Blog – Page 128

Algae Appeal in San Diego

Sapphire's Green Crude produced from algae

Those inside the algae industry have known for some time that San Diego is a focus for research and commercialization efforts. Now the area’s algae cluster is big enough to get some attention from mainstream business media.

A Businessweek article from October 11, “Algae Are a Growing Part of San Diego’s Appeal,” goes into fantastic detail about what is making the city so attractive to scientists and entrepreneurs that are using algae as a sustainable solution to our food, fuel and water-use challenges. Among the interesting tidbits is a short breakdown of the economic impact of the algae industry in the region:

“Algal biofuels research generated $80.9 million in economic activity in the region last year and employed 466, up from 215 in 2009, according to a study (pdf) from the San Diego Association of Governments.”

So algae-related employment in San Diego doubled in just a couple of years. We can’t wait to check back in 2014.

Read the full article about what makes a good algae industry hub at Businessweek.

Algae in the Kids’ Pages

Even kids’ pages in local newspapers are getting the word out about algae’s potential as food, fertilizer and fuel. We were sent a copy of Saturday’s Post-Bulletin in Rochester, MN that included several stories, puzzles and even recipes for kids about algae’s role in creating the air we breath, its role as food, and its future.

The spread is part of the Oct 19 edition of the Mini Page, an educational section that appears in 500 newspapers every week. Each week a new topic is introduced to its readers of children, parents, teachers, and anyone who wants to learn a little more while having a lot of fun.

If your paper carries the Mini Page this is a good chance to share the word about algae with the younger generation!

Algenol’s Summer of Algae

For those of you that thought ABO’s Summer of Algae II was over, think again! On October 3^rd Algenol hosted dozens of local teachers in a tour of its facilities in Florida.

The local ABC affiliate was on hand to report on the event, and captured one teacher proclaiming algae “the coolest thing ever.”

ABC-7.com WZVN News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral

A Crop of Crude

Jim Lane over at Biofuels Digest recently visited the new Green Crude Farm just opened by Sapphire Energy in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and he has some great pictures posted today.

The farm is a game-changing play to make fuels with 300 acres of algae ponds and refining facilities. Algae crops are grown in brackish water pumped from New Mexico’s saline aquifers, while using the region’s ample sunlight and C02 provided by Linde, a leading industrial gas provider.

The result is crude oil that is “Suitable, as with all crude, for shipping to refineries for conversion to everyday fuel and chemical products.”

Read about Biofuels Digest’s close look at the facility—and why West Texas might be the future algae center of the world–here.

Have a Look at This Algae Farm

Check out this Department of Energy video about how algae can be source of fuel for trucks, trains and planes. It’s a great look at the basics of an industry that is preparing to have an enormous impact on our future.

The DOE blog post introducing this video has more info on the Energy 101 series, and reminds us that up to 17 percent of our imported oil we use for transportation could be replaced by algae-based biofuels.