Oilgae Blog - The Latest from the World of Algae Fuels
LiveFuels Announced a Shift in its Business Plan
You are at: Oilgae Blog.
LiveFuels recently announced a shift in its business plan – moving from algae fuel company to fish aquaculturist/fish oil/biofuel/co-products supplier.
To date, the company has largely discussed raising different species of algae in open ponds to produce fuels. Today, it stated that it will grow algae, but then let filter-feeding fish eat it. It will then capture the fish, squeeze them for oil, and then feed the oil to a refinery.
Having the fish feed on algae clearly will require more algae than would be required if the algae were harvested directly. The company will also have to find ways to optimize the growth of its grazer fish and algae.
But the food-chain business model has other advantages. LiveFuels won't have to build complex bioreactors complete with carbon dioxide bubblers. It also won't have to extract algae from water, an arduous task considering that only a few grams of usable algae are found in every liter of water. The fish will make the oil and sequester it in easily recognizable organs in their bodies. Some other researchers have discussed employing tilapia for this and harvesting fish oil and fish excrement.
"We know a lot more about fish aquaculture than algae farming," said Eric Wesoff with GTM Research, who nonetheless added that the science and economic challenges await.
The company has a test pond in Brownsville, Texas. Algae blooms will be fertilized by pollution streams from the Mississippi.
Labels: Algae-Cultivation-Open-Pond, Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Meal
Aurora Biofuels Tries to Double Oil Production from Algae
You are at: Oilgae Blog.
Aurora Biofuels says it has a species of algae that breeds like a rabbit.
The Alameda, Calif.-based company has identified and optimized a genetic pathway in a species of wild algae that effectively turbocharges the growth and breeding cycle of the single-celled creature. As a result, the company says it will be able to double the oil production, and ability to sequester carbon dioxide, of its algae ponds.
"This gets us to 5,000 gallons per acre a year, which we think is economically viable," said CEO Bob Walsh in an interview.
Aurora is now negotiating leases to build a 50-acre pond that could produce 100 gallons a day by the second quarter of next year. If all goes well, and further optimizations arise, Aurora could have a 2,000 acre pond by 2011 or 2012. Such a pond set up with Aurora's algae and equipment could produced lipids for around $1.75 a gallon, which would translate to $2 gallon diesel. he said.
Labels: Algae-Cultivation-Open-Pond, Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Oil-Yield
LiveFuels Hopes its Algae Biofuel Ready for Launch by 2010
You are at: Oilgae Blog.
LiveFuels CEO Lissa Morgenthaler-Jones describes her San Carlos, Calif.-based company’s process as 'we cook them and squeeze them' for turning algae-fed fish into oil for fuel using heat and high pressure. It’s a gruesome way of harvesting pond scum than the mechanical equipment employed by other startups working on algal fuels, but it might be cheaper.
According to a spokesman for LiveFuels, which was founded in 2006 and announced the kickoff of pilot operations at a 45-acre open pond test facility in Brownsville, Texas, this week.
Some investors think LiveFuels has a good shot at making the technology and economics work. The company raised $10 million in May 2007 from David Gelbaum’s quiet Quercus Trust. At the time, LiveFuels reportedly hoped to have its biofuel ready for launch by 2010. NYT’s Green Inc. reports that the company is still trying to bring down costs, and will spend what’s left of that $10 million on additional research and development.
Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-Cultivation-Open-Pond, Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Energy-Investments
Louisiana is Conducive for Algae Fuel Growth - Feasibility Report on Louisiana
You are at: Oilgae Blog.
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
See moreBy 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-Cultivation-Open-Pond, Algae-Cultivation-Sewage, Algae-Fuel-Research
Texas Researchers are Working on Saltwater Algae for Biofuel Production
Texas researchers are working to transform algae fuel into a commercially competitive process. Both Texas A&M and the University of Texas at Austin are deeply involved in algae research, and private corporations in Texas also are exploring its potential. Texas A&M is producing oil-rich algae at a test facility just west of Pecos.
At the test facility near Pecos, researchers are growing algae in raceway ponds. Bob Avant, bio-energy program director for Texas AgriLife Research said researchers are working with saltwater algae that have a higher oil content than that found in freshwater varieties. And there are other advantages. If the saltwater algae find their way into a freshwater lake or stream, they're unlikely to survive and create problems for native species.
Periodically, a portion of the algae in a raceway is removed to be processed. Deprived of nutrients, the algae is basically stressed out, which causes it to produce more oil. The cell walls of the algae are broken down to extract the oil.
Researchers in Pecos are using centrifuges for that presently, but Avant said that new techniques need to be developed to make that process more economical.
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-Biodiesel, Algae-Cultivation-Open-Pond, Algae-Strains
Bionavitas Devised a Way to Grow Algae Thick Within Ponds
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Bionavitas proposes to place thin glass rods inside a pond or container and let light from the surface travel down the rod.Each rod transmits solar energy beneath the surface, allowing algae to grow at depths otherwise darkened by surface-growing organisms.
Bionavitas said it hopes to sell its light technology to other firms producing algae for biofuel.
It also plans to use the light rods itself for growing algae that can soak up heavy metals and other contaminants at old mining sites.
See more
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?
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.
See more
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-Cultivation, Algae-Cultivation-Open-Pond, Algae-Fuel-Research, Algae-Photobioreactor
Bionavitas Develops Algae Growth Booster for Biodiesel
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Bionavitas is using what the company calls Light Immersion Technology.. pencil-shaped rods that bring more light to algae, stimulating growth.
The acrylic tubes can direct sunlight deeper into a pond of algae which could allow algae to grow up to 1.5 meters deep, rather than the about 10 centimetres depth now possible before “self-shading” prevents deeper growth.
And that density of growth per square meter could allow algae-based biofuel to compete with petroleum-based diesel and gasoline on price.
See more
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?
Catfish Farmers Becoming Landlords of Algae
You are at: Oilgae Blog.
The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company wants to convert Barret's catfish ponds into an algae farm to produce alternative fuel, paying the owner of B&B Fish Farm thousands of dollars to baby-sit the new and unusual crop.
Barret and Jordan have agreed to lease their old catfish ponds to PetroSun to grow algae used in the production of biodiesel, ethanol, and livestock feed. The company plans to begin algae-to-biofuel operations after obtaining permits from the Department of Environmental Quality and other state agencies. Former catfish farm employees would help harvest the algae.
Terri Chiang, an authorized agent for PetroSun BioFuels, has been introducing the lease program to state officials and catfish farmers in Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama. She said it's like an oil and gas lease.
Labels: Algae-Biodiesel, Algae-Cultivation, Algae-Cultivation-Open-Pond
Aurora Biofuels Completes Algae Trial, Appoints CEO
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Aurora has been growing algae in two outdoor ponds (each roughly the size of an Olympic swimming pool) in Florida for the past year and a half. Algae produces bio-oil which can be converted into biodiesel.
Aurora says the test results suggest it can go ahead with plans for a 50-acre demonstration facility for which it has raised $20 million.
See more
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?
Ingrepro Algae Production Facility in Netherlands
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Set amid the placid fields and farmland in Borculo, in the eastern part of the Netherlands, a 21,500 square foot pool is rapidly turning green with Algae in Ingrepro’s Algae production facility.
The algae is harvested and processed and the carbon exhaust from the steam engine used to dry the algae is once again pumped back into the pool.
Ingrepro BV is Europe’s largest Industrial Algae producer and boasts in-depth knowledge of cultivating algae under extreme (stress) conditions in order to obtain Enriched Algal Biomass (EAB).
Ingrepro is offering a tour of its facilities for those attending the Algae World 2009 conference in the Netherlands in April 2009. More on this from here
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?
Light Immersion Technology from Bionavitas to Increase Algae Yields
You are at: Oilgae Blog.A technology developed to increase commercially viable and scaleable algae yields was lauched recently by Bionavitas, Inc. The process, Light Immersion Technology™, involves immersing the light source, natural or artifical, in the algae culture which, says the company, produces an order of magnitude more algae biomass than existing growth methods.
Nearly every large scale approach to algae growth has been challenged by a simple fact of nature: as algae grow, they become so dense they block the light needed for continued growth. This "self-shading" phenomenon results in a layer that limits the amount of algae per acre that can be grown and harvested. The Light Immersion Technology enables algae growth layer in open ponds to be up to a meter deep. The company says this represents a 10 to 12 fold increase in yield over previous methods that produced only 3-5 centimeters of growth.
10-12 times increase. Now, that's really massive. Let's hope this is not just PR or a freak idea but is something that actually can be sustained in an energy effective way.
Essentially what they are doing is using "a system of light rods which extend deep into the algae culture." It will be interesting to know what materials these rods comprise of and more inputs on the same. Is this light distribution entirely passive, or is energy required for light distribution for layers underneath?
I tried their web site, but could not find more inputs...will keep an eye open for more developments on this...
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-Cultivation, Algae-Cultivation-Open-Pond, Algae-Energy-Companies, Algae-Fuel-Research
Aurora Biofuels Raises $20M for Algae to Biofuels
You are at: Oilgae Blog.This is a June 2008 news item, but I felt it could be interesting.
Aurora Biofuels, an algae-to-biodiesel startup, said that it’s raised a second round of funding of $20 million; Oak Investment Partners, Gabriel Venture Partners and Noventi were included in the round.
Developed at the University of California at Berkeley, the company was founded in 2006 and uses genetically modified algae to create biodiesel. So far the company has been working in the labs and at pilot scale. Caspari says Aurora intends to be “the lowest cost producers” of algae for biofuels.
Aurora uses an open pond system to grow its algae, which is less expensive than the “closed system,” but keeping out “weed” organisms is difficult.
More from here
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?
Skip Kemp, instructor of CCC’s aquaculture program use Bogue Sound for algae cultivation
You are at: Oilgae Blog.Mr. Kemp and his students start the process of creating “oilgae” by collecting phytoplankton (microscopic algae) from Bogue Sound, then growing it in special ponds. As the water is pumped from the sound into the ponds, a filter separates the phytoplankton from other microscopic animals that would eat it.
The phytoplankton is fertilized to speed up the growth process. It only takes a few days to grow a harvestable crop, which is one reason it’s attractive as a potential fuel source.
The algae-rich water is pumped from the pond into a centrifuge, where the algae are separated from the pond water through a spinning process. The algae create a thick, dark paste, which is scraped from the sides of the centrifuge.
The oil-rich paste is spread into a thin layer on a flat surface and placed in a dehydrator to be dried out. The end result is a series of thin pieces of a dark substance that almost looks like beef jerky. Those pieces are highly flammable from the high concentration of oil.
See more
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-Cultivation, Algae-Cultivation-Open-Pond, Algae-Harvesting
Biotechnology of algal biomass production: review of outdoor mass culture systems
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.
Biotechnology of algal biomass production: a review of systems for outdoor mass culture
Journal - Journal of Applied Phycology
Publisher - Springer Netherlands
Issue - Volume 5, Number 6 / December, 1993
DOI - 10.1007/BF02184638
SpringerLink Date - Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Daniel Chaumont1
(1)
Centre de Cadarache, Département de Physiologie Végétale et Ecosystèmes, Section d'Ecophysiologie en Conditions Contrôlées, Groupe d'Ecotechnie, Bâtiment 177, 13108 Saint Paul les Durance Cedex, France
Received: 19 July 1993 Revised: 16 August 1993 Accepted: 17 August 1993
Abstract
Microalgae are very efficient solar energy converters and they can produce a great variety of metabolites. Man has always tried to take advantage of these proporties through algal mass culture. Despite the fact that many applications for microalgae have been described in the literature, these micro-organisms are still of minor economic importance. Industrial reactors for algal culture are at present, all designed as open race-ways (shallow open ponds where culture is circulated by a paddle-wheel). Technical and biological limitations of these open systems have given rise to the development of enclosed photoreactors (made of transparent tubes, sleeves or containers and where light source may be natural or artificial). The present review surveys advances in these two technologies for cultivation of microalgae. Starting from published results, the advantages and disadvantages of open systems and closed photobioreactors are discussed. A few open systems are presented for which particularly reliable results are available. Emphasis is then put on closed systems, which have been considered as capital intensive and are justified only when a fine chemical is to be produced.
Key words microalgae - culture systems - race-ways - photobioreactors - mass culture - algal biotechnology
Original Springer Link page 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!"
Biotechnology of algal biomass production: a review of systems for outdoor mass culture
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.
Biotechnology of algal biomass production: a review of systems for outdoor mass culture
Journal - Journal of Applied Phycology
Publisher - Springer Netherlands
Issue - Volume 5, Number 6 / December, 1993
DOI - 10.1007/BF02184638
Pages - 593-604
SpringerLink Date - Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Biotechnology of algal biomass production: a review of systems for outdoor mass culture
Daniel Chaumont1
(1)
Centre de Cadarache, Département de Physiologie Végétale et Ecosystèmes, Section d'Ecophysiologie en Conditions Contrôlées, Groupe d'Ecotechnie, Bâtiment 177, 13108 Saint Paul les Durance Cedex, France
Received: 19 July 1993 Revised: 16 August 1993 Accepted: 17 August 1993
Abstract
Microalgae are very efficient solar energy converters and they can produce a great variety of metabolites. Man has always tried to take advantage of these proporties through algal mass culture. Despite the fact that many applications for microalgae have been described in the literature, these micro-organisms are still of minor economic importance. Industrial reactors for algal culture are at present, all designed as open race-ways (shallow open ponds where culture is circulated by a paddle-wheel). Technical and biological limitations of these open systems have given rise to the development of enclosed photoreactors (made of transparent tubes, sleeves or containers and where light source may be natural or artificial). The present review surveys advances in these two technologies for cultivation of microalgae. Starting from published results, the advantages and disadvantages of open systems and closed photobioreactors are discussed. A few open systems are presented for which particularly reliable results are available. Emphasis is then put on closed systems, which have been considered as capital intensive and are justified only when a fine chemical is to be produced.
Key words microalgae - culture systems - race-ways - photobioreactors - mass culture - algal biotechnology
Original Springer page 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!"
Biotechnology of algal biomass production: review of outdoor mass culture systems
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.
Biotechnology of algal biomass production: a review of systems for outdoor mass culture
Journal - Journal of Applied Phycology
Publisher - Springer Netherlands
Subject - Biomedical and Life Sciences
Issue - Volume 5, Number 6 / December, 1993
SpringerLink Date - Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Biotechnology of algal biomass production: a review of systems for outdoor mass culture
Daniel Chaumont1
(1)
Centre de Cadarache, Département de Physiologie Végétale et Ecosystèmes, Section d'Ecophysiologie en Conditions Contrôlées, Groupe d'Ecotechnie, Bâtiment 177, 13108 Saint Paul les Durance Cedex, France
Received: 19 July 1993 Revised: 16 August 1993 Accepted: 17 August 1993
Abstract
Microalgae are very efficient solar energy converters and they can produce a great variety of metabolites. Man has always tried to take advantage of these proporties through algal mass culture. Despite the fact that many applications for microalgae have been described in the literature, these micro-organisms are still of minor economic importance. Industrial reactors for algal culture are at present, all designed as open race-ways (shallow open ponds where culture is circulated by a paddle-wheel). Technical and biological limitations of these open systems have given rise to the development of enclosed photoreactors (made of transparent tubes, sleeves or containers and where light source may be natural or artificial). The present review surveys advances in these two technologies for cultivation of microalgae. Starting from published results, the advantages and disadvantages of open systems and closed photobioreactors are discussed. A few open systems are presented for which particularly reliable results are available. Emphasis is then put on closed systems, which have been considered as capital intensive and are justified only when a fine chemical is to be produced.
Key words microalgae - culture systems - race-ways - photobioreactors - mass culture - algal biotechnology
Original Springer Link page and ordering info 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-Cultivation, Algae-Cultivation-Open-Pond, Algae-Photobioreactor
Algal sludge turns to fuel in Christchurch, New Zealand
You are at: Oilgae Blog, see:Oilgae Home - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae ResourcesAlgal sludge turns to fuel
By Beck Eleven @ Stuff.co.nz | Tuesday, 19 December 2006
A team of Christchurch scientists and engineers will lighten the load on the environment by making fuel from algae growing in the Bromley oxidation ponds.
Excerpts:
1. The project will use two ponds and cost almost $1 million.
2. David Painter, the team's coordinator, & a faculty at the University of Canterbury, said the project would methods in a unique way.
3. Environmental benefits include oil for transport, LPG gas, reduction of ammonia discharged into the Avon-Heathcote Estuary and a fertiliser from by-products.
4. Microscopic algal organisms will be encouraged to link cells to grow more abundantly in the waste water ponds.
5. The algae will photosynthesise, taking harmful gases from atmosphere and flue gases from local industry.
6. Bubbles will float the weeds to the water's surface where a paddle-wheel system will harvest the algal sludge.
7. Seed funding for the project will come from the Christchurch-based Sustainable Initiative Fund Trust, an off-shoot from Terra Nova.
Personalities, Companies and organizations mentioned: University of Canterbury, Christchurch firm Solvent Rescue, Solvent Rescue Managing Director Chris Bathurst, David Painter, a faculty at University of Canterbury, NZ
See full report here
Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae
Oilgae Blog
algOS - Biodiesel from Algae Open Source
Oilgae - Oil & Biodiesel from Algae provides links, directory, web links resources for algae-based biofuels & biodiesel. Intended to be useful for research, information, inputs, news for buyers, sellers, manufacturers, traders, suppliers, producers, exporters / importers of algal oil and algal fuels. Will provide info on biofuel feedstock, algal feedstocks, algae oil and link details on fuel from algae, bio-fuel, bio-diesel, algal oils & bio-fuels production and uses, biofuels trade & market resources, price data, statistics, prices, demand-supply for buyer, seller, manufacturer, trader, supplier, exporter and producer
