seeing intense interest across Europe, from Japanese companies, and in far-flung development centers like Dubai and Mumbai. Why? The algae solution is localized, uses primarily off-the-shelf technology combined with know-how and process information from Origin Oil.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
Industrial Algae Plant Configuration Face Problems
Algae developers are riding a wave of interest due to the single-celled plant’s ability to grow rapidly and produce valuable products that can be used to make biodiesel. How industrial algae plants will be configured is yet unknown, but producers will face the same problems as other alternative energy producers—where to put the facility and how to get government permission to build it.
The illustration shows a future algae farm surrounding an integrated fossil carbon input plant and an algal biomass conversion plant.
It is hard work getting an industrial plant built. Developers need to find a site with easy access to infrastructure for water, power and transportation yet not too close to residential or commercial areas that may object to noise, traffic, odor or any number of other inconveniences. They must then contend with a thicket of agencies, starting with local zoning boards and state pollution control agencies and sometimes even needing federal approvals before they can start pushing dirt and laying foundations. Even then, community residents and outsiders, who may believe they weren’t consulted properly can still swoop in and cause more headaches with lawsuits and media campaigns designed to delay or stop a project.
These problems can be magnified when a project is a “first-of-its-kind” facility for what promises to be a booming industry in the future. Algae production for biofuels, biomass, chemicals and other products faces these challenges. Companies pursuing algae production could learn from previous generations of alternative energy production, says Peter Mostow, a partner with Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, a law firm that works with many clean technology and renewable energy firms.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation
Twenty big green ideas
You are at: Oilgae Blog.An article on "Twenty Big Green Ideas" in Taipei Times include Ocean Fertilization for CO2 Sequestration using Phytoplanktons
Prefacing the launch of the fourth Observer Ethical Awards in London, They have chosen to highlight 20 of the biggest ethical ideas around at the moment, affording some respite to the prevailing jam-side-down version of life on offer almost everywhere else.
It includes
1. BIOCHAR
2. FERTILIZING THE OCEAN
3. BENIGN BIOFUELS
5. SPECIES RELOCATION
6. RADICAL ECO-ACTIVISM
7. REINSTATE THE DRINKING FOUNTAIN
8. THE WORLD COMMUNITY GRID
9. CRADLE TO CRADLE
10. CARROTMOBBING and so on
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
GreenFuel Cuts Staff, Outsources Aurantia Cement Factory Project
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Algae biofuel outfit GreenFuel Technologies has laid off 19 people, or about half of its staff, another sign of the difficulty that fledgling alternative fuels face.
A company representative confirmed the staff reduction on Monday and said one of GreenFuel's two major customers--the Aurantia cement factory in Spain--remains a customer.
GreenFuel has developed a method for growing and harvesting algae in a greenhouse.
Company CEO Simon Upfill-Brown, who was recruited last year from Dow Chemical to head the 8-year-old firm, told Xconomy that the engineering for its Spanish deal, previously estimated at $92 million, will be outsourced.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation-Power-Plants, Algae-Energy-Companies
Algae Bloom Experiment in Ocean Goes Ahead Despite Enviro Fears
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But the so-called LOHAFEX experiment has raised the ire of some environmentalists, who worry about unknown consequences of interfering with the marine ecosystem. Ocean fertilisation experiments have been carried out on a few occasions in the past, but became controversial in 2007 when a company called Planktos announced it would dump iron fillings [sic] off the coast of the Galapagos islands. Some environmental organisations … expressed concerns that this was tantamount to pollution and, by affecting plankton at the bottom of the food chain could have unforeseen consequences
While environmentalists from the organization ETC Group originally argued that the new experiment is illegal because it violates the UN moratorium, it now appears that the experiment won approval from the German ministry of the environment based on an international maritime convention that allows legitimate scientific research on ocean fertilization. Researchers involved in the project say the experiment will answer crucial questions regarding the procedure’s effectiveness. The new study will address, among other things, marine biology, the flow of carbonaceous particles, and biodiversity questions that have barely been analysed during previous experiments, says [researcher] Karin Lochte. “These are exactly the kind of data you need to assess whether or not large-scale ocean fertilization is justified,” she says
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Fuel-Research
Linc Energy, BioCleanCoal Work on Algae CO2 Sequestration from Power Plants
You are at: Oilgae Blog.This is an old news, but I wish to know whether these companies have been able to make much progress on the algae based co2 remediation.
The Nov 2007 news item says,
"Two Australian firms, Linc Energy and BioCleanCoal, have partnered together in a joint venture to sequester carbon dioxide emissions from Australian coal-fired power stations to use as fuel or fertiliser, even re-burning it to produce additional energy.
The companies will spend $1 million to build a prototype reactor in Chinchilla, which will use the carbon dioxide emissions from the power plant to grow algae, which can then be dried and turned into biodiesel at low energy costs.
Hamish Macdonald, a company director of BioCleanCoal, says that the process can easily remove 90 per cent of carbon dioxide from the plant’s emissions, with 100 per cent removal possible but unlikely due to the increased costs."
Any idea on their progress in the last one year?
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
University of Kentucky works on Algae CO2 Sequetration
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"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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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
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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CO2 Sequestration Using Algae-A part of Alaska energy project
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Senator-elect Mark Begich’s talked with mayors across the state about how local and state governments might best spend Alaska’s share of a multibillion-dollar economic recovery proposal drawing whispers in Congress.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough suggested such help, if it came, could help launch a complex energy project that would help year-round food production and storage as well as produce heat and electricity.
The proposed power plant, which would be fueled by willow trees and household trash, also is eyed as a pilot project for smaller-scale plants in villages. A blend of private firms and public agencies, including businessman Bernie Karl and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, would operate the plant under a plan submitted to Begich’s office this week.
Borough Mayor Jim Whitaker said the project also calls for sequestering the carbon dioxide emitted from the plant by using algae to consume the carbon.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
Bob Metcalfe Says Green Fuel Microalgae Technology is Green in Two Ways
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Metcalfe believes that the set of skills that helped drive the infotech revolution can do the same for renewable energy, energy efficiency and eco-friendly materials.
Green Fuel, for example, is a company where Metcalfe worked for a time as CEO and is now board chairman. Its goal is to harvest carbon dioxide from power plants to grow algae. "It's green in two ways," Metcalfe says. "It's a CO2 recycling company. Then we are green out the back door because if the CO2 is used to make biodiesel, it's a renewable fuel." The technology works but getting it to commercial scale is a challenge.
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Algae-based technologies for Greenhouse Gas Emission Reductionh
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NTPC installs Algae Photobioreactor at UP, India with CSIR and Teri
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Hoping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its coal-based power plants, NTPC Ltd will set up India’s first photobioreactor at its Dadri unit in Uttar Pradesh in association with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri).
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Photobioreactor
CO2 Sequestration by ocean fertilisation needs further research
You are at: Oilgae Blog.An analysis by a leading Australian research body has urged caution and says more research is crucial before commercial ventures are allowed to fertilise oceans on a large scale and over many years to capture CO2.
Scientists say sprinkling the ocean surface with trace amounts of iron or releasing other nutrients over many thousands of square kilometres promotes blooms of tiny phytoplankton, which soak up carbon dioxide in the marine plants. When the phytoplankton die, they drift to the ocean depths, along with the carbon locked inside their cells where it is potentially stored for decades or centuries in sediments on the ocean floor.
The ACE CRC report says ocean fertilisation just using iron would likely hit an absorption limit of about 1 billion tonnes of carbon (3.7 billion tonnes of CO2) annually, or about 15 percent of mankind's total carbon emissions.Cullen of Dalhousie University said studies suggested that to sequester large amounts of carbon would require fertilisation of most of the Southern Ocean for long periods of time."The question is can we assess those large-scale and long-term effects on the basis of experiments 100 by 200 km (60 by 120 miles) in size. I have not seen evidence it can be done."
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
India Algae Fuel Project by NTPC, CSIR, Teri Using Photobioreactor - @ Dadri Plant
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Hoping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its coal-based power plants, NTPC Ltd will set up India’s first photobioreactor at its Dadri unit in Uttar Pradesh in association with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri).
The reactor will be set up at an investment of Rs11 crore and will use flue gas (a combination of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides) to grow algae and will help in carbon capture and absorption.
NTPC is India’s largest power generation company and CSIR is the largest publicly funded research and development organization; Teri is an independent think tank based in New Delhi.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
Algae @ John Lennon Airport, Liverpool for CO2 Sequestration & Biodiesel
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Origo Industries announced it has signed a deal to trial its Ecobox technology at Liverpool John Lennon airport. The trial will see CO2 from air handling units on the terminal building filtered through a photo-bioreactor containing algae. The CO2 will be absorbed by the algae, accelerating its development to a point where it can be refined to produce a biofuel.
The airport plans to use the resulting biofuel to run its ground-based vehicles, while the waste biomass produced by the refining process will be passed through a drying process and fed into a burner which will supply some of the airport's heating and hot water.
Origo said that it hoped to be produce up to 250 litres of biofuel a day using the system when it starts operating next summer
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Photobioreactor
Increasing acidity of ocean correlates with increasing atmospheric CO2
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University of Chicago scientists have documented that the ocean is growing more acidic faster than previously thought. In addition, they have found that the increasing acidity correlates with increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
The ocean plays a significant role in global carbon cycles. When atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolves in water it forms carbonic acid, increasing the acidity of the ocean. During the day, carbon dioxide levels in the ocean fall because photosynthesis takes it out of the water, but at night, levels increase again.Conducted at Tatoosh Island in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Washington, the study documented that the number of mussels and stalked barnacles fell as acidity increased. At the same time, populations of smaller, shelled species and noncalcareous algae increased.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation
Eastern Kentucky University launches research on biofuels
You are at: Oilgae Blog.EKU will establish a Center for Renewable and Alternative Fuel Technologies (CRAFT), that will be spearheaded by three professors from the agriculture and economics departments.The EKU biofuel project will be different from two energy-related research efforts conducted through the University of Kentucky's Center for Applied Energy Research.
That center is working with Nicholasville-based Alltech Inc. to see how the fermenting of plant cellulose could be made into fuels, said the center's director, Rodney Andrews. Another project uses algae to scrub coal power plants to reduce emissions.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation
Diatom Traps Excess Carbon In Ocean
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Bowler's team has demonstrated that when iron deficiency occurs processes such as photosynthesis and nitrogen assimilation are suppressed. Other studies, which hail diatoms as champions in capturing carbon dioxide, suggest a bold strategy of using iron as a fertilizer to provoke massive diatom blooms. "Once they have feasted, the weight of their silicon shells, which resemble glass, causes the diatoms to sink to the bottom of the ocean when they die, and the carbon that they assimilated is trapped there for millennia," says Bowler. "By sequestering carbon in this way we could reverse the damage from the burning of fossil fuels."
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Holcim Spanish Cement Plant Gets GreenFuel, Aurantia Algae CO2 Recycling Project
You are at: Oilgae Blog.GreenFuel Technologies Corporation and Aurantia, SA announced the second phase of their joint project to develop and scale algae farming technologies in the Iberian Peninsula. Initiated in December 2007 at the Holcim cement plant near Jerez, Spain, the project's goal is to demonstrate that industrial CO2 emissions can be economically recycled to grow algae for use in high-value feeds, foods and fuels.
The Aurantia-GreenFuel project at Holcim consists of a series of development stages that could eventually scale to 100 hectares of algae greenhouses producing 25,000 tons of algae biomass per year. Aurantia anticipates the project will be eligible for subsidies from both regional authorities and the central government which will partially offset its development costs.
The second phase of the project commenced with the successful inoculation and subsequent harvests of a 100m2 prototype vertical thin-film algae-solar bioreactor. The next phase of the Aurantia-GreenFuel project at Holcim will be the construction of a 1,000m2 algae greenhouse and harvesting facilities adjacent to the cement plant.
Source
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Photobioreactor
Green Star Opens New Green Consumer Products Division
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Green Star Products, Inc. opened a new commercial division to distribute consumer earth-friendly products on Nov- 3. This new consumer division will handle wholesale and retail distribution of these green products, and will operate separately from Green Star's core business, which is the Biofuels, Algae Biomass and biorefinery business. The first products will be introduced to the public later this week.
Green Star's leadership and reputation in the biofuels and algae-to-biodiesel industries now extends into five continents. It is because of this reputation that Green Star has also attracted many green earth-friendly companies outside the biofuels industry from around the world who have offered us a marvelous array of planet saving products to conserve energy, water, and fuel, and reduce harmful waste such as wastewater and greenhouse warming gases.
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Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
Algae-based oil would save 160m tonnes CO2 - Carbon Trust, UK
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Algae-based transportation fuel could reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by over 160 million tonnes, according to the Carbon Trust.
The organisation has set up a funding initiative to boost research and development into algae biofuels with the aim of creating an alternative to fossil fuels by 2020.
It has set up the Algae Biofuels Challenge, which it will fund with up to £6 million and will also have the backing and funding of the Department of Transport.
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Greenfuel Algae CO2 Recycling Project With Aurantia Enters II Phase
You are at: Oilgae Blog.GreenFuel Technologies Corporation and Aurantia, SA announced the second phase of their joint project to develop and scale algae farming technologies in the Iberian Peninsula on october 21. The Holcim cement plant was initiated in December 2007 near Jerez, Spain, the project’s goal is to demonstrate that industrial CO2 emissions can be economically recycled to grow algae for use in high-value feeds, foods and fuels.The second phase of the project commenced with the successful inoculation and subsequent harvests of a 100m2 prototype vertical thin-film algae-solar bioreactor.
The next phase of the Aurantia-GreenFuel project at Holcim will be the construction of a 1,000m2 algae greenhouse and harvesting facilities adjacent to the cement plant. In the meantime, GreenFuel and Aurantia will continue to test algae growth rates with the cement plant’s flue gasses.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Photobioreactor
Coal Plants and Algae Fuel Symbiosis - Seambiotic, Israel
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Seattle-based Inventure Chemical and Tel Aviv-based Seambiotic announced this week a joint venture to create biofuels from algae fed by a coal-fired power plant. Apparently, this is an idea growing in popularity. Seambiotic has developed a way to convert algae to biodiesel, ethanol, or specialty chemicals, and they’re testing their open-pond algae farm in Israel. The coal power plant and algae farm are working hand in hand to power one another – the flue gas emissions from the power plant will be used to grow the algae, which is in turn converted to fuel to either operate the plant, or be sold.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
Will Feeding Organic Waste to Algae Increase Oil Yield? asks University of Virginia Prof Lisa Colosi
You are at: Oilgae Blog.One key difficulty with algae is yields – typically, many algae growing in a natural state only produces about one percent by weight of the hydrocarbons desired. Now new a new research program from the University of Virginia aims to change that.
The new program, funded by a UVA Collaborative Sustainable Energy Seed Grant worth about $30,000, seeks to apply analytical engineering practices to optimizing the algae's fuel output.
According to Professor Lisa Colosi, a professor of civil and environmental engineering who is part of the project team, feeding carbon dioxide and organic waste to the algae can increase their oil yield to as high as 40 percent by weight. If the team can prove that either of the factors can indeed boost production, it would provide additional benefits. If the organic sludge works, the algae could be used to treat wastewater. If the concentrated carbon dioxide works, the algae could have coal power-plant flue gas bubbled through it, which contains 10 to 30 times atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. This could help cut the emissions from coal plants. Algae could else help remove nitrogen gas from industrial sources.
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2008 Algae Biomass Summit Speakers - Seattle, Washington
You are at: Oilgae Blog.2008 ALGAE BIOMASS SUMMIT SPEAKERS
This is the entire list of summit speakers at the recently held Algae Biomass Summit in Washington. The list might be useful to many of you who are making efforts in the algae to fuel domain.
MARK P. ALLEN, P.E.
CEO & Co-Founder
A2BE CARBON CAPTURE, LLC
Mr. Mark Allen is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of A2BE Carbon Capture LLC. He is a licensed professional engineer with over 25 years experience in the design, construction, and operation of large-scale engineering, infrastructure, and environmental projects including biological process systems with a capacity of over 500 million gallons per day. He holds a Civil Engineering degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology and is a successful entrepreneur having founded a venture capital backed corporate knowledge management company in 1999 where he was the
Chairman and CEO. Previously he managed large engineering organizations for Rust Environment and Infrastructure, Metcalf & Eddy, SAIC, and others. For these organizations Mr. Allen had full profit and loss responsibility for multiple lines
of business including: water and wastewater engineering, environmental engineering, hazardous and solid waste engineering, transportation engineering, general civil engineering, information technology, and other professional service offerings. Mr. Allen is also a former Adjunct Professor of Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
DR. AMI BEN-AMOTZ
SENIOR SCIENTIST
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF OCEANOGRAPHY (ISRAEL) AND SEAMBIOTIC LTD
Dr. Ami Ben-Amotz is presently Professor of Marine Phycology at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Haifa, Israel. Dr. Ben-Amotz focused his studies on the alga Dunaliella while obtaining both his MSc degree from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and his PhD from Weitzman Institute of Science (WIS), Israel. After post doctorate studies on marine microalgae at Brandeis University, USA, he returned to Israel and began research at the NIO and the WIS to study the biology, physiology, biochemistry and biotechnology of Dunaliella in a long collaboration with the late Prof. M. Avron of the WIS. The fruitful cooperation led the way to establishment of the commercial Dunaliella production plant in
Eilat, known today as Nature Beta Technologies Ltd., (NBT) Israel, a subsidiary of Nikken Sohonsha Co., Japan. Along his long career with Dunaliella, Dr. Ben-Amotz served as Head of the Department of Marine Biology at NIO and Head of the Dunaliella Section at the WIS, Chief Scientist of NBT and recently as Chief Scientist of Nikken Sohonsha Co., Japan. In March 2007, Dr. Ben-Amotz was nominated as President of the 8th International Marine Biotechnology Conference in Eilat. Dr. Ben-Amotz has more than 130 publications and supervised dozens of students mostly on aspects related to
Dunaliella, marine microalgae and natural carotenoids.
DR. JOHN BENEMANN
FOUNDER
BENEMANN ASSOCIATES
Dr. John Benemann received his degrees at the University of California Berkeley in Chemistry (B.S.) and Biochemistry (Ph.D.). He completed his post-doctoral studies in San Diego, and in 1974 rejoined UC Berkeley as an independent investigator at the Sanitary Engineering Research Laboratory to study microalgae for wastewater treatment, biofuels and fertilizer production. While at Berkeley, he supervised the thesis work of five Ph.D. students in Civil Engineering, Biophysics and Plant Physiology. In 1980 he started a small biotechnology company and four years later became an Associate Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He has been a full time consultant for nearly 20 years and during much of this time has also been a part-time researcher at UC Berkeley. His research and consulting work span across disciplines and institutions, from the fundamental problems of photosynthesis and biological hydrogen production to the engineering of wastewater treatment ponds and landfills to abate greenhouse gas emissions.
DR. VARUM BORIAH
SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORY
Dr. Varun Boriah received his BTech in Mechanical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology - Karnataka, India with an emphasis in fluid mechanics. He is pursuing a Masters in Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley emphasizing applications of digital particle image velocimetry in micro-scale fluid devices. He is currently a summer intern in the Thermal/Fluid Science & Engineering Department at Sandia Labs in Livermore, California.
PROFESSOR SAMMY BOUSSIBA
PRESIDENT
INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY AND HEAD OF LANDAU FAMILY MICROALGAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
LAB, BLAUSTEIN INSTITUTES FOR DESERT RESEARCH, BEN GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV
Prof. Boussiba received his Ph.D. in Physiology and Biochemistry of Cyanobacteria in 1981 from the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. After 2 years of postdoctoral studies at Cornell University at Ithaca N.Y., he rejoined the Microalgal Biotechnology Laboratory (MBL) at the Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert research (BIDR), Ben-Gurion University in Israel. Prof. Boussiba is the Head of the MBL since 1995 to date. His current research interest concerns developing the biotechnology of the production of high value products, with special emphasis on astaxanthin from Haematococcus, use of microalgae to encounter environmental problems, and developing integrated aquaculture biosystems for efficient water utilization. As an outcome of this work, commercial enterprises have been set up, one
located in the Arava at Kibutz Ketura, a plant for the production of the valuable carotenoid astaxanthin produced from the green alga Haematococcus pluvialis. This set up includes one the world largest and most advanced tubular photobioreactors. The second one concerns the establishment of a start-up company “BioSan” involved in the commercialization of engineered cyanobacteria for mosquito biocontrol of pest diseases. Prof. Boussiba is the author of few dozens of publications, and has been the supervisor so far of some 40 research students (M.Sc., Ph.D. and postdocs).
In 2003 Prof. Boussiba was awarded "Doctor Honoris Causa" by the University of West Hungary. Also, as a reward for his achievements in Microalgal Biotechnology, Prof. Boussiba was awarded at 2004 a Chair in Economic Botany, by the Senate of the Ben-Gurion University. All the above has positioned Prof. Boussiba among the world leading scientists in the field of Microalgal Biotechnology. He currently serves as the president of the International Society of Applied Phycology (ISAP).
ANDREW T. BRAFF
ASSOCIATE
WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI
Andrew Braff is an associate in the Seattle office at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a member of the steering committee for the Algae Biomass Summit, and counsel to the Algal Biomass Organization. His practice focuses on renewable energy project development, including drafting and reviewing engineering, procurement, and construction agreements, operation and maintenance agreements, energy supply and offtake agreements, and equipment supply agreements for the wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and biofuels industries. Mr. Braff also has advised on federal and state legislative and regulatory process, including the Environmental Protection Agency's implementation of the federal Renewable Fuel Standard mandated by the Energy Policy Act and various state renewable portfolio standards. Mr. Braff previously served
as an extern for Justice Mary E. Fairhurst of the Washington State Supreme Court and as director for policy and public affairs for California State Assemblyman (now State Senator) Mark Wyland. In addition, he served as a legislative assistant
to Congressman George R. Nethercutt, Jr. Mr. Braff received his B.A. from Whitman College and his J.D. degree from the University of Washington School of Law. He is admitted to practice law in the state of Washington.
DR. DAVID BRUNE
PROFESSOR
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY
Dr. David Brune is a Professor and Newman Endowed Chair of Natural Resources Engineering at Clemson University. He holds the following degrees: Ph.D., Sanitary Engineering , University of Missouri (1978 ); M.S., Agricultural Engineering, University of Missouri (1975 ); AND B.S., Agricultural Engineering, University of Missouri (1974). Dr. Brune has been working with aquaculture for 20 years, of which the first decade was spent in raising catfish. During that time, Clemson researchers found ways to increase algal growth; the algae produced additional oxygen and treated waste in the water.
BILL BUCHAN
CEO
MARKET POTENTIAL, INC- NASA INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP
Bill Buchan has 21 years of experience in the energy and environmental sectors as a consultant with such firms as Arthur D. Little, evaluating and commercializing new technologies in these sectors. His experiences with new technologies, including fuel cells, distributed generation, alternative fuels, renewable energy, and several air emission and water control technologies, has given him great insight into the direction of the energy and environmental markets and the adoption issues new technologies face. During the last 18 years, Mr. Buchan’s focus has been in sales, marketing, and business development, while managing the business activities of his consulting operation. Throughout his career, Mr. Buchan has developed business strategies for clients in multiple industries, including energy, environment, biotech, transportation, internet, and retail sectors. He has helped raise both public and private money for the commercialization of energy and environmental technologies. Mr. Buchan was also the VP of Marketing and acting-CEO of a bio-oil venture, Sustainable Biomass Energy, and continues to be involved in other start-ups today. He is a member of the Gerson Lehrman Group Council, providing investors with market insights regarding new energy and environmental technologies. A licensed
engineer, Mr. Buchan has authored over 20 publications and presentations during his career and he holds a Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, a Master's degree in civil/environmental engineering, and an MBA with an emphasis in entrepreneurship from the University of California at Berkeley.
THOMAS BYRNE
PRESIDENT & CEO
BYRNE & COMPANY, LTD
Thomas Byrne, owner of Byrne & Company Limited, is one of the ethanol industry’s most experienced consultants. He received his B.S. degree in Accounting from St. Cloud State University. His experience dates back to 1979 where he began his career as an accountant and later becoming a consultant to the biofuels industry. Since forming Byrne & Company Ltd, Tom has worked on many successful projects for clients, offering a broad array of services. These services include feasibility studies; business plan preparation; organization of equity meetings; structuring and negotiating debt with public and private financing organizations, from raising capital to the completion of the project; and applications for federal and state grant incentives. Tom also has spoken at conferences in New York, Costa Rica, Poland, and Panama on the securing of financing within the biofuels industry and the future of biofuels. As the president and CEO, he has the responsibility to manage the planning and delivery of services provided to clients, as well as preparing complex financial models and overseeing project development services. His experience has allowed him to introduce development projects to equity and financial organizations, Departments of Trade and Economic Development, and federal, state, and local organizations to provide financial and other assistance. Mr. Byrne is a member of the Renewable Fuels Association, American Council on Renewable Energy, Economic Development Association of Minnesota, American Coalition for Ethanol, Minnesota Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
DR. FENG CHEN
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
CENTER OF MARINE BIOTECHNOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BIOTECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE
Dr. Feng Chen is Associate Professor at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institue’s Center of Marine Biotechnology (COMB). Dr. Chen received his Ph.D. in Marine Microbial Ecology in 1995 from the University of Texas at Austin. He has published more than 40 scientific papers and book chapters, covering both basic and applied aspects of marine microbiology and biotechnology. His research focuses on ecology, physiology, genomics and proteomics of microbes which include viruses, bacteria and microalgae in the marine environment. Dr. Chen has extensive experience
with isolation and characterization of microalgae from aquatic environments, and is a member of algal research team at COMB. Dr. Chen has been invited to deliver multiple speeches at international conferences. He has served in several
review panels for federal funding agencies and has received research funds from NSF, DOE, NOAA, Sea Grants, and other private interests. Currently, he is developing several research programs related to algal biofuels.
BEN CLOUD
PRESIDENT & COO
XL RENEWABLES
For over 25 years, Ben Cloud was a farmer, farmland developer and consultant with operations in Arizona and Southern California. His early adoption of drip irrigation has provided a clear vision for the application of proven irrigation components in the development and operation of large-scale algae biomass production systems. In 2006 he co-founded XL Renewables, Inc. to produce renewable motor fuels. The Company's initial project is a $260 million integrated biorefinery in Vicksberg, Arizona. Mr. Cloud attended the University of Arizona, College of Agriculture and currently serves as President of the Project CENTRL (Center for Rural Leadership) Alumni Council. He was a co-founder of Gold Canyon Bank in Gold Canyon, Arizona in 2005. Mr. Cloud is a resident of Chandler, Arizona.
DR. KEITH COOKSEY
PROFESSOR OF MICROBIOLOGY
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Dr. Keith Cooksey is one of many U.S. scientists who studied the feasibility of turning algal oil into biodiesel in the 1980’s. From 1978 to 1995, the U.S. Department of Energy funded, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory administered, a study to investigate algae as a source of fuel and its ability to consume the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
RUPERT CRAGGS
GROUP MANAGER
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF WATER AND ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH (NEW ZEALAND)
EZIO NICOLA D’ADDARIO
R & D DEPARTMENT MANAGER
ENI DIVISION R&M
Ezio D’Addario currently manages the Ecomanagement and Environmental Protection group at the Environmental Research Centre of Eni Division Refining & Marketing in Monterotondo, Italy. Mr. D’Addario is responsible for researching environmental monitoring of marine basins, biomarkers and bioindicators, Life Cycle Assessment of new systems for energy and biofuel production and CO2 biofixation with microalgae. A chemical engineer, Mr. D’Addario has worked for many companies in the Eni group beginning with Snamprogetti as a petroleum process engineer. Since studying biotechnology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston, he has worked in the R&D units of Eni corporate for many years, developing biotechnological processes for pharmaceutical intermediates and sweeteners production.
Throughout his career, Mr. D’Addario has managed multiple international R&D projects by utilizing his biotechnological experiesnces to develop technologies related to waste and wastewater treatment, soil bioremediation and biofuel production. Mr. D’Addario spent three years in London at the Agip Kazakhstan Oil Consortium where he was in charge of the Environmental Impact Assessment of offshore facilities at the Kashagan oil field in the Caspian Sea.
BILLY M. GLOVER
MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY
BOEING COMMERCIAL AIRLINES
Billy Glover leads an enterprise-wide team responsible for developing and implementing a global environmental strategy for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Under his leadership the team is addressing key issues facing the aviation industry including reducing aircraft noise and greenhouse gas emissions, alternative fuels research, and influencing public policy and opinion. His cross-functional team is also providing input on key product design elements for maximizing the environmental performance of Boeing aircraft. Mr. Glover, who previously led derivative product development for Commercial Airplanes, has held various engineering assignments with the company involving 707, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777 and 787 airplanes, as well as product development, research programs, and government and commercial contracts. He also has extensive experience leading government and industry relations nitiatives. Mr. Glover is an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics. He is also a member of the Industrial Advisory
Committee for Herrick Labs, Purdue University and is a board member of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG). He is co-chair of the Algal Biomass Organization. Mr. Glover joined Boeing in 1978, after graduating from Purdue University with a Masters of Science in Engineering, with an emphasis in engineering acoustics. He received his Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Engineering in 1976 from Purdue University. In addition, Glover has completed executive education studies at the Harvard Business School.
DR. STEVEN J GLUCK
SCIENTIST
DOW CHEMICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY CENTER
Dr. Steven Gluck is a scientist for the BioSciences platform within The Dow Chemical Company. Dow Chemical BioSciences defines renewable resource opportunities for existing Dow products. He is responsible for assessing and identifying routes for technology breakthroughs in the commodity scale production of algae oils. In addition to fuel applications, these oils are also being developed by his team as feedstocks for other chemical processes. Dr. Gluck’s leadership of technical due-diligence teams creates additional algal opportunities by evaluating external technologies and partnering with other companies and universities when applicable. Dr. Gluck has worked for Dow Chemical since 1979. Prior to his work at BioSciences, he was responsible for developing new environmental treatment technologies
particularly with respect to water, wastewater, and greenhouse gases. Dr. Gluck also optimized operations support as well as being the organization’s Intellectual Capital Manager. He is the president of the Instrumentation Testing Association and is very active in the Water Environment Federation. Dr. Gluck received a BS from Whitworth College, an MS from the University of Idaho and a PhD from the University of Leipzig.
QUINN GORETZKY
PROJECT MANAGER
INNOVATIONS CANADA
DR. BEN GRAZIANO
R&D MANAGER, INNOVATIONS
THE CARBON TRUST (UK)
Dr. Ben Graziano joined the Carbon Trust’s Innovations Team in March 2008. The Innovations Team helps to develop commercially promising low carbon technologies through funding, partnerships, expert advice and large-scale demonstrations. Within Innovations, he is responsible for the Carbon Trust’s Algae Biofuels Challenge, which is part of the Bioenergy Directed Research Programme. Dr. Graziano’s other responsibilities include managing a portfolio of Applied Research projects and informing the Carbon Trust of new low carbon technology commercialization opportunities. The Carbon Trust is a private company, backed by the UK government. Its mission is to accelerate the move to a low carbon economy by working with organizations to reduce carbon emissions and develop commercial low carbon
technologies.
JOSH L. GREEN
PARTNER
MOHR DAVIDOW VENTURES
Josh Green joined MDV's investing team with a focus on Cleantech companies. Cleantech spans multiple, independent value chains ranging from solar to biofuels to clean coal. He applies his experience in a broad range of industries including semiconductors, biotechnology and networking to help Cleantech entrepreneurs define their markets and products. Mr. Green has more than 25 years of experience working with companies from startup phase to large public company, and has helped many management teams focus their energy on building value for the enterprise and its
stakeholders. Throughout his career he has guided entrepreneurs and helped to build some of the most successful emerging growth companies in Silicon Valley including the Internet (Yahoo!), biotechnology (Geron), medical devices (Target Therapeutics), telecommunication/networking (Cerent) and semiconductors (Xilinx). Mr. Green has a track record of growing and developing teams and organizations. He was instrumental in expanding Venture Law Group to over 110 lawyers and assisting in the successful merger with Heller Ehrman in 2003. Previously, he practiced law at Brobeck,
Phleger & Harrison LLP, and developed the Palo Alto office from six to well over 100 lawyers. Mr. Green has completed initial public offerings, mergers and acquisitions and venture capital transactions that rank among the largest and most successful in Silicon Valley history. Together, these transactions total more than $10 billion dollars. His work was recognized when he was named to the Forbes Midas List. He graduated magna cum laude from UCLA in 1977 and the UCLA School of Law in 1980 where he was on the Law Review.
NATHANAEL GREENE
SENIOR POLICY ANALYST
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL
Nathanael Greene received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy from Brown University and a Master of Science Degree in Energy and Resources from University of California Berkeley. He joined NRDC in 1992 and worked two years before continuing his studies. Upon obtaining his master’s degree In 1996, he returned to NRDC and worked there since. Mr. Greene is a senior policy analyst and is responsible for working on energy policy and related issues including utility restructuring, energy taxes, energy efficiency, renewables, and low-income services. His particular expertise is clean energy technologies including wind, solar and biomass energy, fuel cells, combined heat and power, and energy efficiency as well as the regulations and policies necessary to promote these technologies. For the last few years Mr. Greene has been focusing on assessing the sustainable potential for biofuels and developing policies to advance them.
DENIS HAYES
PRESIDENT
BULLITT FOUNDATION
Denis Hayes directs The Bullitt Foundation from the perspective of a practical visionary who has devoted his life to conservation. With mixed feelings, he acknowledges that he is probably still best known for having been National Coordinator of the first Earth Day when he was 25. But he also is the seasoned veteran of many environmental, legislative, and litigation victories over the years. Internationally, he is recognized for expanding Earth Day to more than 180 nations.
It is now the world’s most widely observed secular holiday. During the Carter Administration, Mr. Hayes directed the federal National Renewable Energy Laboratory. He has been a visiting scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, a senior fellow at the Worldwatch Institute, an adjunct professor of engineering at Stanford University, and a Silicon Valley lawyer. Mr. Hayes has received the national Jefferson Medal for Outstanding Public Service as well as the highest awards bestowed by the Sierra Club, The Humane Society of the United States, the National Wildlife Federation, the Natural Resources Council of America, the Global Environmental Facility of the World Bank, the interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility, the American Solar Energy Society, and the Commonwealth Club. Mr. Hayes has served on dozens of governing boards, including those of Stanford University, the World Resources Institute, the Federation of American Scientists, The Energy Foundation, Children Now, the National Programming Council for Public Television, the American Solar Energy Society,
Greenpeace, CERES, and the Environmental Grantmakers Association. He continues to chair the board of the international Earth Day Network. Mobilizing the resources of The Bullitt Foundation, Mr. Hayes intends to make the Pacific Northwest – the best-educated, most environmentally aware, most progressive corner of America – a global model for sustainable development.
DR. DAVID HAZLEBECK
PROGRAM MANAGER
GENERAL ATOMICS
DR. CARL N. HODGES
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
THE SEAWATER FOUNDATION
Dr. Carl Hodges is the founder and chairman of The Seawater Foundation and an internationally known scientist and innovator. An atmospheric physicist and mathematician, Dr. Hodges’ work can be seen in Seawater Farms Eritrea (SFE), an integrated agricultural and aquacultural farm in Africa. Critical to the success of the Eritrea project has been Dr. Hodges’ experiences with controlled environmental agriculture in the Middle East and the Americas, the Land Pavilion at EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World in Florida, scientific consulting on Biosphere 2 and many corporate associations including Coca-Cola, Disney, Kraft Foods, W.R. Grace, Lufthansa, and Resorts International. Replicating SFE and advancing the integrated seawater farm systems now being built in Sonora will provide the planet with its first new agriculture in 10,000 years.
DR. QIANG HU
DIRECTOR
LABORATORY FOR ALGAE RESEARCH AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Qiang Hu, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Biology and Biotechnology at Arizona State University (ASU) with 20 years of knowledge and experience in applied phycology, photobioreactor system design, and mass culture of microalgae for various commercial applications. Pioneering high-density algal culture methodology, Dr. Hu has contributed to the understanding of biological principles underlying photosynthetic productivity in high-density algal mass cultures. An expert in photobioreactor system design, he has developed various types of culture systems in China, Israel, Japan, and USA. Prior to ASU, Dr. Hu was engaged in the final phase of a 10-year national algae-based carbon sequestration program in Japan. Dr. Hu has published over 30 research papers and is an inventor and holder of 14 patents related to algae-based biofuel production, carbon sequestration, wastewater treatment, and high-value products from algae.
DR. MICHAEL H. HUESEMANN
STAFF RESEARCH ENGINEER
PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY-MARINE SCIENCE LABORATORY
Dr. Michael Huesemann (Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas) has conducted both experimental and theoretical research in environmental and marine biotechnology for more than fifteen years. Dr. Huesemann currently is or has been the principal investigator on numerous major U.S. Department of Energy funded
research projects focusing on diverse areas such as photosynthetic hydrogen production, optimization of microalgal lipid and hydrocarbon production, biofixation of carbon dioxide from flue gases by marine microalgae, the effects of ocean
carbon sequestration on nitrogen cycling, and hydrocarbon bioavailability in aged petroleum contaminated soils undergoing bioremediation treatment. He is also the principal investigator on an Office of Naval Research funded project
on in-situ phytoremediation of PAH and PCB contaminated marine sediments with sea-grasses. In addition, Dr. Huesemann has published journal articles on the metabolic regulation of solvent production in anaerobic fermentations, the modeling of the leaching kinetics of hydrocarbons in aged soils, statistical soil sampling, critical analyses of mitigation responses to global climate change, environmental policy analysis, sustainable development, and professional ethics. He currently also serves as editorial board member of Soil and Sediment Contamination: An International Journal, and Progress in Industrial Ecology.
DR. MARK HUNTLEY
CHIEF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
CELLANA
Dr. Mark Huntley (Ph.D., Biological Oceanography, Dalhousie University 1980) is a thought-leader in marine biological sciences. One of the most frequently-cited researchers in his field, an organizer of global research initiatives, and an entrepreneur, Dr. Huntley has been active in biofuels research and development for more than 20 years. He has held research faculty positions at both Scripps Institution of Oceanography and University of Hawaii. He held a senior management role for 10 years in the GLOBEC program, a $300 million international scientific research program investigating the impact of global change on marine ecosystems. Dr. Huntley was cofounder of Aquasearch, Inc., an algae biotechnology public company, and co-founder of HR BioPetroleum. He currently serves as Chief Science and Technology Officer for both Cellana and HR BioPetroleum.
CONGRESSMAN JAY INSLEE
MEMBER OF THE ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE FROM 1ST DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON STATE
Raised on the shores of Puget Sound, Congressman Jay Inslee comes from a long line of Washingtonians and wants to protect the state’s natural beauty for his three sons and generations to come. Congressman Inslee has worked at the federal level – as representative for the 4th Congressional District from 1992-1994 and the 1st Congressional District since 1999 – to protect the environment of Washington state and address the problem of global warming. Congressman Inslee fought to restore protections for roadless areas in national forests and led a successful campaign in the House to keep limits on oil-tanker traffic in Puget Sound. Since 2005, he has used his seat on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee to promote his vision for a clean energy future, the New Apollo Energy Act, and to advance other legislation that would reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. In March 2007, he was appointed to the 15-member Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Beyond advocating sound environmental policies, Congressman Inslee has
used a common-sense approach in Congress to help expand the region’s high-tech economy, promote privacy protections for American consumers and strengthen programs for seniors like Social Security and Medicare. He also has supported increased spending for port security and veterans’ services. Congressman Inslee backed the war in Afghanistan to root out terrorists; but he voted against the war in Iraq and has been an outspoken critic of administration policies there. Even before his election to the U.S. Congress, Congressman Inslee was a public servant. He was a state legislator and prosecutor in Selah, Wash. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Washington and earned his law degree from Willamette University.
DR. SCOTT C. JAMES
PRINCIPAL MEMBER OF THE TECHNICAL STAFF, THERMAL/FLUID SCIENCE & ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORY
Dr. Scott James received his BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering from UC San Diego with emphases in fluid mechanics and numerical methods. In 2001, he graduated from UC Irvine with a doctorate in Engineering with emphasis on solving environmental flow and transport problems. Shortly thereafter, he joined Sandia National Laboratories’ Performance/Risk Assessment and Decision Analysis Department in Carlsbad, New Mexico, in charge of certifying the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, the only operating transuranic nuclear waste repository in the world. Next, he joined the Geohydrology Department in Albuquerque and contributed significantly to the Yucca Mountain Project and International Programs. Dr. James is currently a Principal Member of the Technical Staff in the Thermal/Fluid Science & Engineering
Department at Sandia Labs in Livermore, California, where he continues to work on a wide variety of environmental flow and transport modeling problems. Recently, he has focused on modeling open-channel flow systems in an attempt to optimize algae growth for biofuel production.
VINOD KHOSLA
FOUNDER
KHOSLA VENTURES
Vinod Khosla grew up dreaming of being an entrepreneur, despite growing up in an Indian Army household with no business or technology connections. Since age 16, when he first heard about Intel starting up, he dreamt of starting his own technology company. Upon graduating with a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Mr. Khosla failed, at age 20, to start a soy milk company to service the many people in India who did not have refrigerators. He came to the US and got his Masters in Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie-Mellon University. His startup dreams attracted him to Silicon Valley where he got an MBA at Stanford University in 1980. Upon graduation Mr. Khosla was one of the three founders of Daisy Systems, which was the first significant computer aided design system for electrical engineers. The company went on to significant revenue, profits and an IPO, but he, driven by the frustration of having to design the computer hardware on which the Daisy software needed to be built, started the standards based Sun Microsystems in 1982 to build workstations for software developers. At Sun he pioneered "open systems" and RISC processors. Sun was funded by long time friend and board member John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. In 1986 Mr. Khosla switched sides and joined Kleiner Perkins where he was and continues to be a general partner of KPCB funds through KP X. There, through the years, with other partners, he took on Intel's monopoly with Nexgen/AMD (the only microprocessor to have significant success against Intel, sold to AMD for 28% of AMD), incubated the idea and business plan for Juniper to take on Cisco's dominance of the router market, to formulate the very early advertising based search strategy for Excite, and to transform the moribund telecommunications business and its archaic SONET mplementations with Cerent (sold to Cisco for $7B), and many other ventures. Mr. Khosla helped in creating value, having fun, succeeding, failing (remember Dynabook?) and driving impact in partnership with entrepreneur, and the partners at KPCB. In 2004, Mr. Khosla, driven by the need for flexibility to accommodate four teenage children and a desire to be more experimental, to fund sometimes imprudent "science experiments", and to take on both "for profit" and for "social impact" ventures, formed Khosla Ventures, funded entirely with family funds. His goals remain the same - work and learn from fun and knowledgeable entrepreneurs, build impactful companies through the leverage of innovation, and spend time as a
partnership making a difference. He has a passion for nascent technologies that can have a beneficial effect and economic impact on society. Mr. Khosla’s greatest passion is being a mentor to entrepreneurs, assisting entrepreneurs and helping
them build technology based businesses. He assists or serves on the boards of a number of the companies including EASIC (programmable ASIC platform), Infinera (optical communications), Kovio (printed electronics), Skyblue (internet
PC), Spatial Photonics (Micromirror displays), Xsigo (datacenter switch), among others. Mr. Khosla is a charter member of TiE, a not-for-profit global network of entrepreneurs and professionals founded in 1992 that now has more than forty
chapters in nine countries. He is also a Founding Board member of the Indian School of Business. His current passion is Social Entrepreneurship with a special emphasis on Microfinance as a poverty alleviation tool. He is a supporter of many
microfinance organizations in India and Africa. He has been experimenting with global housing. Mr. Khosla is also passionate about alternative energy, petroleum independence, and the environment.
DR. ROBIN KODNER
DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
BODEGA ALGAE, LLC
Dr. Robin Kodner is a geobiologist and has been doing interdisciplinary research on algae for over 10 years. She completed her PhD in Biology from Harvard University where her research was collaboration among the Biology and Earth Sciences Departments at Harvard and Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences at MIT. Her research has focused on lipids from algae, their preservation potential in the geologic record, and interpreting ancient organic matter sourced by algae, which is often preserved in the form of petroleum. In working with the biofuels industry and with Bodega Algae, Dr. Kodner is able to apply her knowledge of the diversity of algae and their associated lipids and lipid biosynthesis to making biofuels. Currently she is working on strain development and growth optimization for Bodega's modular bioreactor. Dr. Kodner is also continuing her academic research as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Washington, applying the same analytical tools to investigate algal biomass contributions to the global
carbon cycle, as well as investigating the evolution of algal lipids and lipid biosynthesis.
DR. JOSEPH A. KOCAL
DIRECTOR OF RENEWABLES RESEARCH
RENEWABLE ENERGY & CHEMICALS GROUP, UOP, A HONEYWELL COMPANY
Joe Kocal has been with UOP for 27 years in the Research and Development department. He has worked in the areas of catalyst and process development focussing primarily on new technology for UOP and the industry. Dr. Kocal has 45 patents that protect the new technologies that have been commercialized. He was previously manager of the Exploratory Platforms research group. Currently Dr. Kocal is a Sr. Fellow and Director of the Renewable Energy and Chemicals Research group. He has a Ph.D in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
TYLER J. KRUTZFELDT
PRINCIPAL
MONT VISTA CAPITAL
Tyler Krutzfeldt, a Board Member of the Algal Biomass Organization, is Founder and Managing Director of Mont Vista Capital, a merchant banking firm focused exclusively on alternative energy sector. Mont Vista Capital clients represent the full spectrum of alternative energy industries including geothermal, algae, ethanol, wind energy, and waste to energy. He is a featured nationwide speaker at major industry conferences such as the national USGBC GreenBuild conference, Bloomberg analytics, and on public television. Mr. Krutzfeldt is the author of an article titled "Carbon Intensity - Opportunity vs. Threat" published in an international biofuels publication in June 2008. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a Board Member of Miami CFA. He received a Bachelor's of Science degree in Applied Agricultural Economics from Texas Tech University and is a member of the American Bar Association’s Alternative Energy Resources Committee. Mr. Krutzfeldt and his family are also 3rd generation Montana ranchers involved in agribusiness.
DR. ADELHEID KUEHNLE
PRESIDENT & FOUNDER
KUEHNLE ARGOSYSTEMS, INC.
Dr. Kuehnle has over 20 years of experience in plant breeding and biotechnology. More than two dozen tropical flower varieties developed by Dr. Kuehnle are now cultivated and traded globally. She is on leave as Professor from the
University of Hawaii, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, to devote her entrepreneurial talent to Kuehnle AgroSystems, Inc. Dr. Kuehnle has a B.A. degree from Middlebury College and a PhD from Cornell University. Dr. Kuehnle has authored six books and book chapters, more than 60 scientific papers, and is an inventor of 14 patents. Recently, Dr. Kuehnle was named the 2008 Scientist of the Year at the University of Hawaii, winner of the 2008 Hawaii Technology Industry Award, and a finalist as 2008 Pacific Business News Business Woman of the Year.
ALINA KULIKOWSKI-TAN
VICE PRESIDENT
CARBON-CAPTURE CORPORATION
Alina Kulikowski-Tan initially joined Carbon-Capture Corporation (CCC) as a consultant and actively engaged privatepublic partnership opportunities on behalf of the company. Prior to joining CCC, Mrs. Kulikowski-Tan was senior vicepresident with the ADEPT Group, a consulting firm specializing in research, development, and commercialization of new technologies in transportation and energy applications. Her expertise includes project management, strategic planning, capitalization and market research.
DR. DAVID LEWIS
SENIOR LECTURER
SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE LEADER, MICROALGAL ENGINEERING
RESEARCH GROUP
Dr. David Lewis is a senior lecturer in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Adelaide. He enrolled at the University in 1993, completing a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) Honours Degree in 1998. In 1999 David began his Ph.D. in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His Ph.D. project was funded by the CRC for Water Quality and Treatment and focused on the control of cyanobacteria in water supply reservoirs. Dr. Lewis became a lecturer in 2002 and setup the Microalgal Engineering Research Group (MERG) with a research focus on water and wastewater quality & treatment, commercial and environmental applications for microalgae. A key research project within MERG is the optimization of microalgal removal from secondary treated wastewater for agricultural applications. This project directly addresses the challenge of harvesting microalgae from open ponds and the techniques perfected in this area are critical for our biodiesel project. As a Chemical Engineer with a trade background (Electrical Fitter/Mechanic), Dr. Lewis is well equipped to undertake commercial and industrial scale research and development. His engineering background provides the necessary skills to be able to conceptualise and scale-up processes that are economically and environmentally sustainable.
JIM LONG
VENTURE PARTNERS
GABRIEL VENTURES
Jim Long is a Venture Partner at Gabriel who handles investments as well as advises other Gabriel portfolio companies. He is on the boards of Aurora BioFuels, Connectbeam, PlantSense, and YLX. Mr. Long brings with him many years of experience and success in building businesses in the high technology industry, as well as in developing new technologies and patents for the Internet and PC environments. Recently, Mr. Long has been an advisor for several start-ups such as Ruckus Wireless (WiFi video), Skipper Wireless (mesh nets & VoIP), Coghead (SaaS for the long tail), and Jibe Networks (acquired by Citrix). Previously, Mr. Long was the CEO of RioPort, a leading music application service provider (ASP) via its digital distribution infrastructure and MP3 player software. RioPort, powered MTV.com, Best-Buy.com, Yahoo, HP, Nike.com, and Microsoft; was the first internet company to license digital songs for resale from all five major record labels and enabled the first music cell-phones via a partnership with Nokia. Before joining RioPort, Mr. Long was the CEO and Founder of Starlight Networks. Starlight pioneered video streaming and video multicasting with award-winning Internet video infrastructure software and coined the term, "streaming video". Mr. Long is known as the "father" of that industry. Starlight provided Internet video communications products for Fortune 2000 businesses including Smith Barney, General Electric, Bloomberg, Viacom, Disney, Harvard, and Peoplesoft. Starlight Networks was the leader in the corporate video
streaming market when it was acquired by PictureTel in November 1998. Later, he helped transition the business to PictureTel by developing a SaaS business strategy. Mr. Long has also worked with various venture capital firms and startups.
He was instrumental in the successful turn-around of Tolerant Systems to Veritas Software, a leader in the storage management software market. Mr. Long began his career in software development and product marketing at Hewlett Packard where he invented the first presentation graphics application. Later, he spent four years as a venture manager for Fred Adler Venture Capital. Mr. Long holds an MBA with Distinction from Harvard University and a BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley.
DR. TRYG J. LUNDQUIST
PROFESSOR
CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY, PROJECT P.I., ENERGY BIOSCIENCES INSTITUTE
Tryg J. Lundquist, Ph.D., P.E. is on the Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. His research group develops technologies related to water treatment, energy, and resource recovery. Prior to joining Cal Poly, he worked as a researcher and engineer on algae production and wastewater reclamation projects with the late William J. Oswald at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
MICHAEL MASSINGILL
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
KENT SEATECH CORPORATION
Mr. Massingill is the Executive Vice President of Kent SeaTech Corporation (KST). Since its inception in 1980, he has been influentual in the design, development, and operational success of their commercial striped bass aquaculture facility,
the world’s first and largest, with annual seafood sales of 3.5 million lbs of "California Farmed Striped Bass"®, tilapia, carp, and catfish. Mr. Massingill has also been active in Kent SeaTech’s R & D programs and has been instrumental in
establishing its microalgae-based technologies. Working jointly with Clemson University, Kent SeaTech has developed unique methods for producing microalgae for energy, biomass, and water treatment applications. Based on 40 years of
algae culture experience, Kent SeaTech's technology resolves nearly all of the technical and economic obstacles remaining in the development of commercial-scale production of liquid fuels from algae. KST has also obtained exclusive
rights to Clemson patented technologies, including groundbreaking new techniques for harvesting microalgal biomass and converting it to forms of biolipids that are much easier and economical to extract and process. Kent SeaTech’s microalgae
technology is now refined sufficiently so that outside investor participation is being solicited.
PATRICK MAZZA
RESEARCH DIRECTOR
CLIMATE SOLUTIONS
Patrick Mazza is Research Director for Climate Solutions, a research and advocacy group missioned to accelerate global warming solutions. He has written extensively on biofuels and related sustainability issues. A recent series, Growing Sustainable Biofuels,” is available at www.harvestcleanenergy.org. Mr. Mazza also wrote the Energy Foundation framing paper on agriculturally produced energy, The New Harvest: Biofuels and Wind Power for Rural Revitalization and National Energy Security. Other major papers in recent years include a MacArthur Foundation funded report, Carrying the Energy Future: Comparing Hydrogen and Electricity for Transmission, Storage and Transportation, and Powering Up the Smart Grid.
DR. MARGARET MCCORMICK
GENERAL MANAGER
TARGETED GROWTH, INC.
Margaret McCormick is the General Manager for Bio-based Materials at Targeted Growth, Inc. (TGI). She is also a partner at Integra Ventures, a life science venture capital firm. Dr. McCormick has been part of the founding management company of several biotechnology companies including Sapphire Therapeutics, Spectral Genomics and Bacterial BarCodes. She was formerly with BCM Technologies (the venture subsidiary of Baylor College of Medicine) and McKinsey & Company. Dr. McCormick is the treasurer and on the executive board of the Washington Biotechnology and iomedical Association and on the Biotechnology Scientific Advisory Board of Sigma-Aldrich. Dr. McCormick earned a Ph.D. in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a BS degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
DR. B. GREGORY MITCHELL
PROFESSOR
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO, SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY
Dr. Brian G. Mitchell is a Research Biologist and Senior Lecturer at the University of California - San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Dr. Mitchell received his Bachelor of Science degree with honors in aquatic biology from the
University of Texas at Austin and in 1987 he received his PhD in Biological Oceanography from the University of Southern California. From 1990-1992, Dr. Mitchell served NASA as Program Manager for the Ocean Biochemistry Program and
Program Scientist for the SeaWiFS Ocean Color Satellite Mission. His research on phytoplankton photosynthesis, plankton ecology, ocean optics and satellite remote sensing has been sponsored by the Office of Naval Research, NSF, NASA and NOAA. Dr. Mitchell’s laboratory work focuses on growth and photophysiology of phytoplankton. Field projects explore mechanisms that transport shelf-derived iron into the Scotia Sea, application of new optical methods for inferring ecosystem structure and function, and parameterization of models for phytoplankton photosynthesis. He is currently active in coordinating research and commercial demonstration of algae mass culture for biofuel and CO2 abatement. The focus of his research on algae commercial applications is optimization of yields of bioenergy molecules in the light-temperature-nutrient matrix that regulates algae. More details can be found at www.spg.ucsd.edu.
LISSA MORGENTHALER-JONES
FOUNDING CEO
LIVEFUELS, INC.
Lissa Morgenthaler-Jones is the founding CEO of Live Fuels, Inc, an alliance of scientists expecting to make algae ‘biocrude’ a viable biodiesel oil source by 2010. She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in economics. Ms. Morgenthaler-Jones has written for such publications as Barron's and TheStreet.com. She's been quoted in The New York Times and BusinessWeek, has appeared on radio, CNBC and Wall $treet Week with Louis Rukeyser.
JEFF MUHS
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY ENERGY LAB
Jeff Muhs organized elab after being hired as a USTAR professor at Utah State University and now serves as its Executive Director. He and his colleagues at USU founded elab to create new energy innovations to help free America from its
energy dilemma within a generation and to spin off successful businesses across Utah and the U.S. that capitalize on these technologies. A lifelong innovator, Mr. Muhs grew up on a farm in Southern Illinois and spent summers with his dad building houses by day and driving tractors at night. After graduating from college, he worked at Amphenol Fiber Optic Products and developed their line of multimode fiber optic splitters used in local area networks. Mr. Muhs next worked for DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Among his inventions there was a vehicle weigh-in-motion system now being deployed at military facilities worldwide to speed U.S. air deployments. He also invented a system that remotely monitors the security of special nuclear materials using optical fibers, a technology now in use at U.S. nuclear storage facilities. Mr. Muhs’ last invention at ORNL was hybrid solar lighting systems. He served as the Vice President of Research with Sunlight Direct, Inc. – an energy technology company that spun the technology out of ORNL in 2004. During his tenure at ORNL, Mr. Muhs was named Engineer/Scientist of the Year in 1997 and Science Communicator of the Year in 2004. In 2005, Mr. Muhs’ perspective on life changed dramatically when he served as an energy and science policy advisor in the
U.S. Senate. He drafted several provisions included in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and led initial staff-level efforts for U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, who served as a congressional catalyst for launching President Bush’s American Competitiveness and Advanced Energy Initiatives while Mr. Muhs was on his staff. His most important take-away messages from a year on Capitol Hill were that: a) America’s energy problem is not going away anytime soon, b) consensus top-level national energy goals were both lacking and needed to guide future research, and c) politicians were relying on researchers like him to innovate America out of its energy problem rather than enact mandates. He received his B.S. in Electro-Optics from the University of Houston in 1986.
ROBERT T. NELSEN
CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR
ARCH VENTURE PARTNERS
Robert Nelsen is a co-founder and a Managing Director of ARCH Venture Partners. Mr. Nelsen joined ARCH at its founding and has played a significant role in the early sourcing, financing and development of more than thirty companies including Sapphire Energy, Ikaria, Illumina (ILMN), Adolor (ADLR), Aviron (AVIR, acquired by Medimmune-MEDI), Caliper Life Sciences (CALP), Trubion Pharmaceuticals (TRBN), Array BioPharma (ARRY), NetBot, deCODE Genetics (DCGN), Nanosys, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY), XenoPort (XNPT), GenVec (GNVC), R2 Technology (acquired by Hologic-HOLX), IDUN Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Pfizer-PFE), Genomica (GNOM, acquired by Exelixis-EXEL), Surface Logix, NeurogesX (NGSX), Classmates.com (acquired by United Online-UNTD), Nura (acquired by Omeros), Kythera Biopharmaceuticals, Elixir Pharmaceuticals, Spaltudaq, VLST, Ensemble Discovery, Accelerator, Apoptos, Fate
Therapeutics, Agios Pharmaceuticals, and Everyday Learning. Mr. Nelsen is a director of Ikaria, Sapphire Energy, Fate Therapeutics, Agios Pharmaceuticals, NeurogesX, and Kythera Biopharmaceuticals. He previously served on the boards of Trubion Pharmaceuticals, Surface Logix, Adolor, NetBot, Everyday Learning, Spaltudaq, Array BioPharma, Caliper Life Sciences, Illumina, R2 Technology, and Classmates.com, among others. He also serves as a director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Institute. Mr. Nelsen holds an M.B.A. from The University of Chicago and a B.S. in
Economics and Biology from the University of Puget Sound.
DR. AMIR NEORI
ASSOCIATE RESEARCHER
ISRAEL OCEANOGRAPHIC AND LIMNOLOGICAL RESEARCH, NATIONAL CENTRE FOR MARICULTURE
KELLY OGILVIE
CEO
BLUE MARBLE ENERGY
Kelly Ogilvie is a co-founder and President of Blue Marble Energy (BME). Based in Seattle, BME is an algae biomass to energy company that is pioneering algae applications for petroleum displacement and other renewable products. He has a strong political and business background, with a wide range of experience extending from working for the Mayor of Seattle Greg Nickels, former Washington State Governor Gary Locke, other national and local campaigns, Paul Allen's Vulcan, and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Ogilvie has a passion for alternative energy and clean technology which led him to pursue the development of BME's algae to energy technology and business model with James Stephens
in May 2005.
DANIEL J. OH
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
RENEWABLE ENERGY GROUP, INC.
For more than 20 years, Daniel Oh has led a diverse range of business and management organizations. Currently, Oh serves as the chief operating officer of Renewable Energy Group®, Inc. Renewable Energy Group, Inc., (REG) is a biodiesel industry sales leader and is a full-service biodiesel company offering plant management, risk
management, raw material procurement, plant construction management, and biodiesel production, sales and marketing services. REG’s network of biodiesel production facilities includes wholly-owned biodiesel plants and management of third party-owned plants. Renewable Energy Group, Inc., markets biodiesel to fuel distributors and customers in many industries including on-highway fleets, original equipment manufacturers, maritime, military, home heating and agriculture industries. Prior to REG, Mr. Oh served as vice president and member of senior management at ABG, Inc., an
agribusiness consulting firm, responsible for the management consulting and market research practice. Prior to ABG, Mr. Oh was a leader in the Corporate Finance and Investment Banking area of Corporate Strategy and Business Development Group at Eli Lilly and Company, a global pharmaceutical company, where Mr. Oh focused on structured financing, all aspects of M&A including integration activities and corporate strategy. Mr. Oh has also served as a consultant with McKinsey & Company. Mr. Oh’s post-graduate career began with the U.S. Army where Mr. Oh served as
an infantry officer for 11 years and held the rank of Major; service included combat, overseas and stateside assignments. Mr. Oh holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago with concentrations in finance, accounting and strategic
management as well as a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the United States Military Academy with a concentration in economics. Mr. Oh serves as Chairman of the Iowa Biodiesel Board.
DR. PHILLIP PIENKOS
RESEARCHER
NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY
Philip T. Pienkos, Ph.D., is a Principal Research Supervisor in the Applied Biology Group at NREL, joining that organization in August, 2007. Dr. Pienkos has 25 years of biotechnology experience, working on projects in the pharmaceutical, chemical and energy sectors. He was one of the founders at Molecular Logix where he acted as research director in this early stage drug discovery/development company. Prior to that Dr. Pienkos served as research director at Energy BioSystems where he led a group involved in fermentation development and biocatalyst improvement and at Enchira Biotechnology where he led a group responsible for protein therapeutic discovery and production. He was a founding scientist at Celgene Corporation, involved in the development of biotechnology-based methods to produce pharmaceutical intermediates, and worked at Lederle Laboratories, where he developed novel mode-of-action screens for new antibiotics. Dr. Pienkos has co-authored numerous technical publications (including papers on chloroplast replication in algae and nitrogen fixation in cyanobacteria) and regularly speaks at national and international conferences. He received his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of Wisconsin and post-doctoral training at the University of Texas. He served six years on the editorial board of Applied and Environmental Microbiology and is a founding member of the Algal Biomass Organization, currently serving on the board of directors for that organization.
JOHN F. PIERCE
PARTNER
WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI
John F. Pierce is a partner in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's Seattle office, where he represents clients in connection with the development and finance of projects involving wind, solar (including photovoltic, conentrated, and thermal),
geothermal, and biomass energy, as well as those involving alternative fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, and advancedgeneration biofuels. Mr. Pierce’s practice encompasses project sponsors and investors, and is international in scope, with extensive dealings in South Asia, Southeast Asia, China, India, Africa, and the Middle East. His clients include both venture-backed companies in the renewable energy industry and traditional renewable energy project companies. Among many transactions, Mr. Pierce has advised on the development of ethanol production facilities in western states, as well as on their project financing and construction. He has provided counsel on wind energy projects in the U.S. and Canada, advised U.S. energy companies regarding joint ventures in a biomass-fuel-powered project in the Philippines, and provided counsel on the acquisition of Indonesian geothermal power projects and the development of plants in the
Philippines, including the drafting of the principal transactional documents and negotiations with lenders, as well as major overland and sub sea gas pipelines in Asia. Mr. Pierce also has broad international experience in infrastructure development and financing, including projects involving ports (bulk and containers) and industrial zones; joint ventures and other transactions in the aviation field; investments in Internet and software companies; telecommunications-related regulatory, commercial, and licensing matters; and the financing of oil and gas projects. Mr. Pierce received his B.S. degree from San Francisco State University and his J.D. degree from the University of Washington, School of Law. He is admitted to practice law in the states of Oregon and Washington.
DR. JASON PYLE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
SAPPHIRE ENERGY
Dr. Jason Pyle was formerly Chief Technical Officer and co-founder of Epoc, Inc., a privately held medical engineering company. Dr. Pyle holds an appointment as adjunct professor of bioengineering at Vanderbilt University where he has worked to develop cross-disciplinary programs of biological and engineering research. As the co- founder and Chief Technical Officer of Pria Diagnostics, Dr. Pyle was named Innovator of the Year (2006) by Frost and Sullivan. Dr. Pyle holds numerous pending and issued patents in the engineering and biological sciences and has worked in diverse crossdiscipline areas such as nanofabrication, optical engineering, and structural biology. In addition to his broad technical abilities, Dr. Pyle has established numerous corporate partnerships between small technical companies and some of the world’s largest corporations. He has directly supervised and coordinated both business development and operational activities within large co-development partnerships. Dr. Pyle has worked in finance, technical and manufacturing
transactions in Singapore, Japan, and China. His post-doctoral research focused on the large-scale expression and control of neural proteins. He holds a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Physiology and an M.D. from Stanford University. He
received degrees in optical engineering and physics from the University of Arizona.
SEBASTIEN REMY
HEAD OF ALTERNATIVE FUELS RESEARCH PROGRAM
AIRBUS
Sebastien Remy graduated in 1984 from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace in Toulouse, France. He started his career at the Aerospatiale Missiles Division in Paris. Then he occupied several positions within the Engine Performance Department at Airbus in Toulouse, being mainly involved in A320, A330 and A340 developments and certification, as well as in national and international research projects. He has been secretary of SAE E-33 Committee on
In-Flight Thrust Determination for 10 years. Mr. Remy was appointed in 2006 Head of the Powerplant Business & Program Support Domain, within Airbus Engineering, and Head of Airbus Alternative Fuels Research Programs in 2007. He represents Airbus in the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative.
MARK TEGEN
CEO
INVENTURE CHEMICAL
Mark Tegen brings over 18 years of petroleum industry manufacturing, marketing and logistics experience to Inventure. Before co-founding Inventure, he was President of Senergy Chemical, which he formed after licensing a novel patent to convert crude biodiesel glycerin into propylene glyco, a technology which won the 2006 Presidential Green Chemistry Award. In the subsequent two years, Mr. Tegen has worked diligently to develop the technology, form partnerships with Fortune 50 companies and build Senergy into a profitable start up with projected revenues in excess of $200 million. Prior to Senergy, Mr. Tegen was Vice President/General Manager of Pacific Fluids LLC, the largest bulk marketer and terminal of Biodiesel in the Pacific Northwest. He continues to serve as a steering committee member of the Seattle Clean Cities Coalition, and is a member of the Washington State Department of Agriculture Biofuels Advisory Committee. Mr. Tegen received his degree in Business Finance from the University of Washington
DR. MARIO TREDICI
PROFESSOR OF MICROBIOLOGY
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE, FLORENCE, ITALY
DEAN TSOUPEIS
CEO
CULTURING SOLUTIONS, INC
Dean Tsoupeis is a veteran of the renewable energy sector, having more than 7 years experience. IN 2005 he designed, engineered, and built a pilot plant to refine waste vegetable oil into ASTM D-6751 approved biodiesel. Mr. Tsoupeis recently performed a feasibility study for a 60MMGY biodiesel refinery in the Tampa Bay area. This project is currently in its funding phase and is awaiting approval of air permits. He recently founded Culturing Solutions, Inc which has been licensed by Varicon Aqua Solutions to carry their internationally patented continuous algae production platform, the BioFence. The BioFence allows algae farms to be built regionally at sources of CO2 (power plants and industrial facilities) and can support co-located biodiesel refineries that provide affordable fuel to the Green Corridors Program.
Current proposals include an algae farm that will mitigate CO2 from a power utility and utilize it to create 60MMGY of biodiesel and 40MMGY of ethanol and another algae farm in South Texas that will produce both 10MMGY of biodiesel and highly nutritious algal protein.
DAVID WAIMANN
CEO
CEQUESTA, LTD
DR. JOSEPH C.WEISSMAN
VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS
AURORA BIOFUELS, INC
Dr. Joseph Weissman received his bachelor’s degree in physics from Cornell University in 1972, a Masters in Mechanical Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Biophysics from University California, Berkeley in 1978. He is currently the President of SeaAg, Inc. a private Florida research and development firm as well as the Vice President for Outdoor Operations of Aurora Biofuels, Inc. in Alameda CA. Dr. Weissman is recognized as an expert in engineered systems for waste treatment, alternative fuels and chemicals, and aquaculture. He has over 30 years experience in the analysis, design, and operation of such systems. Dr. Weissman was awarded the contract for the development of the Outdoor Test Facility in Roswell NM by the Aquatic Species Program. He advises and consults internationally on algal mass cultivation. Dr. Weissman is Principal Investigator for US Department of Energy projects that utilize photosynthetic organisms for the production of biofuels and biofertilizers. He is also the owner of one of the largest clam seed hatcheries in Florida and for nearly 20 years has produced algal biomass for shellfish feed.
KRISTINA WEYER
RESEARCH SCIENTIST
SOLIX BIOFUELS
Kristina Weyer received her B.S. in Physics from Williams College in 2003 and received her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University in the spring of 2008. While pursuing her Master's degree, Ms. Weyer worked at Solix Biofuels through a graduate study program at CSU's Engines and Energy Conversion Lab. Ms. Weyer focused her work on thermal modeling of algae growth systems and titled her thesis: "Heat-Balance Model and Thermal Analysis of an Algae Growth System for Biofuel." Ms. Weyer's broad experience includes work at the Southface Energy Institute promoting energy efficient home building and at the Aprovecho Research Center conducting research on clean burning stoves in Turkey and India. She currently works for Solix Biofuels as an analytical engineer, focusing her work on gas delivery research and data acquisition and analysis.
BRIAN YOUNG
DIRECTOR IF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
IMPERIUM RENEWABLES, INC.
2008 ALGAE BIOMASS SUMMIT POSTER PRESENTERS
BELLINGHAM H.S. STUDENTS
STUDENTS
CALVIN ATKINS, DYLAN ALBRECHT, SAM LEWIS AND SIERRA RIVERS
Calvin Atkins, Dylan Albrecht, Sierra Rivers, and Sam Lewis are part of a research group led by chemistry teacher, Jamie Yoos, at Bellingham High School. They are studying the use of algae to sequester CO2 off of concrete plants and in turn, harvest the algae to produce biodiesel. Calvin, Dylan, and Sam were all part of the winning project in the technology challenge at WSU's Imagine Tomorrow Competition. With the addition of their new team member Sierra, the group has plans to compete at Imagine Tomorrow once again, as well as continue the algae research throughout the year. In the future, Calvin Atkins is planning on studying biochemistry at Stanford University next fall. Sierra Rivers hopes to attend the UW Honors program in 2009. Dylan Albrecht has plans to attend UC Berkeley to study nuclear engineering, and Sam Lewis is applying to University of Rochester for next fall. All four plan careers studying renewable sources of energy.
DR. ALEXANDER S. BELIAEV
SENIOR STAFF SCIENTIST
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE DIVISION, PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY
Dr. Alex Beliaev is senior staff scientist in the Biological Science Division of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington, USA. Since receiving a doctorate in 1999 from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, he has worked in the area of microbial physiology, ecology and functional genomics of environmentally relevant microorganisms. His current research interests involve developing systems-level understanding of respiration, central metabolism and the regulation of energy metabolism in bacteria. Dr. Beliaev is a Principal Investigator for several US DOE-funded Genomics:GTL Program (GTL) projects that are focused on understanding fundamental metabolic processes leading to production of biological fuels using cutting-edge metabolic engineering technology. He has authored over 30 publications in peer-reviewed journals (including PNAS and Nature) and made over 100 presentations at national and international professional meetings.
DR. JOANNE BELOVICH
PROFESSOR OF CHEMICAL & BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY
DR. JAY BURNS
CHIEF ALGAE SCIENTIST
BIONAVITAS
Dr. Jay Burns received a Ph.D. in Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Science from the University of Maryland, College Park and a B.S. in Marine Science, Biology from Long Island University, Southampton. His previous research focused on nitrogen and carbon cycling in ocean, coastal and estuarine environments, as well as sediment
environments, such as salt marshes and mangroves. This included extensive research on the cyanobacteria, Trichodesmium and Richelia (a diatom symbiont). While working at the University of Southern California, he expanded his research to include nutrient uptake in kelp. Dr. Burns has also participated in research and monitoring of harmful algal blooms (HABs) while employed as the Marine Biologist and Marine Policy Analyst for the Quileute Indian Tribe. He is responsible for day-to-day laboratory activities, such as maintenance of algal cultures and conducting experiments. He is currently working on algal species selection, optimization of algal growth parameters and lipid production.
DR. ROSE ANN CATTOLICO
PROFESSOR OF MARINE MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Dr. Rose Ann Cattolico received her doctorate at the State University of New York, Stony Brook, in 1973 and served as a postdoctoral fellow at McGill University until 1975 when she joined the faculty of the University of Washington. Her main research interests have been in the area of chloroplast genome architecture and gene function in non-chlorophy b containing algae as well as functional genetic diversity within stramenopile populations. She currently teaches classes in cell biology and algology. Dr. Cattolico has been significantly invested in training minority students as well as students with disabilities. Recently she has hosted undergraduates from Native American tribes through UW’s Stars and Bridges program and the Temple University Young Physicians Program. Through work-study and undergraduate research programs, she has also consistently supported minority women. Dr. Cattolico also routinely participates in the NASA, Mary Gates and Hughes programs that foster undergraduate research. During her tenure at the University of
Washington she has successfully mentored ten PhD students and six masters degree students in the completion of their degrees, and hosted fifteen postdoctoral fellows. She sponsors three to six undergraduates per year in the lab. Dr. Cattolico enjoys hiking in the North Cascades and Olympic mountains, parenting, raising chickens, and restoring an old, broken down house.
R. CAMERON COATES
GRADUATE STUDENT
SCRIPPS INSTITUTION OF OCEANOGRAPHY, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
JEFF COLLIER
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
ENERGY DERIVED
Jeff Collier is the Product Development Director and co-founder of Energy Derived LLC, headquartered in Queen Creek, Arizona. Energy Derived is working to establish itself as a global leader in the design and manufacture of algae production process systems. For the last two years Mr. Collier has been extensively involved in the design and development of algae production systems. His initial involvement in the industry stems from a project to design and build vertical algae bioreactor systems at the Arizona State University. Since then Mr. Collier has worked diligently to
develop solutions for the processing and mass production of algae feedstock. Prior to the creation of Energy Derived, Mr. Collier was an engineering consultant providing services to the semiconductor industry on implementation and execution of system improvement and quality issues. He has spent the last 15 years developing solutions for companies throughout the semiconductor and electronics industries including IBM, Motorola, Western Digital, and Storage Technologies. Mr. Collier is currently pursuing a graduate degree at Arizona State University in addition to his
degrees in Manufacturing Technology and Robotic Automation.
DR. KEITH E. COOKSEY
RESEARCH PROFESSOR OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
DR. JOEL L. CUELLO
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ARGICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Education: The Pennsylvania State University, Ph.D. Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Minor in Chemical Engineering, May 1994, M.S. Plant Physiology, May 1999, M.S. Agricultural Engineering, August 1990; The University of the Philippines, B.S. Agricultural Engineering, cum laude, April 1984; Postdoctoral Research
Experience, NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center, U.S. National Research Council Research Associateship, December 1993 – December 1994
DR. AL DARZINS
GROUP MANAGER/PRINCIPAL RESEARCHER
NATIONAL BIOENERGY CENTER, NREL
DR. JOE DRAGAVON
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
UNIVERSITY OF HULL (U.K.)
KEVIN DRUMM
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
SOLUTION RECOVERY SERVICES
DR. MARK EDWARDS
PROFESSOR
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Mark R. Edwards, PhD, graduated from the US Naval Academy in mechanical engineering, oceanography and meteorology. Jacques Cousteau motivated and mentored his interest in the oceans and global stewardship. He holds an MBA and PhD in marketing and consumer behavior and has taught food marketing, leadership, sustainability and
entrepreneurship at Arizona State University for over 30 years. As founder and CEO of the software firm TEAMS International, Dr. Edwards served as lead assessment and leadership development consultant for over 400 firms globally. Over the years, Dr. Edwards has consulted with both public and private institutions and organizations across the economy. He retained by the US Departments of Energy and Defense, as well as the National Laboratories and other agencies. He has served on the board of a Fortune 50 transportation and foods company and has done extensive R&D on new foods and food sources. He has also consulted for Monsanto, Pioneer Seeds, DuPont, GE,
Quaker Oats, General Mills, Borden and many other agribusiness companies. Dr. Edwards has also worked with senior executives at 15 large US oil and gas firms as well as British Petroleum and Saudi Aramco. He has consulted with over a dozen power and water utilities such as Duke Energy, PG&E, and FP&L, in addition to pipeline and energy distribution firms. Dr. Edwards has published over 100 articles on advanced assessment technologies as well as several books, including a business bestseller, 360° Feedback. He currently serves on several boards, including the Arizona Science Center, whose mission is to motivate students to learn and to pursue engaging careers in science and math.
DR. DAVID GIORGI
PRESIDENT & CEO
OPTISWITCH TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
Dr. Giorgi has been the president and CEO of OptiSwitch Technology Corporation since its incorporation in 1999. He previously spent over 14 years at Energy Compression Research (ECR) originating new concepts and directing research in the design and development of high power, fast rise-time systems which incorporate Light Activated Silicon Switches (LASS). These systems range from sources for high power microwaves and impulse RADARs to high dI/dt switches for capacitive discharges. From 1995 to 1998 Dr. Giorgi focused on the development of a high speed (<1 href="http://www150.cws.net/%7Ealgalb/events/documents/ABS08SpeakerList_000.pdf">Source (PDF)
Oilgae Academic Edition emphasis on patents and research papers that have been published in this domain.
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?Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Fuel-Research
Aurantia, GreenFuel Joint Algae Project in Spain
You are at: Oilgae Blog.GreenFuel Technologies, Aurantia developing joint algae project in Spain
Biofuels company GreenFuel Technologies said it is moving forward on a 247 acre project in Spain that will grow algae for use in fuel, as well as food and animal feed. The company is partnering with Spain's Aurantia SA on the $92 million venture at the Holcim cement plant near Jerez, Spain, where they plan to build greenhouses producing 25,000 tons of algae biomass per year.
Full report from here
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Energy-Companies
Portland General Electric - Algae Turns CO2 Gases into Fuel, Livestock Feed
You are at: Oilgae Blog.This is a press release courtesy of Portland General Electric (PGE)
A cutting-edge experiment now underway at the Boardman Power Plant in Morrow County, Ore., could help reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from coal-fired electric generating stations nationwide.
Portland General Electric (PGE) and Columbia Energy Partners (CEP) are testing whether algae grown at the 600-megawatt Boardman power plant can turn carbon dioxide and other emissions into biofuels and livestock feed.
The process involves capturing CO2 and feeding it to algae, which are being grown adjacent to the plant. During photosynthesis, the algae ingest CO2 and release oxygen into the air, retaining oil and other byproducts. The oil is "squeezed" out of the algae and used to produce clean-burning biodiesel. The remaining biomass is used to produce ethanol and proteins for livestock feed.
PGE is among the first utilities to investigate using algae to reduce CO2 and other emissions. This small-scale study will investigate the effectiveness and commercial viability of a large-scale algae carbon-capture project.
"PGE is working on several fronts to reduce emissions at the Boardman plant, which is an important part of our mix of energy resources," said Jaisen Mody, generation projects director. "We already have proposed an aggressive plan to cut haze-causing emissions by more than 76 percent, and mercury emissions by 90 percent. We are excited to be working with Columbia Energy Partners to explore options for reducing the plant's carbon footprint as well."
Chris Crowley, president of Columbia Energy Partners, said, "Columbia Energy Partners is committed to building Oregon's renewable energy economy with innovative projects like this one, in addition to our traditional wind and solar projects.
"This cutting-edge effort with PGE to reduce carbon dioxide emissions while producing sustainable feedstock for biofuels will reduce our dependence on foreign oil while capturing greenhouse gas emissions, benefiting both the economy and the environment," Crowley said.
In the current exploratory phase, PGE and Columbia Energy Partners hope to learn which of the available naturally occurring algae strains are best suited to capture and consume CO2. Scientists working at the plant will study how each algae strain lives and reproduces, how fast it grows, how resistant it is to temperature and how much CO2 it consumes. The results will determine if further analysis in a larger second phase is warranted.
"Pursuing promising technologies and strategies is one way PGE seeks to meet growing demand, while protecting the environment and keeping prices reasonable for our customers," Mody said.
Full article here
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation
Algae to Ethanol Producer Algenol Bets On New Production Method
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Now, armed with patents, several test facilities around the world, and some $70 million in private backing, Algenol is targeting its first large-scale ethanol production facility with output that may rival that of some of the category's largest U.S. players. Algenol recently inked a partnership with BioFields, which has committed $850 million to build an industrial-scale ethanol facility in Mexico on 102,000 acres of desert located near the Pacific coast and not far from Cabo San Lucas.
Using a patented algae, Alegenol uses seawater and places the water-based plant inside. As the algae grows, Alegenol will tap into carbon dioxide from a nearby power plant and funnel it into the tanks. The algae takes the gas and converts it into oxygen and evaporated alcohol, which is then removed and concentrated for use as fuel. Unlike other algae players that make diesel oil by processing algae itself, Algenol doesn't spend time or energy removing the algae. It uses the ethanol vapors that the plant emits
Full report here
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation-Marine, Algae-Energy-Companies
Engg Firm Burns & Mac Plants Concept for Algae Biofuel with Utilities
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Kansas City Business Journal
Burns & McDonnell, the Kansas City engineering firm, is working to cultivate emerging green technology that uses algae to stem pollution and create fuel.
Robert Healy, a senior manager with the firm, promotes nationwide the two-pronged benefit of using algae to absorb some carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. The greenhouse gas is a fuel for algae, grown on unused land near power plants that in turn can be used to make biodiesel or other products.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
Key to making Algae Fuels Financially Feasible is for Algae Farms to Get Paid Two Waysl
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Found something interesting in this article which gives the latest updates on PetroAlgae in Melbourne, Australia
"
The key to making it financially feasible is for algae farms to get paid two ways, John Benneman said. First, farms should get paid for getting rid of unwanted products that algae will eat, like wastewater and carbon dioxide. Second, farms can then harvest and sell the oil. Within the next five years, algae farms could be getting paid for taking over wastewater treatment, Benneman said.
Tennant hopes to create a similar model. The United States could soon commit to greenhouse gas legislation that will make it expensive to pollute by carbon dioxide. Power plants will have to pay to pollute. Since algae eats carbon dioxide, Tennant hopes he can locate algae farms near power plants, and get paid to take their carbon dioxide problem off their hands.
"
Interesting perspective.
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Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Cultivation-Sewage
Some Latest News Articles on Oil from Algae
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.Some latest news articles on oil from algae
Algae: Biofuel of the future? - University of Virginia researchers have a plan to greatly increase algae oil yields by feeding the algae extra carbon dioxide (the main greenhouse gas) and organic material like sewage, meaning the algae could simultaneously produce biofuel and clean up environmental problems. - Aug 15, 2008
Algae ponds trial - 19/08/2008 - ARARAT - Ararat Rural City Council will commence a trial which could pave the way for a biodiesel plant to be established in Ararat in the future. The trial, which council hopes to commence by the end of the month, involves algae being grown to produce oil which is then transformed into biodiesel, a fuel which can be used on its own or blended with traditional diesel. A series of six, 30 square metre ponds will be established on a trial site at NMIT, containing different varieties of local algae collected from local streams, dams and lakes.
Algae: Biofuel Of The Future? - ScienceDaily (Aug. 19, 2008) — In the world of alternative fuels, there may be nothing greener than pond scum. -
Five Questions with Kenneth Hern - Q: What do you see as the most promising feedstock for biodiesel?; A: I think algae is certainly one of them. Ditropha is another one. The oil of ditropha is not edible by human beings so it would be a triglyceride. We're looking at anything out there that's a triglyceride that people don't eat and don't consume because if you compete with calories you're going to always lose -
Full scale algae production still 5 years away - Aug 14, 2008
Farming Alternative Fuels - “Fourth generation fuels” is a buzz phrase that essentially just means algal biodiesel, but with additional genetic manipulation. Current algal biodiesel requires a processing phase where the oil-bearing algae are centrifuged or pressed to extract the oil; it should be possible to engineer the organisms to excrete the oil, however, meaning that processing would simply involve skimming off the floating oil from the algae tank
2nd Generation Biofuels Summary - Bottom Line: Algae produce thousands of gallons more oil per acre than crops such as soy or palm, but growing and processing them at scale still present challenges. A number of U.S. facilities are slated to come on line by 2012. - Aug 18, 2008
Algae in Your Gas Tank? - 18 Aug 2008
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Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again
Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Fuel-Research
Inventure Chemical , Seambiotic Team Up for Biofuels from Algae Fed by Coal-fired Power Plant
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.Joint project to use coal to grow algae for biofuels
Algae's clout as a fuel feedstock seems to rise every day. Inventure Chemical and Seambiotic announced this week a joint venture to create biofuels from algae fed by a coal-fired power plant.
An open pond for growing algae used at a pilot plant in Israel.
(Credit: Seambiotic)
Based in Seattle, Inventure Chemical has a process for converting algae to either biodiesel, ethanol, or specialty chemicals. Seambiotic, based in Tel Aviv, Israel, has developed an open-pond algae farming system that is now testing in Israel.
The joint venture will grow algae using flue gas emissions from a power plant and either use the resulting liquid fuel to power its operations or sell it.
Full story from here
Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
Henderson Station Two Power Plant to Try Algae for CO2 Capture
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.The city's Station Two power plant near Sebree could become the latest site for research into whether algae could hold some hope for capturing and recycling carbon dioxide emissions.
The Henderson Utility Commission earlier this week gave conditional approval to allowing University of Kentucky researchers to set up a small photobioreactor at Station Two.
Station Two releases more than 2.6 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, according to UK. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas blamed for global warming. Increasing attention is being paid to reducing or capturing the gas emissions.
Full report here
Oilgae Academic Edition - provides extensive details on the research efforts done by hundreds of universities in this domain.
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Cultivation
Fertilising the Sea to Grow Algae & Biofuel
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.Using the sea to grow biofuel
One reason the sea (unlike the land) is not covered with plants is that it lacks crucial nutrients—iron, in particular. Add iron, the theory goes, and you will promote the growth of algae. These will absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and then conveniently sink when they die. Thus, over the course of a few decades, the concentration of the gas in the atmosphere will return to pre-industrial levels.
The law of unintended consequences argues against doing any such thing, of course. But an experiment carried out a decade ago in the Southern Ocean suggests that the underlying idea is sound—and at a conference in Oxford this week, John Munford, an independent British researcher, suggested that a more modest version of the “fertilise the oceans” project might indeed help to stop climate change. Mr Munford's proposal is to harvest the algae, rather than allowing them to die and sink.
Full article @ The Economist
Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
Greenbox: Algal Bio-Fuel From Car Fumes
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.Greenbox: Bio-Fuel From Car Fumes
28 Aug 2007
Greenbox is the name given to a new technology being touted as the next innovation that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. The technology has been developed through the research of Derek Palmer, an organic chemist; and engineers, Ian Houston and John Jones from Wales in UK.
The greenbox can be fit under a car to replace the exhaust system. It would then capture the greenhouse gases like CO2 and NO2, and release water vapor into the atmosphere.
The trapped gases will be kept in a secure state inside the box, and the box will be transferred to a bioreactor, where the gases will be extracted and fed to genetically modified algae for biodiesel.
Full story here
Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
An Israeli company drills for oil in algae
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.An Israeli company drills for oil in algae
The Israeli company Seambiotic has found a way to produce biofuel by channeling smokestack carbon dioxide emissions through pools of algae that clean it. The growing algae thrives on the added nutrients, and become a useful biofuel.
For the last two years, the company has done something that other alternative fuel companies have dreamt about and are only starting to do now: they've tested their idea with an electric utility company - a coal-burning power plant in the southern city of Ashkelon operated by the Israel Electric Company (IEC).
Full report here
Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
And Here Comes Pond Scum Power...
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.Here Comes Pond Scum Power
Algae biodiesel isn't practical yet, but startups and giants are enthusiastically exploring the possibilities - by Gail Edmondson, BusinessWeek
In a world spooked by global warming and thirsty for nonpolluting fuel, lowly algae hold a potent appeal. The plants sop up large quantities of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and produce tiny globules of fat that can be collected and turned into biodiesel fuel for trucks, cars, and trains. The oils might even be processed into aircraft fuel, says this BusinessWeek article (Nov 2007)
Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Products
Iron Fertilization Of Oceans: A Real Option For Carbon Dioxide Reduction?
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.Iron Fertilization Of Oceans: A Real Option For Carbon Dioxide Reduction?
ScienceDaily (Jun. 10, 2007) — Over the last weeks, commercial efforts have been launched to manipulate a portion of the Pacific Ocean to increase the uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide by artificially enhancing phytoplankton activity. A research vessel is currently sailing to the Galapagos Sea to seed an area larger than Puerto Rico with tonnes of iron, to stimulate the CO2 sequestration into the deep ocean. However, such iron fertilization is also a way of generating carbon offsets, whereby CO2 polluters can buy “ecosystem restoration credits” and shrink their carbon footprint.
Full article here
Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
GreenFuel Technologies Appoints Guillermo Espiga CFO
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.GreenFuel Technologies Corporation Appoints Guillermo Espiga Chief Financial Officer
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.-- GreenFuel Technologies Corporation, a leading developer of algae bioreactor systems that recycle carbon dioxide emissions into clean renewable biofuels, has announced the appointment of Guillermo Espiga as Chief Financial Officer. GreenFuel’s Emissions-to-Biofuels™ process uses safe, naturally occurring algae to recycle flue gas CO2 emissions into clean renewable biofuels and other high-value products.
Espiga will be responsible for all finance, accounting and strategic financial planning activities of the company. Espiga comes to GreenFuel with extensive experience in financing infrastructure projects at such companies as Credit Suisse First Boston and InterGen.
Full news release here
Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
Did You Hear about the Fuel from Seaweed?
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.Did You Hear the One About the Seaweed?
By Hadas Kroitoru, April 29, 2007
Israeli company Seambiotic is using a new environmentally friendly technology to create a product contingent on the color green.
Seaweed is being brewed by Seambiotic in eight open pools on property belonging to the Israeli Electric Company (IEC). The company's smokestack emissions, otherwise polluting carbon dioxide, are being redirected to "feed" Seambiotic's algae, a product which goes on to feed animals, humans, and biofuel.
Using CO2 emissions from the electrical power plant not only prevents the pollutant from being released into the atmosphere, but it has proved two to three times more effective than using "clean" CO2, the primary element needed for algae growth.
Seambiotic, founded in 2003, grows marine micro-algae primarily for livestock feed and nutritional supplements for humans, an estimated $5-6-million-a-year industry. It can also use algae to create biofuel...
Read the full news report from here @ The Media Line
Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again
Oilgae; Oilgae Blog; List of Oilgae Blog articles.
algOS - Biodiesel from Algae Open Source
Oilgae has a focus on biodiesel production from algae while also discussing alternative energy in general.
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Energy-Companies
‘Hydrogen economy’ a Boondoggle
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.Here's an interesting "Comments to the Editor" I came across.
TO THE EDITOR: ‘Hydrogen economy’ a Boondoggle
Mon 07 May 2007
"
While the “hydrogen economy” receives much media attention, there are serious problems with hydrogen as transportation fuel. The first is hydrogen gas is extremely explosive. Hydrogen must be pressurised to 250 atmospheres for use as fuel, requiring corrosion-resistant tanks that don’t rust, spring leaks and explode. Hydrogen’s low energy density requires fuel tanks 14 times as large to yield the same driving range. To get a 1400 km range, a tractor trailer needs 168 gallons of diesel. Hydrogen vehicles would require 2360 gallons of hydrogen, stored at 250 atmospheres. Dedicating that much space to fuel storage would drastically reduce how much trucks could carry, while the costs of high-pressure, corrosion-resistant storage tanks, would be astronomical. The two main options for producing hydrogen, generating from water and extracting from other fuels, both have energy efficiencies below 100 per cent, (takes more energy to produce than you get). Hydrogen vehicles (currently $1 million each to produce) would need a widescale hydrogen fuel distribution system. With a single hydrogen fuel pump costing $1 million, installing six at each of the 176 000 fuel stations across the US is more than $1 trillion, costs completely avoided with biofuels that use our current infrastructure.
Algae instead of corn for bio-fuel
Algae multiplies so quickly and produces so much oxygen per square foot that ponds with a total surface area five times the size of Colorado would be enough to start to reverse our growing CO2 problem. Algae triples in volume every day. Corn, with one crop a year, nets about 81 gallons bio-diesel an acre (soy nets 40). Algae yields as high as 15 000 gallons an acre. Enough biodiesel to replace all petroleum transportation fuels could be grown in about 9.5 million acres, far less than the 450 million acres used for crop farming in the US, and the more than 500 million acres animal grazing land. Hydrogen is dangerous/explosive, extremely expensive and nets zero energy, that is, it uses more energy than it creates. Algae converts CO2 to O2, is 30 to 50 per cent oil and converts easily to bio-fuel. Conservation reduces present and future production of CO2. Algae reduces EXISTING CO2. The government needs to quit looking at corn and begin massive and wholesale funding and grants for algae. A new state agri-business of algae farms? Or grants for ocean farming? Algae, pond scum also a planet saver? Yes, if we take action!
Tami Freedman
Ooltewah
United States
"
Source: The Sofia Echo page
Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again
Oilgae; Oilgae Blog; List of Oilgae Blog articles.
algOS - Biodiesel from Algae Open Source
Oilgae has a focus on biodiesel production from algae while also discussing alternative energy in general.
Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Oil-Yield
Algae-based Oxygen Machine
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.Do you know that oil derived from algae is an exciting renewable fuel possibility? - see Oilgae for more.
Algae-based Oxygen Machine
Came across an interesting blog post on the Chlorophyll Collective (CC)...Just in case you are wondering what on earth CC could be, the post provides the answer:
"How do you turn 6,008.6 million metric tons of CO2 into something essential for human existence?
From the experts at the Chlorophyll Collective, the answer is simple: Take a bunch of algae, submerge it in water, blast it with carbon dioxide and sunlight, and get our essential OXYGEN as a waste(?!) product....
In fact, did you know OVER 70% of the oxygen in the atmosphere is not produced by trees, but by algae? This means our very lives depend on algae for existence!
"
So the folks at CC are trying to make machines that eat the CO2 and produce O2 - in other words, algae-based oxygen machines!
Interesting post, read the full post here, from Green Options
Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again
Oilgae; Oilgae Blog; List of Oilgae Blog articles.
algOS - Biodiesel from Algae Open Source
Oilgae has a focus on biodiesel production from algae while also discussing alternative energy in general.
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture
Algae May Help Prevent Tsunami, Create New Fuel
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.Do you know that oil derived from algae is an exciting renewable fuel possibility? - see Oilgae for more.
Algae May Help Prevent Tsunami, Create New Fuel
MELBOURNE, April 19, 2007 (Bernama) -- Green algae may just hold the answer to preventing future occurrences of hurricanes, tsunamis and other disasters stemming from climate changes if a pilot scheme at Monash University takes off. Of course, this is in addition to the fact that the oil can be used as fuel.
A research team from the university's Department of Chemical Engineering is looking at processes which allow algae to digest carbon dioxide (CO2), whose concentration in the atmosphere is resulting in radical changes in the world's climate.
Read the full news report from Bernama, Malaysia
Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again
Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae
Oilgae Blog; The complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.
algOS - Biodiesel from Algae Open Source
About Oilgae - Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae has a focus on biodiesel production from algae while also discussing alternative energy in general.
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Fuel-Research
High Hopes for Pond Scum
You are at: Oilgae Blog. See the complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.Do you know that oil derived from algae is an exciting renewable fuel possibility? - see Oilgae for more.
High Hopes for Pond Scum
This article at the Speculist blog provides a good status update on what's happening in the domain of biodiesel from algae. There are some interesting and useful comments on CO2 sequestration with some of the folks who have responded coming up with some useful data and analysis
Read this full Speculist blog post here
Nature gave us oil from algae; perhaps we should try Nature's way again
Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae
Oilgae Blog; The complete list of Oilgae Blog articles.
algOS - Biodiesel from Algae Open Source
About Oilgae - Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae has a focus on biodiesel production from algae while also discussing alternative energy in general. Algae present an exciting possibility as a feedstock for biodiesel, and when you realise that oil was originally formed from algae - among other related plants - you think "Hey! Why not oil again from algae!"
Labels: Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Fuel-Research
