Private: ABO Blog

In a historic day for the algae industry, the U.S. Senate Tuesday approved a Farm Bill compromise that dramatically expands federal support for algae agriculture. The bill sets U.S. farm policy through 2023. It is expected to pass the House of Representatives as soon as today and receive President Trump’s signature before Christmas.

Among the bill’s more than 800 pages is a suite of provisions placing algae among the nation’s top priorities for new crop deployment and providing support for the development of algae and related technologies in nutrient management, soil health, carbon recycling and other farm and rural applications.

The bill’s key algae provisions include:

• Crop Insurance– Algae are explicitly added under the definition of “agricultural commodity” for the purposes of federal crop insurance programs, paving the way for federal crop insurance for algae production
• Algae Agriculture Research Program– Establishes a new USDA Algae Agriculture Research Program to address challenges in farm-scale algae production and support development of algae-based agriculture solutions
• Biomass Crop Assistance Program– Provides for the first time full eligibility to algae under the Biomass Crop Assistance Program. BCAP provides financial support to farmers for establishment, production and delivery of new biomass crops
• Biobased Markets Program (BioPreferred)– Directs USDA to establish methodology providing full credit for biobased content for products from biologically recycled carbon. Current USDA methodology excludes biobased products from recycled carbon.
• Biorefinery Assistance (9003 Loan Guarantee) Program – Expands the section 9003 loan guarantee program to allow algae-based and other biorefinery projects for the manufacture of renewable chemicals and biobased products to qualify regardless of whether biofuels will be produced
• Carbon Capture and Use – Adds several provisions expanding CCU research, education and outreach at the Department of Agriculture

The bill also reauthorizes BCAP, BioPreferred, and the section 9003 loan guarantee program through 2023, though it strips BCAP of mandatory funding and marginally reduces 9003 mandatory funding levels.

It total, these provisions represent a dramatic advance in federal algae policy with the potential to greatly expand U.S. algae production and rapidly accelerate development and deployment of innovative algae agriculture technologies.

This remarkable outcome is the product of a more than year-long campaign by the ABO Executive Policy Council and the support of more than a dozen congressional offices, including key House and Senate farm bill leaders.

ABO particularly wishes to thank the following:

• Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts and Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow championed several key provisions in the Senate bill and in conference negotiations with the House
• House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway and Ranking Member Collin Peterson provided key support for several algae provisions as well
• Congressional Algae Caucusco-chairs Scott Peters, Darin LaHood, Derek Kilmer and Andy Biggs introduced the Algae Agriculture Act, the landmark legislation that served as the original source of nearly all of the algae provisions included in the final Farm Bill. Reps Peters and LaHood also wrote to farm bill leaders calling for inclusion of Algae Agriculture Act provisions.
• Will Hurd, Matt Cartwright, and Michelle Lujan Grisham also co-sponsored the Algae Agriculture Act, and Rep. Hurd provided key advocacy for inclusion of the algae crop insurance provision in the final farm bill package
• Neal Dunn introduced language in the House Committee hearing that resulted in inclusion of the Algae Agriculture Research Program. Senators John Cornyn and Tom Udall filed an amendment during Senate floor consideration of the farm bill outlining algae ag research program priorities that demonstrated key bipartisan, bicameral support for the proposal.
• Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Michael Bennet led the charge on securing multiple provisions in support of Carbon Capture and Use 
• Lloyd Ritter and the Agriculture Energy Coalition did remarkable work to rally support and secure reauthorization and funding of Energy Title programs – and the Energy Title policy fixes outlined above – at a time when many speculated that the Energy Title had run its course. Thank you, Lloyd!

Many other congressional offices, ABO members, and other allies also played important roles in this historic effort. To one and all we offer our thanks. We look forward, as well, to working with USDA, Congress and the White House in implementing these transformative provisions.

 

The DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy recently announced a dozen new topics for funding as part of the agency’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) research and development proposals. Algae R&D opportunities are featured in a number of the topics. 

The funding is part of DOE’s efforts to leverage the power of small business to spur innovation and economic growth. Over the past decade a number of algae companies have taken advantage of similar funding to commercialize new innovations in algae harvesting, product development and more. The results have driven down costs across the algae industry while providing new opportunities for employment, facility expansion and rural economic growth. 

ABO members interested in the new opportunities can learn more in the DOE announcement and the expanded listing of topics. 

Additional information on the DOE SBIR and STTR programs is also  available on the SBIR/STTR website.

This post is part of a series authored by sponsors and exhibitors from the 2018 Algae Biomass Summit, which recently concluded just outside Houston, Texas.

by Algenuity

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We have demonstrated successful application of this advanced scientific approach to increase the biomass yield of Arthrospira platensis (spirulina) by 235 %, and astaxanthin production in Haematococcus pluvialis to 6.9 % dry weight. “We are excited by the results we have achieved for these commercially important microalgae,” commented Andrew Spicer, Algenuity CEO. “We are confident in applying our expertize and technology to improve microalgal industry outputs, driving the industry to success, renewed investment and growth”.

Missed us at this year’s ABO Summit? Don’t worry – contact us to see how we can optimize your strain, improve your outputs, and support you in your ultimate success story.

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A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine makes the case for robust, coordinated research and development programs that can accelerate the development of technologies that can turn greenhouse into useful products such as fuels, construction materials, and chemicals. Algae cultivation is prominently featured in the report, as it has long been considered one of the more exciting biological routes to achieving economically viable carbon capture and sequestration (CCU).

The report calls for a coordinated R&D effort funded by the U.S. government and the private sector, targeting fundamental research, entrepreneurial research hubs, pilot facilities and large-scale commercialization projects.

“Typically scale-up research is done in industrial research settings; however, industry may be unlikely to invest in development of these nascent technologies beyond the laboratory scale due to the lack of market, regulatory, and policy drivers. Therefore, government investment will be critical to enable these technologies to reach pilot and demonstration scale.”

Over the next several decades, CCU technologies could capture more than 10 percent of global emissions, making the approach one of the most potent tools against climate change—if we can make it happen.

A number of research areas for advancing the potential of algae cultivation are identified in the report, including maximizing photosynthesis and carbon dioxide conversion limits. The authors describe the wide range of valuable products that can be made from algae, including the co-products that can be made from the wastes generated during the production of algal biofuels:

Dietary protein

“Protein productivity from algae has been estimated at up to 50 times that of soybeans per acre of land.”

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

“Many green algae naturally produce polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that are valuable for humans and animals as food additives. While they are typically harvested from fish, PUFAs from algae represent a viable and more sustainable set of target molecules.”

Pigments.

“Algae are well known for their ability to produce a variety of pigments and could provide a more sustainable alternative to the utilization of fossil fuels.”

The report also cites the potential for cyanobacteria, often called blue-green algae, to convert greenhouse gases into a long list of valuable fuels and industrial chemicals, including:

• Ethanol
• Butanol (n-butanol and isobutanol)
• Fatty acids
• Heptadecane
• Limonene
• Bisabolene
• 2,3- butanediol
• 1,3-propanediol
• Ethylene
• Glycogen
• Lactate
• 3-hydroxypropanoic acid
• 3- hydroxybutanoic acid
• 4-hydroxybutanoic acid
• Isoprene
• Farnesene

The potential for algae to drive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in clearly enormous, as is the potential to develop a new source of more sustainable products, jobs, and agricultural practices.

Read more about the report, and how to obtain a copy in the National Academies’ press release.