Category: Blog

The Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) has shown a commitment to algae and its future by funding a project to expand education in the algae industry. More specifically, BETO is funding the Algae Technology Education Consortium (ATEC) to expand algae-based educational programs at the community college level.

Why prioritize education? ATEC recently performed a study that found that despite the algae industry’s growing size, trained workers in the algae-space are difficult to find. And the need for such workers will only grow in the coming years as the already $8 billion industry expands.

ATEC offers a variety of programs to solve that deficit. For one, the organization provides a two-year degree program at the community college level to train graduates for entry-level positions in algal farms or aquaculture facilities. ATEC also created a certificate program for those more interested in algal sciences and is currently developing an online course to be made available to the public.

These efforts in support of the algae industry certainly fulfill BETO’s goal to develop biofuels and bioproducts and to thus reduce dependence on petroleum imports. With the great promise shown by the algae industry, this is a great way to invest in and support the industry’s future.

For more details about the programs, visit the BETO’s website.

by Paul Mullen

NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE is a global competition which aims to develop breakthrough technologies relating to carbon dioxide. The competition aims for the team to convert the most carbon dioxide into one or more products with the highest net value. 47 entries from 7 countries are competing for the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE. Amongst the 47 entries, two algae related teams are in for a chance to win the grand prize. More information on the two algae teams can be found below:

 

• Aljadix – A Swiss company developing carbon negative biofuel from microalgae feedstock.
• Pond Technologies – A Canadian company that converts raw smokestack emissions from heavy industry into algal biomass.

Up to 15 semi-finalist teams are scheduled to be announced on October 15, 2016. To see the full list of teams click here.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO), held a workshop to discuss near-term opportunities to commercialize algal biofuels and bioproducts. As explained by BETO, the purpose of the Algal Biology Toolbox Workshop was “to discuss the R&D needed to achieve affordable, scalable and sustainable algae-based biofuels.” More specifically, the goal was to determine the algal biological tools available (both abstract and concrete), what hurdles there are in terms of applying those tools and what strategies the industry should focus on going forward.

Over 50 stakeholders attended the workshop, representing industry, government and research interests.

BETO has now released the Algal Biology Toolbox Workshop Summary Report, detailing highlights and insights gleaned from the workshop. The comprehensive report delves into presentations and discussions from the workshop as well as answers from focus questions that were introduced during the workshop. According to the report, some key priorities for the industry include:

• Increased productivity in terms of strain development
• Improved algae screening tools
• Standardized and accessible algae reference materials and databases

And many more. For more details about the workshop, visit BETO’s webpage.

Biofuels Digest reports that ABO member LanzaTech, in partnership with Virgin, has produced the first 1,500 gallons of low-carbon jet fuel from industrial waste gases using its breakthrough fermentation process. It is the latest in a number of succesful commercialization milestones for LanzaTech.

To make the company’s fuels Lanzatech has also partnered with China-based Shougang, one of the worlds largest steel manufacturers, to harness the industrial waste gases from its steel plants and transform into ethanol, jet fuel, plastics and other valuable products. In this case the technology is creating a much-needed liquid fuel while also preventing greenhouse gases from immediately entering the atmosphere. The result is what Biofuels Digest calls “second chance carbon,” an opportunity to use carbon-containing gases and turn them into fuels that would otherwise be made from fossil oil.

Why jet fuel? Because liquid fuels will have a role to play in the future regardless of the rise of electric vehicles, and we much find ways to make them sustainably. Electric engines won’t be able to power every vehicle, especially aircraft, and in many analyses the greenhouse gas reductions from electric cars are easily matched, or exceeded, by the renewable fuels produced by companies like LanzaTech.

Read the full story here. 

If you read this blog, you are likely familiar with the great potential that algae presents for many diverse industries. Yet some challenges still remain. One of those challenges is the cost of harvesting algae. More specifically dewatering. When algae is harvested, it is accompanied by large volumes of water that need to be extracted, requiring large amounts of energy.

Enter ABO member Global Algae Innovations (GAI). They have come up with an innovative dewatering technique that requires a fraction of the energy required by other techniques in the space. In the words of NREL, “the membrane dewatering performance furnished by GAI…is significantly better than values found elsewhere.” GAI is in fact offering the system for sale in addition to its other activities in the algae space.

In short, this is substantial breakthrough in harvesting and dewatering and one that is being shared to expand the already dynamic algae industry.

More details about the system, its scaling potential and Global Algae Innovations’ other activities can be found in this feature in Biofuels Digest.