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The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a new $15 million funding opportunity to develop algae biofuel feedstocks that can replace petroleum feedstocks in downstream refining.

Specifically, the DOE is looking for projects that can produce 3,700 thousand gallons of unrefined algae-based biofuel per acre per year by 2020. Unrefined biofuels, or intermediates, should be ready to sell to refiners who should be able to create ethanol, renewable diesel and jet fuel.

This and other opportunities have been made possible because the Algae Biomass Organization and its members were able to work closely with Congress to secure $30 million in dedicated algae funding at the DOE Bioenergy Technologies Office for 2016. We are now seeing the results of that effort and strongly encourage ABO members to consider an application.

In this funding opportunity, applicants must address one comprehensive topic area with three main priority areas:

1. Strain/productivity improvements.
2. Improvements in pre-processing technologies (harvesting, dewatering, and extraction and/or equivalent processes).
3. Integration of cultivation with pre-processing technologies.

ABO members deserve thanks for supporting the efforts that make opportunities like this possible!

You can learn more about this funding opportunity and application requirements here.