ABO Executive Director Matt Carr is at the European Algae Biomass Association Conference 2014 in Florence, Italy this week, and during his presentation on Monday he spent some time highlighting policy priorities that can advance the industry in the United States.
Regulations that support carbon dioxide utilization, tax credits for advanced biofuels, and agricultural policies that offer algae farmers the same treatment as those growing other crops can all pave the way for an industry that can provide countless products with minimal impacts on land or freshwater use.
Matt also spent some time on new trend in the algae industry: the growing number of U.S.-based technology developers that are inking agreements with international partners.
A few of the partnership Matt cited:
- An off-take agreement between Cellana and Neste Oil, the world’s leading supplier of renewable diesel.
- A partnership between Sapphire Energy and China’s Sinopec to validate and deploy algae cultivation technology in that country.
- An agreement between Heliae and Sincere Corp to build a commercial facility in Japan.
- Solazyme’s manufacturing plant online in partnership with Brazil’s Bunge.
No doubt these partnerships offer benefits to both parties. Technology developers get access to new markets or investments, and international partners can bring the latest advances to their own shores.
Check out Matt’s full slide deck here: