Category: Blog

Growing pressures on global food and water supplies around the globe are making it more difficult to raise livestock without significant environmental impacts. Cows, for example, can have a big impact on greenhouse gas emissions because of the energy required to grow the grains they eat. One recent study found that this is yet another area where algae can have a beneficial impact.

Researchers at Iowa State University were able to replace a substantial amount of cattle feed with algae biomass that is left over after it has been processed to make biofuels and other products.

“After the oil extraction process, the algae residue includes some fat, fiber, and protein, all essential nutrients for cattle,” says Stephanie Hansen, an associate professor of “beef feedlot nutrition” at Iowa State University and one of the authors of the study. “Cattle are well suited to digesting fibrous feedstuffs like the algae meal, making it a great ruminant feedstuff.”

Since algae can be grown with substantially less water, less land, and less energy than other crops they may make an ideal substitute for terrestrially grown crops that are usually get to livestock.

Check out the full story at Co.Exist.

Want to learn more about applications for algae in agriculture and other industries. Be sure to head to the Algae Biomass Summit in Washington, DC, September 2-October 29, 2015.

ABO member Earthrise Nutritionals LLC welcomed more than 50 guests at its grand opening “blue” ribbon cutting ceremony for its new Linablue® extraction facility held on Friday, July 31st. Linablue, manufactured by the DIC Group at the Earthrise site, is a vivid blue food coloring made from phycocyanin, a blue colorant extracted from Spirulina.

Mr. Eiichi Kato, President and CEO of Earthrise Nutritionals, welcomed guests and spoke regarding the completion and importance of the state-of-the-art extraction plant to the global company and the rapidly growing natural coloring industry.  The opening of the new facility enables the company to guarantee the world’s largest and most stable supply of the highest grade of Spirulina extract.

Spirulina extract was approved in 2014 by the FDA for use in most food and beverage products.   As global demand for natural colors grows rapidly, this facility will provide healthy conscious consumers worldwide with tons of Linablue®, a vivid blue coloring made from Spirulina.

To demonstrate the application of Linablue® in various foods, an all-natural blue ice cream was served at the post-ceremony lunch reception for all attendees to enjoy.

Check out more information in the press release issued earlier this summer.

If you’d like to learn more about Earthrise and algae-derived products be sure to attend the 2015 Algae Biomass Summit in Washington, DC, September 29-October 2. Representatives from Earthrise will be speaking at the event, as will hundreds of other researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and policy experts.

Yesterday, ABO announced that Martin Sabarsky is the newest Chair for the organization’s Board of Directors for the 2015-2016 term, and Jacques Beaudry-Losique has assumed the role of Vice Chair. We would like to thank outgoing Chair, Tim Burns, for his invaluable leadership and amazing work during his term. Tim will continue to serve on the Board of Directors.

Martin Sabarsky has more than 15 years of experience in the industrial biotechnology and cleantech industry. He’s been CEO of Cellana, a leading developer of algae-based nutritional and energy products, since 2011.

Jacques Beaudry-Losique is the current Senior VP of Corporate and Business Development at Algenol, a global technology developer of algae-based carbon emissions solutions and fuel products. He has more than 25 years of experience working in the energy and technology sectors.

With these well-respected leader at the head of the ABO board, the organization is set to continue its efforts to expand opportunities in the algae industry.

For more information, check out ABO’s official announcement on these appointments here.

Today, ABO is thrilled by the approval by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of carbon capture and utilization by power plants seeking to meet emissions reduction goals.

The Clean Power Plan notes that “state plans may allow affected EGU (Electric Generating Units) to use qualifying CCU technologies to reduce CO2 emissions that are subject to an emission standard, or those that are counted when demonstrating achievement of the CO2 emission performance rates or a state rate-based or mass-based CO2 emission.”

The ruling gives new certainty to a number of companies across the nation that are commercializing algae-based technologies that convert carbon dioxide generated at power plants into fuels, feeds, fertilizers and other valuable products.

ABO is confident that utilization of carbon by algae will reduce CO2 emissions that are subject to an emission standard, as evidenced by the recently approved pathway by the EPA for Algenol Fuels’ Direct-to-Ethanol technology as well as several other peer-reviewed life-cycle analyses of other pathways.

ABO’s message that carbon utilization is a common-sense, market-driven approach, which has bi-partisan support throughout Congress, is being heard. In addition to today’s landmark rule, carbon utilization’s growing importance is reflected by several bills in the House and Senate that direct federal agencies to increase funding for carbon utilization.

Just a few weeks ago EPA honored two ABO member companies that convert waste CO2 into fuels and chemicals with this year’s Presidential Green Chemistry awards, demonstrating the Agency’s appreciation of the key role of carbon utilization in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

Today’s final rule is a clear message that carbon utilization can and should be included in state compliance plans. It represents a huge gain for our industry and for the promise of carbon utilization, an idea that was not even considered by the EPA, Congress or the Obama administration a year ago.

The next steps are where the real work begins. ABO will build on today’s ruling and accelerate the success of carbon utilization projects through continued engagement with EPA, DOE, USDA and members of Congress as well as our own members.

Algae can consume enormous quantities of carbon dioxide as they grow, and since they can also be used to produce a number of valuable products (fuel, feed, plastics, nutritional supplements and more) there has been an increased level of interest on both sides of the aisle in Congress.

Consider:

1.    In May U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) introduced legislation to prioritize research and development of carbon utilization technologies at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy program.

2.    The House passed an Energy and Water Appropriations bill which included $2 million for carbon utilization R&D at the Fossil Energy office, and the Senate Energy and Water Full Committee passed their own version with $10 million for carbon utilization.

3.    A few weeks ago Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced climate legislation that calls out carbon capture and utilization as an accepted method for power plants and other industries to achieve CO2 reductions.

4.    Recently, language that encourages the EPA to implement policies which encourage the utilization of carbon dioxide was included in pending Interior Appropriations legislation.

5.    Last week the bipartisan energy bill put forward by Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee included the CCU language for Fossil Energy.

6.    Now this week we have a bill from U.S. Reps. Scott Peters (D-CA) and Matt Salmon (R-AZ) in the House with similar language.

It’s clear that this approach of recycling carbon dioxide emissions into products we need is getting more attention than ever–no doubt because of its unique potential to deliver both environmental and economic benefits. At ABO we’re very excited by the response and look forward to accelerating the commercialization of this innovative new approach!