ABO Blog

The DOE’s Bioenergy Technology Office (BETO) is hosting a workshop in March that will look at a few topics, many of which will of interest to those in the algae industry. The areas of focus will include:

• The state of technology of hydrocarbon biofuel manufacturing, as well as supportive bioproducts and chemicals.
• The technical, conversion, feedstock logistics, and market barriers to deployment of hydrocarbon biofuels.
• The highest priority barriers and what strategies can overcome them.

If these are of interest to you, consider joining university, national laboratory, industry, advocacy, government, and other stakeholders at the Demonstration and Deployment Strategy Workshop.

March 12-13, 2014 | Argonne National Laboratory Campus, Chicago, IL, USA

The discussion will result in determining how BETO can accelerate industry efforts, develop strategy and future plans, and lead to a breakout session at the Biomass 2014 Conference on July 29-30^th.

Registration for the workshop is free, however spaces are limited!

Today Biofuels Digest released its ranking of biofuel feedstocks by how much coverage each received over the 48 months. Corn is the feedstock in the #1 spot, but we were excited to learn that algae is ranked #2!

Algae beat out the next feedstock by quite a bit, too. You can read about the entire ranking at Biofuels Digest.

We expect the news about algae’s ability to produce fuels will continue to expand as technology advances and new commercial facilities are commissioned. This may be only one of many lists that algae begins to climb!

A debate on biofuel policy in Washington, DC isn’t stopping state governments from recognizing that algae-based technologies can deliver more than renewable, domestically produced fuels to our tanks: they are also an invaluable source of innovation, jobs and economic development.

Today Florida’s Republican Governor Rick Scott announced Algenol Biofuels as the Ft. Myers area winner of the 2013 Governor’s Innovators in Business Awards.

Algenol is undoubtedly one of the world’s most innovative biofuels companies, and they are having a big impact on their community. The company has created over 100 jobs in Lee County since 2010, and has attracted more than $160 million in private investment.

With plans underway to build their first commercial facility in Florida, those first 100 jobs may be just the tip of the iceberg.

“We are proud to be recognized for developing a disruptive and high tech solution for making green fuels below market price. We look forward to working with Enterprise Florida in building the commercial Algenol facility in central Florida where jobs are needed most,” said Algenol’s CEO Paul Woods.

Florida joins a growing list of states that are taking a more active role in attracting companies that are building the algae industry, producing renewable fuels, feed, food, bioplastics and more. Is yours one of them?

A summer algae conference for your consideration:

15-18 June, 2014 | Santa Fe Convention Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

The 4th International Conference on Algal Biomass, Biofuels and Bioproducts provides direct interaction for attending delegates, with scientific and technical leaders in this field. Emphasis will be placed on the latest unpublished technical and scientific results, along with discussion and direct interactions with strategic partners and leaders in the field. The conference is designed to facilitate extended discussion periods, dedicated networking sessions, and exciting technical presentations.

The conference will cover all areas of emerging technologies in algal biology, biomass production, cultivation, harvesting, extraction, bioproducts, and econometrics.

To view the agenda and registration information, visit www.algalbbb.com.

The leadership of the Algae Biomass Organization is critical in moving the industry toward commercialization. At this time, we are seeking nominations for the Board from the ABO’s membership. For those ABO members interested in making a nomination, check out the information on the process below:

Directors are expected to:

• Continuously be a member in good standing of the Algae Biomass Organization
• Actively participate on one ABO committee
• Attend 70% of all Board calls, held on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, 11:00 a.m. CT
• Attend two in-person meetings: September/October as part of the Algae Biomass Summit; and a Board Retreat in January/February; expenses not covered by ABO
• Be active in membership recruitment and retention

Per the ABO by-laws, the goal of recruitment is to identify 1.5 candidates for each of the 8 open positions or 12 candidates as a minimum.

The Director Recruitment committee consists of:

• Tim Burns, BioProcess Algae
• Jose Olivares, Los Alamos National Labs
• Tim Zenk, Sapphire Energy

The Director Recruitment process will occur on the following schedule:

• Solicitations of candidates – Beginning on December 1, 2013
  • Candidates will be requested to provide:
    • A current resume or CV
    • Statement of interest on why they should be considered for the Board
    • A recent portrait photograph (jpg or eps)
• Slate of candidates identified for the ABO Board – February 2014
• Candidate interviews – February-March 2014
• Three week election period – April 2014
• Terms of service commence May 2014

How to apply:

• To submit your interest to become a board candidate please use the form on ABO’s contact page or reach out to Barb Scheevel, ABO Administrative Coordinator. You can find her information on the contact page as well.