Author: Carrie Cox

Contact Your U.S. Senators TODAY in Support of Algae Agriculture

The algae community is close to radically altering the way U.S. farm policy approaches algae – but only if we make our voices heard.

Following months of outreach, education and advocacy by ABO and its members, the U.S. Senate is considering a series of proposals to boost U.S. Department of Agriculture support for algae agriculture and related technologies. The fate of these proposals could be determined this week.

Thanks to remarkable work by ABO and its partners, the 5-year Farm Bill being debated this week in the U.S. Senate contains several provisions to boost algae agriculture, including:

  • Nearly $900 million for Title IX “Energy Title” programs
  • Full eligibility for algae under the Biomass Crop Assistance Program
  • Improvements to the Biorefinery Assistance loan guarantee program
  • New USDA Carbon Utilization Education program

But the fate of three key amendments remains up in the air:

  • USDA Algae Research Initiative – Amendment SA 3205 from Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Tom Udall (D-NM) would for the first time establish an Algae Research Initiative at USDA, creating a home for research on algae for food and feed, soil health and nutrient management, and other applications of algae in agriculture. ABO secured a similar provision in the House of Representatives’ version of the bill, but it was not included in the language approved by the Senate Agriculture Committee earlier in June.
  • Loans for Carbon Capture and Use – A pair of amendments (SA 3341 and SA 3342) from Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) would provide explicit eligibility for biological carbon capture and use (CCU) projects, including algae, under USDA’s Rural Electric Loan program and Biorefinery Assistance Program.

Please call, tweet, or Facebook message your two U.S. Senators TODAY with the following message:

“My name is [YOUR NAME] from [YOUR ORGANIZATION] in [YOUR TOWN]. I am [calling/writing] to ask Senator [YOUR SENATOR]to support the growing algae industry in [YOUR STATE] by asking Agriculture Committee Chairman Roberts and Ranking Member Stabenow to please include the Cornyn-Udall amendment SA 3205, as well as Bennet amendments SA 3341 and SA 3342 in the Farm Bill managers’ package.”   

>>>Find your Senators’ phone numbers here: CALL

>>>Find their twitter handle here: TWEET

>>>Find their Facebook page here: MESSAGE

More than ever, Senators really do pay attention to these kind of messages, especially when they come from constituents. We need as many Senators as possible to know about the importance of these amendments to the algae community. So get on the phone or your favorite social media platform TODAY and let your Senators hear from the Algae Nation.

Where Young Innovators Can Make Connections at the Algae Biomass Summit

Looking to make connections at the 2018 Algae Biomass Summit? Visit the Young Innovators Lounge (YIL), a space aimed at connecting young ABO members with companies, entrepreneurs and experienced researchers focused on algae products, technology development and more.

Networking at the Algae Biomass Summit
Young innovators networking at the Algae Biomass Summit

Students, and early career professionals interested in learning and connecting are welcome to participate. The YIL occurs during the energy breaks between sessions at the Summit–check the agenda for timing and location.

Stop by to talk to our guests from industry, academia, national laboratories and innovative companies and organizations who will share their experience in the algae sector and connect with you.

Come, learn and build your network in the algae sector!

Are you interested in becoming a mentor and speaker for the Young Innovator Lounge? Contact Everett Eustance and Adriana Alvarez De La Hoz at everett.eustance@asu.edu & alvar353@umn.edu. 

The 2018 Young Innovators Lounge is sponsored by BioProcess Algae.

 

Gross-Wen Technologies Raises $2 Million for Wastewater Treatment Tech

One of ABO’s newest members, Iowa-based Gross-Wen Technologies, recently announced a $2 million investment from Doerfer Corporation, a US-based engineering and manufacturing firm. 

The investment will be used to further commercialize Gross-Wen’s algal wastewater treatment technology developed at Iowa State University.

GWT’s technology uses advanced algae cultivation techniques to remove nitrogen, phosphorus and other pollutants from municipal and industrial wastewater. The algae biomass that is produced can be used as a slow-release fertilizer or to make bioplastics and biofuels.

A press release includes more information about the investment and Gross-Wen’s progress toward deploying the technology at commercial scale. GWT recently demonstrated the process at pilot-projects in Iowa as well as one with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. Here’s a video of the installation in Chicago:


GWT Founder and President Dr. Martin Gross says the system is now ready for commercial deployment. In addition to offering an effective water treatment option, the system can also introduce a new revenue stream for treatment plant operators. 

“Most communities don’t want to sell algae, that’s not their business model, but it is ours,” Gross said. “We provide an offtake agreement for the algae and profit share with the community. So, a conventional municipal treatment plant that was traditionally a cost center now creates a revenue stream when they implement our system.”

More coverage of the investment and Gross-Wen’s approach is available here. 

Algae Biomass Organization Announces Preliminary Agenda for 12th Annual Algae Biomass Summit in The Woodlands, Texas

WASHINGTON, DC (June 5, 2018) The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, today announced the preliminary agenda for the 12th Annual Algae Biomass Summit, being held in The Woodlands, Texas, October 14-17, 2018. The sessions unveiled on the agenda promise a wide range of discussions about the latest advances in algae commercialization and research and the growing impact they are having on food and nutrition markets, agriculture, carbon and water management, energy and more. Registration and agenda details can be viewed at: http://algaebiomasssummit.org.

The combination of commercial and research activity, as well as a favorable climate and resource base, make Texas the perfect setting for the world’s largest algae conference. Texas is where a number of leading companies such as iWi®, ExxonMobil, and AlgEternal Technologies are harnessing algae to develop a new generation of sustainable and versatile products for nutrition, animal feed, biofuels and other markets. The state is also home to leading research institutions, such as Texas A&M and the University of Texas, that are developing the cutting-edge technologies that will make it possible for algae to become a new crop and mainstay of American agriculture.

 “We’re looking forward to bringing algae industry leaders from all over the world to Texas, where some of the most successful approaches to deploying algae cultivation at commercial scales are being demonstrated,” said Matt Carr, executive director of the Algae Biomass Organization. “The Summit’s agenda is more diverse than ever, covering just about any market and any application for a new generation of algae farmers, scientists and entrepreneurs that are building value and addressing some of the world’s greatest challenges.”

In addition to plenary sessions on the most pressing topics facing the industry, the conference will feature dozens of presentations in breakout sessions organized into four tracks:

  • Biology: Featuring the latest research discoveries and innovations about how algae grow, and how they can be harnessed to address global challenges or create new products.
  • Commercialization, Finance & Policy: Updates from entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies that are deploying algae into the market, as well as investment opportunities and bipartisan policy support for algae in Congress and state legislatures.
  • Engineering & Analysis: Addressing the latest techniques for cultivating and processing algae at commercial scales.
  • Products & Markets: A new Summit track focusing on the latest products that are made possible with algae, and how they can upend traditional options.

The Summit’s exhibit hall will offer opportunities to see algae technologies up close, and also includes a Product Showcase with examples of the hundreds of algae-based products already on the market. More than 100 posters will be on display showcasing groundbreaking new technologies, research and commercial breakthroughs.

The 2018 Summit comes as ABO member companies have accelerated the pace of product commercialization in the past year, introducing new and more sustainable aquaculture feeds, nutritional supplements, algae-derived plastics and foams, food ingredients, and more. The new value these products are creating is complemented by an unparalleled sustainability profile for algae farming. Algae can be grown using carbon dioxide from energy production, previously unusable brackish water or wastewater from treatment plants, and marginal lands that aren’t suitable for most traditional crops.

More information about the Summit 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.

Supporting the Algae Foundation Now Easier Than Ever With New AmazonSmile Link

Turn Your Amazon Purchases Into Support For The Algae Foundation’s Algae Academy

Today the Algae Foundation has launched an initiative with AmazonSmile to support the Foundation’s K-12 STEM project, The Algae Academy, and reach even more students through the algae outreach program.

AmazonSmile is an Amazon service that allows a buyer to donate a portion of their purchase to a charity/non-profit of their choice.  The AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases.

“It doesn’t sound like much, but contributions through AmazonSmile can add up quickly for a project like ours,” said Tiffany Cannis, Vice Chair of the Algae Foundation. “This is an easy, hassle-free way for the industry to support the Algae Foundations’ goals to inspire the next generation of Algae researchers, scientists and engineers. Anyone who orders from Amazon can donate this way, and it is especially effective when

 organizations who purchase goods through Amazon choose to do so through AmazonSmile with the Foundation selected as their charity of choice.” 

The Algae Academy provided 48 Algae STEM Kits to middle school classes in California, Michigan, and Ohio last year.  In 2018, our goal is to provide 150 kits to middle and high school classrooms nationwide.  Each kit serves up to 150 students and is provided completely free of charge to teachers.  In order to continue to serve our schools and engage students in algal education, we need to raise $20,000+ annually.  Our AmazonSmile proceeds will help us meet this annual goal.

To contribute to the Algae Academy, visit: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-2312083, log in, and select the Algae Foundation as your non-profit of choice.  Then make purchases on AmazonSmile like you normally would.