Category: Blog

Today the team at Algix was opening a new facility for their subsidiary Solaplast in Meridian, Mississippi that will use state-of-the-art compounding equipment  to convert algae into bioplastics.

Meridian is surrounded by aquaculture operations that can be a ready source of the algae, duckweed and other organisms that Algix transforms into useful plastic resins, including those that are biodegradable.

The $8.5 million facility is expected to create 100 jobs and produce 200 million pounds of product annually.

The story by WTOK out of Meridian offers this quote from Algix CTO Ryan Hunt on why algae is such a potent resource for bioplastics:

“One advantage of algae is not only its ability to treat waste water, but it’s also not a food product,” Hunt said. “It doesn’t compete with the food stream, so we can grow algae at very high growth rates on non arable land. We can produce a feed stock that can be economical, it can be high in protein and can be turned into a variety of different products for the commercial sector.”

A great example of algae technologies creating jobs, providing products we all need, and creating a positive environmental impact!

More coverage in the Mississippi Business Journal.

A new website, www.recyclecarbon.org, was launched by ABO this week!

The goal of the website is to persuade the EPA to explicitly recognize Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies as approved emission reduction strategies under its new power plant regulations. We believe such recognition would encourage the development of innovative technologies that can use greenhouse gases to make valuable products while simultaneously reducing emissions.

On www.recyclecarbon.org, you will find information about Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies, news articles, videos, published and peer reviewed scientific research.

As a supporter of CCU, you can take action through the website!

Just go to www.recyclecarbon.org and send a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to make the case for CCU through your own perspectives and experiences with this promising technology.

Speak up in support of algae technology in the United States!

If you live in the US you can help ABO persuade the EPA to explicitly recognize Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technologies as approved emissions reduction strategies under its new power plant regulations.

Such recognition would encourage the development of innovative technologies that can use greenhouse gases to make valuable products while simultaneously reducing emissions.​

All you have to do is submit ABO’s pre-drafted letter for EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy along with any of your own supportive comments to make the case for carbon utilization.

We want the EPA to hear from as many algae supporters as possible before December 1, 2014!

It will only take a few minutes, so submit your comments today and tell other algae supporters to do the same!

Biofuels Digest, the world’s most widely read biofuels and biobased chemicals daily journal, just released results for their annual Hot 30, Hot 40 and Hot 50 rankings of the most exciting companies in the bioeconomy.

We are proud to say that ABO members can be found across all three lists!

The rankings, which recognize innovation and achievement in fuels, biobased chemicals and materials by emerging companies, are based 50 percent on votes from an invited panel of distinguished international selectors, and 50 percent on votes from subscribers of The Digest. Overall, more than 100,000 individual company ratings were received from panelists and voters in the annual Hot 30, Hot 40 and Hot 50 rankings.

From the “50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy” rankings the ABO members are:

# 3 Algenol Biofuels

# 9 DSM

# 13 Renewable Energy Group

# 16 Sapphire Energy

# 23 Neste Oil

# 26 Boeing

ABO members that made the “30 Hottest Companies in Biobased Chemicals and Materials” rankings are:

# 6 DSM

# 17 Renewable Energy Group

# 30 BioProcess Algae

The ranking for the “40 Hottest Smaller Companies in the Advanced Bioeconomy” placed ABO members at:

# 20 Cellana

# 21 BioProcess Algae

# 34 Muradel

The world is taking note of the algae industry! Congratulations to all of these innovative companies.

The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) recently announced new topics and subtopics under its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, including one subtopic specific to algae:  “Solid-liquid separations for algal systems.”

The “Solid-liquid separations for algal systems” subtopic falls under the Bioenergy Topic for which Phase 1 awards are $150,000 or less and Phase 2 are $1 million or less.

ABO encourages its members that qualify as small business (independently owned with fewer than 500 employees) to look into this opportunity.

In order to be considered for this SBIR, interested companies must file a mandatory letter of intent by Monday, December 15 before 5:00 PM EST, followed by a formal application process.

EERE will host a webinar for potential applicants, which will be especially helpful for first time applicants, on December 8 from 11:00 – 1:30 EST.  Webinar registration can be found here.