Category: Blog

Algae Biomass Organization Announces 2022 Algae Industry Awards

Outstanding leaders, companies and innovations recognized by ABO

The Algae Biomass Organization’s (ABO) is pleased to recognize the winners of the 2022 Algae Industry Awards.  During ABO’s Annual Algae Biomass Summit, Executive Director, Dr. Rebecca White, announced outstanding leaders, companies and innovations that are at the forefront of efforts to develop new technologies and commercial markets for renewable and sustainable products derived from algae
 
The Algae Industry Awards recognize excellence in several categories that contribute to the advancement of algae technology and commercialization. The 2022 winners include:
 
Pinnacle Award – In recognition of exceptional dedication and service, beyond the call of duty, to advance the algae industry
 
Tom Byrne, Tax Manager, CarlsonSV
Tom Byrne is a tax manager at CarlsonSV and is one of the biomass industry’s most experienced project consultants.  He is a founding member of ABO and has supported the organization tirelessly since 2007; Byrne & Co. co-hosted the inaugural Summit in November 2007, and the 2008 Summit as well, which were the foundation for establishing the ABO in 2008.  Tom is one of the smartest, kindest, and funniest people you will ever have the fortune to meet.  He has served on the Board, as the treasurer and secretary, for many years, and has guided ABO in the best and the roughest of times.  He is an eminent subject matter expert, providing service to the industry at many levels – from his Board membership to representing ABO in Washington, DC to serving as a speaker and moderator at the Summit and at stand-alone events such as the recent Carbon Capture Credits webinar.  Without Tom, there would be no ABO. 
 
Early-Career Excellence Award – For excellence in scholarly achievements and a record of productive, independent, and impactful peer-reviewed research and creative scholarship activities
 
Évellin do Santo Espirito
Although Évellin do Santo Espirito is in the early stages of her career, she has already developed two patents, filed in her home country of Brazil – one for obtaining microalgae extract for the substitution of an animal protein source to produce vaccines and biopharmaceuticals, and one for a bacterial extract used as a growth promoter to obtain a higher concentration of microalgal biomass.  She is currently seeking funding to pursue her PhD in the Mayfield lab at UCSD, working with CRISPR in microalgae to increase the production of biomolecules of industrial interest.
 
Mid-Career Excellence Award – For excellence in scholarly achievements and a record of productive, independent, and impactful peer-reviewed research and creative scholarship activities
 
Kevin Shurtleff, Utah Valley University
Kevin Shurtleff is an associate professor at Utah Valley University and has spent over 15 years growing, harvesting, and researching algae. His research focuses on developing algae harvesting technology to prevent harmful algal blooms, clean water, and produce renewable energy. He has founded multiple startups, including Mountain West Energy, where he currently serves as President and Manager.  He has numerous publications and patents and is hailed as a generous teacher and mentor.
 
Unsung Hero Award – For unheralded dedication and career contributions to the growth of the algae industry
 
The Gross-Wen Technologies Operations Team
The GWT Operations Team is the backbone of GWT’s project execution core and is critical to the success of the company’s work. The team is lead by Paul Simpson and is made up of an excellent team of operators, technicians and field engineers. (Luke Anderson, Mike Gross, Mark Rogers, AJ Arnold, and Graham Bradbury). This team is frequently on the road headed to numerous pilot and demonstration scale projects across the nation. They put in long hours during crunch time to get projects over the finish line. The work it takes to build reliable systems that can be deployed in the field is often unnoticed and does not get the recognition it deserves. Without the operations team, GWT would not be able to execute its projects successfully and deploy a new algae-based water treatment technology.
 
Outstanding Contributions to the Industry 
 
Orri Björnsson, CEO, Algalif
Orri Bjornsson, the CEO of Algalif. Algalif Iceland is a world leader in the production of high quality sustainable natural astaxanthin from micro algae using high tech photobioreactor systems and 100% green geothermal energy. The company is a green leader and a role model for biotech and algae companies around the world. Orri has been working in the pharma and nutraceutical industries for nearly 25 years and was selected by CIO Look at one of the ten most inspiring CEOs to watch in December 2021. He has been the Algalif company leader from early days and is the main influencer and the real force behind the creation of this sustainable algae company.  His vision for Algalif has helped push the industry forward as a whole. 
 
Lifetime Achievement Award – For contributions to the algae industry over the whole of a career in academia and/or industry, including commercial success, significant research contributions, policy activities, outreach, workforce development/educational activities, and/or mentoring activities.
 
Paul Roessler, Biotechnology Consultant
Paul has over 35 years of research experience involving algal, plant, and microbial physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. He has extensive knowledge, publications, and patents in a number of subject areas involving the physiology, biochemistry and molecular biology of plants and algae, and has experience with leadership of internal, external, and collaborative research programs.  He has worked with premier organizations such as Dow Chemical Company, Monsanto (now Bayer), Synthetic Genomics (now Viridos), Algenol and the Aquatic Species Program at NREL, among others. He has contributed significantly to ABO, and specifically the Summit over the years, speaking, moderating sessions, participating in the program committee, and serving as Program Chair. 
 
Leadership Through Service Award – For exceptional contributions to the growth of the algae industry through volunteerism and service
 
Jesse Traller, Senior Phycologist, Global Algae Innovations
Jesse Traller is a senior phycologist at Global Algae Innovations.  Jesse’s leadership on ABO’s Food and Feed committee has been phenomenal – from helping drive and plan the inaugural Future of Algae for Food and Feed gathering, to putting together the annual Committee meeting, which includes multiple panels on timely topics, to organizing the recent Algae in Aquafeed workshop, her dedication to the industry and the mission of ABO is evident. She is always graceful, supportive, and friendly while pushing many things forward with numerous stakeholders and participants.
 
Champion of Algae Award – For exceptional contributions to growing the algae industry through professional service
 
Robert Andersen, Pravasoli-Guillard National Center for Marine Algae & Microbiota
Robert A. Andersen has remained a Champion of Algae thorough all his impressive algae-focused career.  Bob is Emeritus Director, Pravasoli-Guillard National Center for Marine Algae & Microbiota, Senior Research Scientist University of Washington, and Adjunct Professor Biological Sciences Michigan Tech.  He has worked on all phases of algae development from concept to creation, from developing ideas with universities to advancing research topics to help commercial businesses like Heliae turn an algae idea into a commercial product.  However, beyond the many awards, various titles, published articles, and conferences, what sets Bob apart is his continuous appreciation and love of algae. If you ever talk with him about algae, it will take but a few minutes for his Champion of Algae spirit to come through.    
 
About the Algae Biomass Organization
The Algae Biomass Organization is the non-profit trade association and unified voice of the algae industry. Working on behalf of all sectors, the ABO advocates for algae-advancing policy and funding, serves as a hub for innovation and networking, and drives demand for “made with algae” products and services.
 
The annual Algae Biomass Summit, ABO’s signature event, is the largest global gathering of algae producers, researchers, investors, suppliers, policy makers, and other stakeholders.
Founded in 2008, the ABO is led by a Board of Directors representative of the industry’s value chain. Together, with the broader membership, they strive to deliver on the shared mission to promote and accelerate the power of algae to create a step-change in the health and well-being of humanity and the environment. More information is at: www.algaebiomass.org.

ABO Accepting Nominations for the 2022 Algae Industry Awards

The Algae Biomass Organization’s annual Algae Biomass Summit each fall is an opportunity to highlight the work and progress in the algae industry. This year, the Summit will be fully virtual, and the Main Stage programming will be held October 3-4. The award recipient will be announced as part of the Main Stage program on October 4th.

The ABO is now accepting nominations for our annual Algae Industry Awards. ABO members are at the forefront of efforts to develop technologies, products, and commercial markets for renewable and sustainable products derived from algae, and to move the industry forward, and the ABO is dedicated to recognizing exceptional efforts in these areas. The 2021 Awards Recipients can be found on the ABO website.

The Algae Industry Awards recognize excellence in the following areas:

  • Breakthrough Product – For groundbreaking innovation using algae as part of novel solutions for global problems
  • Product of the Year Award – In recognition of a high impact algae product that made significant contributions to the visibility of the algae industry within the last year
  • Innovation Collaboration of the Year Award – In recognition of a partner collaboration that raises the visibility and impact of algae products globally
  • Mid-Career Excellence Award – For excellence in scholarly achievements and a record of productive, independent, and impactful peer-reviewed research and creative scholarship activities
  • Unsung Hero Award – For unheralded dedication and career contributions to the growth of the algae industry
  • Lifetime Achievement Award – For contributions to the algae industry over the whole of a career in academia and/or industry, including commercial success, significant research contributions, policy activities, outreach, workforce development/educational activities, and/or mentoring activities.
  • Champion of Algae Award – For exceptional contributions to growing the algae industry through professional service
  • Leadership Through Service Award – For exceptional contributions to the growth of the algae industry through volunteerism and service

For each nomination: The online nomination form must be for single nominees only; do not combine nominations for more than one nominee or more than one award.

Nominations are reviewed by the ABO Board of Directors Executive Committee, who select a proposed winner for each award, and award selections are ratified by the Board of Directors.

DEADLINE: For consideration, please submit the nomination form no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 23, 2022.

Please email any questions to Rebecca White at rwhite@algaebiomass.org

Algae and Seaweed in the Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act that was passed by Congress and Signed by President Biden last month has been hailed as a milestone in climate progress for the United States, especially for the aid that the new legislation will provide for technology development. Several provisions should be of interest to algae and seaweed producers and processors.

Improvement in Tax Credits for Carbon Capture: 

Some of the most exciting changes come to the section 45Q tax credit that can incentivize projects that capture and sequester carbon dioxide. ABO was an early supporter of this credit when it was first introduced, and we have been advocating for improvements we now see in the IRA. Some of those include: 

  • A multiyear extension of the commence construction window. The qualifying date for carbon capture projects has been adjusted to January 1, 2033. This new date will benefit potential algae and seaweed projects that need a more realistic timeframe to become operational. 
  • Enhanced values for carbon credits from direct air capture. Direct air capture (utilization) credits will now be valued at $130 per ton, making algae and seaweed projects even more attractive due to their unique ability to transform huge quantities of CO2 into biomass. Values for carbon storage and enhanced oil an recovery were also increased. 
  • Lower capture thresholds. The change to allow direct air capture projects as low at 1000 metric tons to qualify for this tax credit is especially interesting to early-stage algae and seaweed projects.. It should make investments in these projects much more attractive, and give them an opportunity to prove an approach that can eventually make a much, much larger scale.. 

ABO’s partner the Carbon Capture Coalition has an excellent breakdown of even more adjustments that IRA makes to the 45Q tax credit. 

This innovative tax credit is still in its early days, and we expect to learn as it begins to play a role in projects around the country. ABO will continue to work closely with industry stakeholders, carbon capture allies, and elected officials that are committed to building robust carbon capture technologies. 

For those interested in learning more about 45Q and how algae and seaweed projects can position themselves to take advantage of carbon credits be sure to check out ABO’s recent webinar on the topic. ABO members can reach out to get their free recording of the webinar. 

Accelerated Sustainable Aviation Fuels

Algae and seaweed can both be used to produce low-carbon, high-performing aviation fuels. Aviation stands out as one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonize, and new policies that can accelerate technologies like liquid fuels that come from sustainable biomass sources have been a longtime priority of ABO. 

The IRA includes a blender tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and a standalone investment tax credit for energy storage. Both of these are welcome news for SAF developers. Yet at the same time, the duration of the IRA’s incentives only run through 2027. This is much shorter than what will be needed for SAFs to scale up and become cost competitive with conventional jet fuel. ABO is hopeful that more policy windows will open to give SAFs the degree of support they need. 

For the latest on ABO’s position on sustainable aviation fuels be sure to read our recent op-ed in Biofuels Digest. 

Still a Need for R&D Support

These changes won’t take the place of robust R&D funding for SAFs, and they will likely need to be adjusted before we will see SAFs become more commercially available. However, the momentum is clearly in the direction that is needed. ABO will continue to support SAF policies that can accelerate the efforts of algae and seaweed scientists, project developers and investors. 

Get Involved

ABO is grateful for the support of its members and partner organizations that have helped make these important milestones possible. If you are ready to get involved with our efforts to support algae and seaweed as sustainable platforms for the future, be sure to become an ABO member and join one of our committees. 

And be sure to connect with our global network at the 2022 Algae Biomass Summit. See you there! 

Webinar: Carbon Credits for Algae and Seaweed Production

Join Algae Biomass Organization members and other algae industry leaders for a webinar to explore the carbon opportunity!

Tuesday, August 2, 2022
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM PDT

Free for ABO members, $40 for non-members. Non-members that register will qualify for a $50 discount to the 2022 Algae Biomass Summit!

As governments, corporations and others seek ways to reduce their carbon footprints there has been an increased interest in the use of Certified Carbon Credits (CCCs), including CCCs tied to microalgae, seaweed, and kelp production. Algae and seaweed have long been touted as an excellent way to sequester carbon, but not many companies or producers are actively tracking and/or offering CCCs for purchase. There is no single system for tracking or selling CCCs, and getting started can be confusing. 

Join us for a webinar with CCC process experts John Pierce from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, and Tom Byrne from CarlsonSV to learn about how you can track and manage your carbon capture and participate in CCC markets. Presentations will be followed by a moderated Q&A.

Register here.

We’ll send a Zoom link to registered attendees at least 24 hours prior to the start of the webinar.

Speakers:

Thomas Byrne, CPA, CGMA, EDFP
CarlsonSV

Thomas Byrne, CPA, CGMA, EDFP, is a founding member of the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) and one of the biomass industry’s most experienced financial and tax professionals. Tom currently is a Tax and Biotech Manager for CarlsonSV, LLP. He has been a certified public accountant since 1979 and has provided expertise in business structure, tax consulting, feasibility studies, financial modeling, business plan preparation, equity meetings organization, start-up management, and grant applications. In the past, Tom served as CFO and COO of a non-GMO/organic food ingredient processing company.

He has also led in the development of large-scale renewable biomass projects worldwide, including ethanol, algae, agriculture waste, biodiesel, and wind projects by coordinating the entire lifecycle of biofuels and renewable energy start-up projects from conceptualization to construction. Tom has also worked modeling and describing carbon credit projects in Africa, Mexico and the US. Tom has worked with the 45Q legislation for a number of years working with and though CarlsonSV, Algae biomass Organization and Carbon Capture Coalition.

Tom continues to serve as board member and Secretary/treasurer of ABO

John Pierce, Partner
Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP

John is a co-founder and former Chair of the Algae Biomass Organization.

He currently focuses his practice on the structuring, development and financing of energy and infrastructure projects.  He represents clients in connection with power generation projects fueled by an array of traditional, renewable, and unconventional energy sources.  John also works with carbon mitigating credits, offsets and trading structures, the creation of carbon trading protocols and markets, carbon sequestration, other environmental attributes and related market-based means to add value to certain energy projects.

His project counsel includes the development of utility-scale solar projects in the United States, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and Northeast Asia, including advising on the development and sale of seawater air conditioning system in Hawaii and the Bahamas, on the procurement and sale of the LNG for sale in China, working with a major Jones Act shipper on LNG procurement and supply for fleets serving Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico from Washington and Florida, counseling on the procurement of U.S.-originated LNG for consumption in Asia. John has recently advised on the development and financing of wind farms in West Texas, various wind and solar projects elsewhere in Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas and PV solar projects in Texas, California, Arizona and Washington. He was primary counsel on a 1,000 MW offshore wind farm in Morro Bay, California, a 700+ MW offshore wind farm in Hawaii, similar offshore wind farm projects in Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and the Caribbean, a variety of PV solar and batter storage systems, the development of utility-scale solar thermal for steam injection projects in oil production fields, pump storage projects in California, Hawaii, Montana and Washington, as well as electric vehicle infrastructure and renewable hydrogen production technologies and projects in Texas, California, Washington and Iceland.

John has advised and structured various financings of energy and energy-related projects. Additionally, he has infrastructure project experience where he has counseled on the development of port facilities (bulk and container), airports, toll roads, terminals, refineries and associated pipelines, and industrial zones.

According to Chambers, “He is always very thorough, thoughtful and responsive on a wide variety of issues. He is well informed on renewable energy project finance matters too.”

He also advises several nonprofits in Southeast Asia working on refugee issues and human rights matters, and acted as counsel to Nobel laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Register here.

ABO Welcomes 2022 Board of Directors

Dr. Martin Gross of Gross-Wen Technologies selected as new Board Chair, Mike LaMont of Heliae Development becomes Vice Chair. 

The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the US based non-profit trade organization for the algae and seaweed industries, today announced the election of their officers for their Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 term, as well as the Board of Directors members elected for the 2022-2024 term. Dr. Martin Gross, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gross-Wen Technologies was elected to serve as the new Board Chair, while Mike LaMont, Vice President of Operations at Heliae Development was elected as Vice Chair. 

ABO’s board guides the organization in its mission to promote the development of renewable and sustainable products from algae and seaweed, as well as the development of viable commercial markets for both. ABO supports people, companies, and organizations, as well as research, development, and commercial activities across the value chain.  ABO also educates the general public, policymakers and industry about the benefits of algae and seaweed in commercial and scientific applications.

The group announced today includes both new board members and re-elected members that will join current members that are already serving a 2021-2023 term. 

The newly elected board officers are:

Newly appointed board member:

  • Leslie Bellas – Federal Regulatory Affairs Manager, Neste

The re-elected board members are:

ABO’s full board of directors can be viewed at: https://algaebiomass.org/about/leadership/board-of-directors/ 

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