Category: Blog

Algae research has become a hot topic within the international community, grabbing the attention of investors, researchers and governments from around the world.

Here’s a short summary of international algae developments from the past week:

China

At Hong Kong’s Open University, Professor Ho Kin-chung hopes to secure HK$10 million from the Chinese government’s Innovation and Technology Fund to support research on a new technology that would use algae to produce energy, purify water and reduce waste.

“Just give me a bay, and we can grow them (algae) on a large scale and economically,” explains Ho.

A top engineer from the U.S. and a Chinese mainland farmer are offering resources to set up test algae farms. The Chinese government hopes technologies like this will “diversify and boost economic development”.

India

Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings (RIIHL), India’s largest private sector enterprise, signed subscription, technical, and supply agreements with Algae. Tec LTd., US and Australia based company. A new algae biofuels facility will be built in India and eventually expand through Asia to meet increasing demands for fuels.

Japan

In Japan,  a unit of IHI Corp. cut the cost of producing oil from algae that can be used for jet fuel, materials for plastic, and cosmetics. In the future, they hope to grow algae near thermal power stations to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emitted.

These are all reminders that, while the U.S. may be home to some extremely advanced projects, great progress is being made within the international space for algae as well.

The Algae Biomass Organization’s Board of Directors Chair Margaret McCormick is featured in the month’s Biomass Magazine .

McCormick highlights how  algae hold the unique potential to be utilized for purposes other than energy.

“The high margins available from specialty chemicals, human health products, feeds and fertilizers are bringing in some of the first large revenue streams for companies deploying a new generation of technology.”

You can read about a few algae companies that are showing how “algae will become big business, and not just in energy markets” in Biomass Magazine.

The DOE’s Bioenergy Technology Office (BETO) is hosting a workshop in March that will look at a few topics, many of which will of interest to those in the algae industry. The areas of focus will include:

• The state of technology of hydrocarbon biofuel manufacturing, as well as supportive bioproducts and chemicals.
• The technical, conversion, feedstock logistics, and market barriers to deployment of hydrocarbon biofuels.
• The highest priority barriers and what strategies can overcome them.

If these are of interest to you, consider joining university, national laboratory, industry, advocacy, government, and other stakeholders at the Demonstration and Deployment Strategy Workshop.

March 12-13, 2014 | Argonne National Laboratory Campus, Chicago, IL, USA

The discussion will result in determining how BETO can accelerate industry efforts, develop strategy and future plans, and lead to a breakout session at the Biomass 2014 Conference on July 29-30^th.

Registration for the workshop is free, however spaces are limited!

Today Biofuels Digest released its ranking of biofuel feedstocks by how much coverage each received over the 48 months. Corn is the feedstock in the #1 spot, but we were excited to learn that algae is ranked #2!

Algae beat out the next feedstock by quite a bit, too. You can read about the entire ranking at Biofuels Digest.

We expect the news about algae’s ability to produce fuels will continue to expand as technology advances and new commercial facilities are commissioned. This may be only one of many lists that algae begins to climb!

A debate on biofuel policy in Washington, DC isn’t stopping state governments from recognizing that algae-based technologies can deliver more than renewable, domestically produced fuels to our tanks: they are also an invaluable source of innovation, jobs and economic development.

Today Florida’s Republican Governor Rick Scott announced Algenol Biofuels as the Ft. Myers area winner of the 2013 Governor’s Innovators in Business Awards.

Algenol is undoubtedly one of the world’s most innovative biofuels companies, and they are having a big impact on their community. The company has created over 100 jobs in Lee County since 2010, and has attracted more than $160 million in private investment.

With plans underway to build their first commercial facility in Florida, those first 100 jobs may be just the tip of the iceberg.

“We are proud to be recognized for developing a disruptive and high tech solution for making green fuels below market price. We look forward to working with Enterprise Florida in building the commercial Algenol facility in central Florida where jobs are needed most,” said Algenol’s CEO Paul Woods.

Florida joins a growing list of states that are taking a more active role in attracting companies that are building the algae industry, producing renewable fuels, feed, food, bioplastics and more. Is yours one of them?