ABO Blog

Algae Biomass Organization Announces 2014-2016 Board of Directors

Diverse group from across industry’s value chain represents algae production, end-users and professional services 

WASHINGTON, DC (June 4, 2014) The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, today announced the election of eight members to its Board of Directors for the 2014-2016 term. The group includes both new and existing (re-elected) members who will join seven current members of the Board of Directors.

ABO’s board guides the organization in its mission to educate the general public, policymakers and industry about the benefits of algae to address energy security, food production and sustainability, and to advocate for policies that can accelerate the development of commercial markets for products made from algae.

ABO’s board is comprised of representatives from multiple sectors of an industry that is experiencing more investment and seeing new commercial facilities opening or being planned around the world. Board members come from industry sectors that include academia, professional services, algae producers, technology suppliers, project developers and end-users.

The newly elected board members are:

  • Michael Lakeman, Ph.D. – Associate Technical Fellow, Boeing Commercial Airplanes
  • Martin Sabarsky – Chief Executive Officer, Cellana, Inc.
  • Emilie Slaby – Senior Business Development Manager, The Scoular Company

The re-elected board members are:

  • Mark Allen – Vice President – Integrated Carbon Solutions, Accelergy Corporation
  • John Benemann, Ph.D. – Chief Executive Officer, MicroBio Engineering, Inc.
  • Tom Byrne – President and Chief Executive Officer, Byrne & Company Limited
  • B. Gregory Mitchell, Ph.D. – Research Scientist, University of California San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  • Joel Murdock – Managing Director of Strategic Projects, FedEx Express

ABO’s current board members include:

  • Jacques Beaudry-Losique – Senior Vice President of Corporate and Business Development, Algenol Biofuels
  • Tim Burns – President, Chairman and Co-founder, BioProcess Algae, LLC.
  • David Hazlebeck, Ph.D. – Chief Executive Officer, Global Algae Innovations, Inc.
  • Margaret McCormick, Ph.D. – Chief Executive Officer, Director, Matrix Genetics, LLC.
  • Jose Olivares, Ph.D. – Bioscience Division Leader, Los Alamos National Laboratory
  • Todd Taylor – Partner and Chair, Sustainability Group, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.
  • Tim Zenk – Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Sapphire Energy, Inc.

“I am thrilled to welcome both our new as well as our re-elected board members,” said Margaret McCormick, Board Chair of the Algae Biomass Organization. “It is inspiring to see a new generation of leaders join our organization as well as reaffirming to see existing directors who have already contributed so much be given the opportunity to continue their service. We look forward to a great 2014 and beyond.”

In addition to education and outreach efforts with policymakers, ABO produces and hosts the industry’s premier global conference, the Algae Biomass Summit, which this year will be held in San Diego, California, September 29-October 2, 2014. Information about the event can be found at www.algaebiomasssummit.org.

About the Algae Biomass Organization

The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website: www.algaebiomass.org.

Algae Biomass Organization Comments on EPA CO2 Regulations

Algae-derived commodities can turn CO2 regulation from a problem into an opportunity for emitters facing new regulations for CO2 reduction

WASHINGTON, DC  (June 2, 2014) The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, today released the following statement calling on the EPA to include Carbon Capture and Utilization strategies in rules proposed today that would limit greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s power plants:

The saying “if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail” is an appropriate metaphor for the approach to CO2 emissions reductions recently. The “nail” of CO2 emissions, it is believed, can only be addressed by the “hammer” of regulations to bury, sequester or otherwise get rid of the waste.

A new crop of algae technologies can flip this approach on its head by converting CO2 into valuable commodities for trillion dollar industries, thus turning a problem – the high cost of compliance – into an opportunity – an ongoing revenue stream.

Algae digest CO2 as they grow, returning clean oxygen to the environment while they produce oils and proteins. These oils and proteins can be used in the production of transportation fuels, animal feed, chemicals and food products. The more CO2 algae can consume, the faster they grow. As such, the US algae industry has a vested interest in obtaining as much CO2 as possible.

By co-locating algae production facilities at coal or gas fired power plants and onsite at other industrial emitters, they can become customers for waste CO2. One such demonstration facility, using CO2 from a coal fired power plant, has already been built in Kentucky. Another in Iowa is using the CO2 produced from ethanol production to create proteins for animal feed. This process is known as Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU).

By monetizing waste CO2 emissions, energy companies can, at minimum, offset the cost of compliance with regulations and thus avoid ratepayer impact. Depending on the size of the power plant, some could create an annual revenue stream that returns a profit. In either case, the CO2 will be producing commodities that create jobs at the plant and downstream, helping to create economic development in their communities and elsewhere.

The EPA stopped short of considering CCU as an approved strategy in its new rules for Existing Sources, so we will continue our efforts with EPA to try to get CCU qualified as an approved mitigation strategy. Including utilization in this proposed rule will ensure that the new regulations accelerate the adoption of CCU technologies, like algae. Furthermore, we look forward to being a resource for EGU’s to help them comply with the proposed rule.

Beneficial utilization of CO2 is the only option to turn the market forces and economics of waste CO2 into a ROI-driven, growth industry that will turn a huge problem into an economic opportunity. In doing so, we can achieve a rare trifecta – the reduction of emissions, the creation of jobs and economic development across the country, and a contribution to our food and energy security.

About the Algae Biomass Organization
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website: www.algaebiomass.org.

Contact:
John Williams, Scoville Public Relations for ABO
206-625-0075 x1, jwilliams@scovillepr.com

U.S. Navy Looks to Algae for a Stable and Independent Source of Energy

The U.S. Navy is on a mission to find U.S.-made fuel that will achieve a stable and independent source of energy for the Navy along with national and economic security for the nation.

Algae could be part of the solution.

Just this week, Dennis McGinn, U.S. Navy Assistant Secretary for Energy, Instillations and Environment, paid a visit to Arizona State University’s Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation (AzCATI). AzCATI is the largest university-based algae facility on the globe.

“Algae biofuel represents great potential in that it is sustainable and scalable. That’s why we’re interested in working with ASU and the industry to advance this technology,” said McGinn.

Under the Defense Production Act, the U.S. Navy partners with the DOE and USDA to invest in industries that are determined crucial to national security – biofuel production is a huge priority and the Navy already has invested millions.

The Navy wants to have 10-50% biofuel blends in their ships. This can be achieved after getting biofuel cost down to $3.50 a gallon or less and producing biofuels at a commercial scale of 170 million gallons a year by 2016.

Learn more about Dennis McGinn’s visit to AzCATI here.

 

Utah State’s Research on Biofuel Potential of Microalgae

This week Utah State University’s Jeffery M. Moody, Christopher M. McGinty and Jason C. Quinn published their research, Global evolution of biofuel potential for microalgae, in the online Early Edition of ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’.

USU Quinn, Moody and McGinty
From left, Utah State University researchers Jason Quinn, Jeff Moody and Chris McGinty.

Moody, McGinty and Quinn’s research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy to leverage a large-scale, outdoor microalgae growth model. These USU researchers used meteorological data from 4,388 global locations to find the global productivity potential of microalgae. Previous to this research, resource assessments of microalgae based biofuel production systems were taken from laboratory-scale data.

Moody, McGinty, and Quinn’s research included biological effects, geographical location and cultivation agriculture to assess lipid and biomass productivity potential of microalgae cultivated in a traditional closed-system photobioreactor.

Solix Photobioreactor
At a pilot plant facility at Coyote Gulch outside Durango, Colo., microalgae is grown for biofuel production. Photo credit Solix BioSystems.

These USU researchers drew conclusions on two fronts:

  • Global Productivity Potential and Variability – Closed photobioreactor systems represents a promising production system compared to open raceway pond based on increased stability and improved volumetric productivity from extended surface area and a short light path. Moderate climate diversity aided by closed-systems allows for less infrastructure changes throughout the year. A change in temperature in any direction causes a negative impact on biomass and lipid productivity.
  • Scalability – When water, nutrients and CO2 are not limiting, significant fractions of the transportation fuel requirements can be met by algae. In their research, on a conservative level, algae yielded 2,500 gallons of biofuel per acre per year in contrast to corn (435 gallons) and soybeans (66 gallons). They conclude Brazil, Canada, China, and the U.S. could produce enough algae biofuel to supplement more than 30 percent of those countries’ fuel consumption.

“Our findings will help to justify the investment in technology development and infrastructure to make algal biofuel a viable fuel source,” said Moody.

 

Algae – the Swiss Army Knife of Climate Change Tools

By Margaret McCormick, PhD, Algae Biomass Organization Board Chair

You are undoubtedly aware of the increased attention the media is directing toward climate change in recent weeks, and the usual discussion about the political gridlock that prevents any climate policy from advancing. Here at ABO we are looking at a different approach; we are focused on developing technology that can give consumers products that will make their lives better while also making a dent in greenhouse gas emissions.

The latest wave of news began a couple weeks ago when the US government released an updated National Climate Assessment that painted a bleak picture of the climate change-related impacts this country is facing today, especially for areas of the nation that are already stressed for freshwater, stable coast lines or productive crop lands.

Last week, news that melting of the West Antarctica ice sheet may be unstoppable added to the conclusion that atmospheric levels of CO2 have become too high to reverse before significant changes are felt here on Earth.

To many, the scientific evidence justifies action to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, but ABO’s policy-minded members will be among the first to acknowledge that political support for a robust climate policy is still quite weak. At ABO, we are not expecting that pendulum to swing based on scientific evidence because the evidence is already more than compelling to support a climate policy.  Rather, ABO believes that we and our members must demonstrate real-world solutions at scale to show what’s possible.

Deploying algae as a renewable source of low-carbon fuels and other products can help address the climate problem without the controversy and political challenges that face our nation around this vital issue. The simple reason for this is that algae-derived products will be enormously useful to the public, regardless of their climate advantage. Thus, deploying algae technologies as rapidly as possible has two interlinked benefits:

  1. Algae derived products will empower consumers to live the comfortable lifestyles of advanced economies, without the harmful carbon impacts of past industrial technologies. Fuels from algae, along with sustainable feeds, food products, plastics, even medicines can allow billions of people to live the kind of life that developed nations are used to, without the tradeoff of increased emissions.
  2.  A strong consumer base for algae-derived products will cause the industry to expand its capacity, displacing the need to extract fuels from underground, or use other unsustainable feedstocks. Widespread use of algal products will encourage an industry that doesn’t require freshwater to grow its crops, or use valuable farmland.

Did I mention algae could provide all of this year-round?

Algae’s advantages are not just the ability to rapidly absorb massive quantities of carbon dioxide as they grow. Algae technology will give consumers a tool to fight climate change that they will gladly embrace because it provides triple bottom line benefits – economic growth, social benefits and environmental impact.

At ABO, we focus on promoting policies that will put algae-based commodities into the hands of customers as quickly as possible. Regardless of the politics of climate change, this technology is one that deserves support for the simple reason that once we have it developed, we will all be better off.

The above post was featured in Algae InSight, ABO’s monthly newsletter. Sign up for our monthly newsletters here to stay updated on the latest algae industry news.