ABO Blog

Every summer ABO members and supporting organizations make announcements, host events, and tell the story of the algae industry’s exciting growth that is creating new jobs, new sources of domestic fuels, food, feed and other products.

Over the past week the Summer of Algae 2014 picked up steam, with a series of events that illustrate how wide the appeal of algae has become.

In China, Sapphire Energy announced a partnership with Sinopec to develop algae-derived fuels in one of the world’s fastest growing economies. This international announcement came on the heels of new from two more ABO members.  Cellana inked a partnership with Galil Algae in Isreal, and  Heliae announced a partnership to build a facility in Japan.

In the United States, the Summer of Algae kicked into high gear with a briefing early this week in Washington DC, hosted by the Congressional Algae Caucus. The co-chairs of the caucus, Representative Scott Peters (D-CA) and Representative Matt Salmon (R-AZ), welcomed a packed briefing room to hear about the potential for algae to be a source of fuel, food and so many other products.

Presenting to the group were Dr. Gary Dirks, Director of Arizona State University LightWorks and the Global Institute of Sustainability and Mr. Ben Wu, Manager of Biomass Sciences and Conversion Technology at Sandia National Laboratories.

Dr. Dirks and Mr. Wu discussed the full range of algae’s potential with elected officials and staff that are increasingly looking for solutions to problems that won’t stress our existing energy infrastructure, agricultural lands or freshwater supplies. All requirements that algae can easily meet!

The role algae can play in carbon dioxide reduction policies, agriculture, wastewater treatment, energy security and job growth were all part of the discussion.

Coincidentally, just after the Caucus briefing another major conclusion about the economic growth the algae industry can bring was unveiled in San Diego, home of this year’s Algae Biomass Summit (Sept 29-Oct 2).

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) announced research that found the direct, indirect, and induced economic impact of the algae biotechnology research and manufacturing industry generates a total of approximately 1,020 total jobs, $80 million in wages, and over $175 million of economic output to the San Diego region.

From coast-to-coast, and around the globe, the Summer of Algae is in full swing! Keep an eye open for algae industry events in your area.

We’ll keep you updated with more in the coming weeks!

Algae’s appeal around the world continues as this week yet another agreement is announced between a US algae company and an overseas partner.

On July 10, the US State Department announced that an algae-derived renewable crude oil project between San Diego-based Sapphire Energy and Beijing-based Sinopec, China’s national oil company and the 5^th largest company in the Fortune Global 500, has been selected for the U.S.-China EcoPartnerships program. The announcement was made in Beijing, by the U.S. Secretary of State and the People’s Republic of China State Councilor.

This collaboration between the two companies exemplifies the mutual goal of producing cleaner energy solutions for the U.S. and China. Sinopec and Sapphire will demonstrate that crude oil from algae can be produced with favorable economics; that it can be integrated into existing fuels distribution networks; and that it will deliver substantial advantages for the reduction of CO2 emissions in both nations.

ABO salutes Sapphire, Sinopec and the US State Department for its efforts to show the world what is possible with algae. We believe this endeavor will serve as a model for other countries – including the US – to follow, especially in light of new EPA regulations for the reduction of CO2 from coal and natural gas powered electricity generation.

ABO and its membership strongly urge the US EPA to recognize carbon reutilization as an approved mitigation strategy under rule 111(d). Doing so will accelerate the development and adoption of algae-based technologies that convert waste CO2 into a variety of end products that consumers need, from fuel to feed to food, creating thousands of jobs in nearly every state, reducing the harmful effects of climate change, and increasing our nation’s energy and food security.

The announcement of this partnership is one of the many algae-related developments and events that make up the Summer of Algae 2014, a national campaign to raise awareness about the promise of the algae industry to create jobs, domestic fuels, and other food and feed products. The Summer of Algae 2014 is sponsored by the Algae Biomass Organization and implemented by its member companies, with events taking place during the throughout the summer and stretching into early Fall.

Initial applications are due October 1, 2014. Click here for more information.

Big news from Arizona-based Heliae, a developer of a platform technology that uses sunlight and low-cost carbon feedstocks to produce high-value products from algae. Based in Gilbert, Ariz., Heliae is leveraging its core production technology into four target markets: personal care, nutrition, therapeutics, and agrosciences.

Yesterday, they announced a partnership with Japan-based Sincere Corporation, a waste management and recycling company, to form a joint venture and develop a commercial algae production facility in Saga City, Japan. The venture will combine Sincere Corporation’s operational skill, distribution networks and knowledge of the Japanese market with Heliae’s proprietary algae production technology to supply natural astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant with broad health benefits, to the growing health and wellness market in the region.

This is yet another example of two trends we’re seeing take greater hold in the algae industry: the production of valuable commodities other than fuel and an increasing willingness of international corporations and governments to invest in algae technology.

Both developments reinforce the promise of algae to help address a growing problem – access to food and human health products at a time when climate change is impacting our ability to grow crops and when fresh water sources are growing more scarce.

Heliae’s success is a welcome sign that algae technology can be a long term solution for our nation’s (and others!) food, agriculture and health markets.