Category: Blog

Biofuels Digest released its annual Hot 50 Bioenergy and Hot 30 Biobased Chemical Companies last night and a major theme of both lists is the number of companies utilizing algae.

Five companies using algae feedstocks filled the lists. Two were in the top five: Solazyme (1^st) and Sapphire Energy (4^th). Solazyme was also a runner up on the Hot 30 Biobased Chemical list.

Two other noteworthy highlights from Hot 50 Bioenergy list were Propel Fuels coming in at 29^th and Boeing  at 38^th. These companies showcase the algae industry’s growth beyond producers of chemicals and biofuels. Incredible progress is being made at all levels of the supply chain, whether at the consumer distribution networks of companies like Propel Fuels, or at engine and plane manufacturers like Boeing.

Algae-related companies on the lists include:

Solazyme: 1^st in Bioenergy, 2^nd in Chemicals

Sapphire Energy: 4^th in Bioenergy

Joule Unlimited: 17^th in Bioenergy

Algenol: 25^th in Bioenergy

Propel Fuels: 29^th in Bioenergy

Boeing: 38^th in Bioenergy

Cellana: 49^th in Bioenergy

Algae continue to show that they are a reliable and productive feedstock for companies looking to produce the most dynamic products. We look forward to seeing algae-related companies continue to produce innovative and exciting products in the years to come.

For the full lists check out Biofuels Digest’s 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy and 30 Hottest Companies in Biobased Chemicals.

Another great video illustrating how algae can be transformed into everyday fuels, this time from Sapphire Energy, has us thinking we should start a series called “Algae TV.”

This must-see video shows how Sapphire’s aglae-to-energy farm operates like an “above ground oil field,” growing algae on a large scale processing them into the company’s Green Crude oil. Green Crude can be refined into renewable gasoline, diesel and jet fuel that works with existing engines and infrastructure.

Take 10 minutes of your day with these videos of algae capturing greenhouse gases from a power plant. The resulting biomass can be used to manufacture everything from fuel to feed to fertilizer.

The videos, from the  University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER), describe an ongoing demonstration of an algae-based system that recycles carbon dioxide from the flue gases of a coal-fired power plant. The project is capturing CO₂ from Duke Energy’s East Bend Station in Northern Kentucky.

These videos give a quick tutorial on how algae can be integrated into power production:

 

Check out the University of Kentucky’s news service for more details.

Last month the 2013 Summer of Algae reached into the labs of Montana State University.

Mark Allen (ABO Chairman and President) and Rocco Fiato from Accelergy Corporation along with Dr. Yuhan Sun from the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese National Academy of Sciences visited the Center for Biofilm Engineering and Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Montana State University (Bozeman, MT) on September 17^th, 2013.

MSU hosts included Drs. Richard Macur, Robert Gardner, Keith Cooksey, Brent Peyton and Robin Gerlach.

The visit focused on MSU’s current work on the use of cyanobacteria for biofertilizer production as well as other algal biomass and bioproduct research and development activities at MSU.

MSU showcased its work on phototroph-based biofertilizer production, the use of multiple nutrient and chemical stresses to increase algal lipid production, as well as links between algal biomass production and carbon capture, reuse and sequestration technologies.

The team at MSU sent the following pictures of the tour:

M. Allen, R. Fiato and Y. Sun in front of tubular photobioreactors

K. Cooksey, M. Allen, R. Gardner, R. Fiato, Y. Sun and R. Macur in front of 200L algal raceways

M. Allen, Y. Sun, K. Cooksey, R. Fiato, R. Macur and R. Gerlach in front of plants grown in cyanobacteria-fertilized soil

The Summer of Algae culminated this week at the Algae Biomass Summit with a tour of Algenol’s facilities in Florida. Look for a report on that event soon.

 

The first day of the 2013 Algae Biomass Summit left a buzz in the halls about the pace of advances in demand, production and technology in the algae industry. You can monitor what’s going on and see a few pictures that attendees are posting on twitter with the hashtag #ABS13.

Biofuels Digest covered exciting news from Algenol on their production and competitive prices (75 cents below market), and ABO issued a press release this morning that details some of the other developments:

Speaking to a packed conference hall, executives from Algenol, Sapphire Energy, Cellana, BioProcess Algae, Heliae, Algix and Aurora Algae all emphasized scaling up production as the industry’s next major priority as it begins to provide algae-derived fuels and a wide range of other products to worldwide markets. Matt Horton, CEO of alternative fuel retailer Propel Fuels, showcased research results demonstrating consumer preference for algae-based fuels.

Paul Woods, CEO of Florida-based Algenol Biofuels, unveiled a new vertical bioreactor design that has allowed the company to achieve algae-to-ethanol production capacities in excess of 10,000 gallons per acre at competitive prices. Algenol also uses its algae to produce renewable jet fuel, diesel and gasoline. The company expects that the new system, based on simple, easy to set up photobioreactors growing algae in seawater, will enable a rapid expansion to commercial production.

“As fast as people can put up the bags, I can fill them with algae,” said Woods.

Algenol and Sapphire Energy both expect to meet production capacities in excess of one million gallons within the next year. That milestone was acknowledged as just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the industry’s goal of supplying markets with meaningful quantities of sustainable, renewable fuels derived from algae.

“A million barrels is a significant milestone but it’s only the beginning of what’s required,” said CJ Warner, Sapphire Energy’s CEO & Chairman, who reported on Sapphire’s success in the past year in bringing its pilot scale facility online, and announced they are selecting a site for a full production scale facility.

Beyond fuels, the ability of algae to be a source of fertilizers, feeds, plastics, and nutraceuticals was the subject of updates from executives at Cellana, BioProcess Algae, Heliae, Algix, and Aurora Algae. Algix, a Georgia-based company producing a range of algae-derived plastics, was among the companies expressing a growing interest in purchasing large quantities of algae from producers.

“We brought our checkbook and we’re taking orders,” said Michael VanDrunen, President and CEO of Algix.

Today’s agenda includes a number of updates from leaders in the industry. The day is just getting started so stay tuned for updates.

Media sponsor note: As part of Marketwired’s media sponsorship for the 2013 Algae Biomass Summit attendees can take advantage of a special discounted rate on press releases distributions. Marketwired distributions let you reach media and other influencers around the world, allow you to add SEO-friendly keywords, hyperlinks and multimedia like images and video, and give you a metrics dashboard to gauge your reach and visibility.

Stop by ABO’s booth in the exhibit hall the the Summit to learn how attendees can take advantage of this offer!