ABO Blog

Algae Biomass Organization Expands Depth and Breadth of Membership

Addition of major traditional industry leaders closes year of sweeping progress for organization advancing algae as a source of sustainable, domestically-produced commodities

 

MINNEAPOLIS—(January 7, 2013)—New memberships in the Algae Biomass Organization, the trade association for the algae industry, reflected a wider range of industries in 2012, driven by the increasing impact of algae technology as an economical and environmental source of sustainable fuels, chemicals, food and other valued-added products.  New members included representatives from a range of industries, including United Airlines (aviation), The Scouler Company (agriculture), Duke Energy (energy), Church & Dwight (consumer packaged goods), SABIC (chemicals and fertilizer) and Mars Symbioscience (food & nutrition).

During the course of the year, ABO added more than 150 new members for 2012 and 2013, including 99 that signed up during the Algae Biomass Summit this past September in Denver, Colorado.

“These inspiring new membership numbers reflect the growing recognition that algae-based technologies and products have a significant role to play in the sustainable production of a range of commodity products, including fuel, feed and food applications, novel chemicals, human health and nutrition and many others,” said Mary Rosenthal, the organization’s executive director. “While algae-derived fuels have been much of the early focus of investors and industry, there’s no doubt that there is incredible opportunity in many other market segments. Our growing, and increasingly diverse, membership reflects this reality.”

ABO’s newest platinum level members in 2012 were: United Airlines and DLA Piper.  New Gold members in 2012 were:  Duke Energy and Mars Symbioscience. New Corporate memberships in 2012 included: Church & Dwight, Keller and Heckman LLP, Fluid Imaging Technologies, Inc., MicroBio Engineering, Inc., SABIC, POS Bio-Sciences, GreenField Ethanol, Inc., Georg Fischer LLC., Texas AgriLife Research, and Harvel Plastics. Corporate memberships joining around the Summit in Denver were Solutions 4CO2, The Scoular Company and Evodos. More than 130 others joined ABO in 2012 as individuals from academic, business and lab entities.

Algae industry highlights in 2012 included the first retail availability of algae-based biodiesel in California; the successful commissioning of Bioprocess Algae’s plant that produces algae for animal feed and nutritional markets; the commencement of operations at the world’s first commercial demonstration algae-to-energy facility; the recognition of algae as agriculture by Arizona and Ohio legislatures; research proving saltwater-grown algae can eliminate the need for fresh water; the deployment of algae wastewater treatment systems; and numerous technological breakthroughs in algal strain development, including the production of anti-cancer drugs from algae.

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.

Fiscal Cliff Gives Algae a Level Playing Field

As part of the bi-partisan “Fiscal Cliff” legislation passed by Congress and signed by President Obama algae-derived fuels are, for the first time ever, a “qualified feedstock” under section 40 of the United States Code, meaning that producers of algal fuel are eligible for a $1.01 per gallon tax credit.

This is a big victory for the algae industry and has been a key legislative priority for ABO since our founding in 2008.

By leveling the playing field, this legislation will help foster the continued investment in algae technology companies as well as accelerate the commercial production and the sale of algae-based fuels. The bill also includes language that extends a special depreciation allowance on biofuel plant property to producers using algae.

Colorado’s KUNC public radio has some perspective on what the new policy will mean for algae research and commercialization.

Fiscal Cliff Bill Makes Algae Eligible for Biofuel Producer Credit

Tax parity puts algae on equal footing with cellulosic feedstocks, encouraging new sources of domestic, renewable biofuels

Washington, DC—January 2, 2013—As part of the bi-partisan “Fiscal Cliff” legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate on January 1, 2013, algae-derived fuels are, for the first time ever, a “qualified feedstock” under section 40 of the United States Code meaning that producers of algal fuel are eligible for a $1.01 per gallon tax credit.

“Achieving tax parity with other biofuels has been a key legislative priority for ABO since our founding in 2008,” said Mary Rosenthal, executive director of the Algae Biomass Organization, the trade association for the U.S. algae industry. “This new designation is the culmination of years of hard work, outreach and advocacy of ABO and our members as well as others in the algae industry.  It is also a reflection of the increased understanding of, and enthusiasm for, algae-based fuels among members of Congress and the Obama administration.”

Under the legislation passed yesterday producers of fuels derived from algae, cyanobacteria or lemna (another free-floating aquatic plant with biofuel potential) will be allowed to benefit from the $1.01 per gallon tax credit that was previously only available to cellulosic feedstocks. The bill also includes language that extends a special depreciation allowance on biofuel plant property to producers using algae.

“This is a huge win for our members and America’s energy security,” Rosenthal continued. “By leveling the playing field, this legislation will help foster the continued investment in algae technology companies as well as accelerate the commercial production and the sale of algae-based fuels.”

The new classification comes at a critical time for the industry, as several algae-based fuel companies move to commercial production and research continues to create breakthrough opportunities for new technology and products. In the past year algae-based fuels have been successfully demonstrated in military aircraft and ships, and in late 2012 were introduced into commercial markets for automotive fuel for the first time.

Algae is a unique biofuel feedstock that can simultaneously be refined into vehicle fuels, recycle CO2, provide nutrition for animals and people and create jobs for millions of Americans without harmful impacts on freshwater supplies or valuable agricultural land. More information can be found at www.allaboutalgae.com.

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.

World Algae

The holiday might seem to be a time to slow down, but algae entrepreneurs have  found a way to stay busy. In the last week we’ve already seen three separate announcements for new algae facilities…and none of them are in the United States.

  • In Dubai Lootah Biofuels will work with a Singapore-based algae firm AlgaOil to grow algae in desert regions.
  • In Greece two algae entrepreneurs are looking at using algae-derived products to give that county’s economy a much-needed boost (OK, so this was announced earlier in the year, but it came up on the radar again this week.)
  • Spanish photobioreactor supplier Algasol announced a collaboration with Italian  industrial equipment provider GIAN.MAI srl for a 20 hectare that will be used for CO2 remediation, treating wastewater and producing biomass.

Given algae’s ability to grow fast with minimal impacts on the environment, and the host of valuable fuels and other products that can come the organisms, there is little wonder we are seeing the beginnings of a global algae race.