Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations and Environment) Dennis McGinn has been confirmed as a keynote speaker at the 8th Annual Algae Biomass Summit in San Diego!
Dennis McGinn is leading the Department of the Navy’s search for advanced biofuels that can provide sustainable and independent sources of energy for Navy operations.
Come to the Algae Biomass Summit to hear how algae-based fuels are on track to help improve national and economic security!
Check out the latest additions to the Summit’s exciting agenda for everything in algae research, commercialization and policy.
Great news for the algae industry this week as the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has funded two projects focused on driving down the cost of producing affordable and sustainable fuels from algae.
Raceway algae ponds at Cellana’s facility in Hawaii
ABO member company Cellana, LLC, in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, was selected to develop a fully integrated, high-yield algae feedstock production system by integrating the most advanced strain improvement, cultivation, and processing technologies into their operations at their Kona Demonstration Facility.
Earlier this week, the DOE announced that SRI International of Menlo Park, California would receive $3.2 million to produce a bio-crude oil from algal biomass that will maximize the amount of renewable carbon recovered for use in fuel and reduce the nitrogen content of the product in order to meet fuel quality standards.
The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) accelerates development and deployment of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies and market-based solutions that strengthen U.S. energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality. Learn more about EERE’s work with industry, academia, and national laboratory partners on a balanced portfolio of research in biofuels and conversion technologies.
Congrats to both companies, and a special thank you to the DOE’s EERE for its continued support of algae technologies. Our industry continues to make significant progress in commercialization of algae-derived fuels, feed and food, offering new opportunities for economic growth as well as food and energy security.
Every summer ABO members and supporting organizations make announcements, host events, and tell the story of the algae industry’s exciting growth that is creating new jobs, new sources of domestic fuels, food, feed and other products.
Over the past week the Summer of Algae 2014 picked up steam, with a series of events that illustrate how wide the appeal of algae has become.
In the United States, the Summer of Algae kicked into high gear with a briefing early this week in Washington DC, hosted by the Congressional Algae Caucus. The co-chairs of the caucus, Representative Scott Peters (D-CA) and Representative Matt Salmon (R-AZ), welcomed a packed briefing room to hear about the potential for algae to be a source of fuel, food and so many other products.
Dr. Dirks and Mr. Wu discussed the full range of algae’s potential with elected officials and staff that are increasingly looking for solutions to problems that won’t stress our existing energy infrastructure, agricultural lands or freshwater supplies. All requirements that algae can easily meet!
The role algae can play in carbon dioxide reduction policies, agriculture, wastewater treatment, energy security and job growth were all part of the discussion.
Coincidentally, just after the Caucus briefing another major conclusion about the economic growth the algae industry can bring was unveiled in San Diego, home of this year’s Algae Biomass Summit (Sept 29-Oct 2).
The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) announced research that found the direct, indirect, and induced economic impact of the algae biotechnology research and manufacturing industry generates a total of approximately 1,020 total jobs, $80 million in wages, and over $175 million of economic output to the San Diego region.
From coast-to-coast, and around the globe, the Summer of Algae is in full swing! Keep an eye open for algae industry events in your area.
We’ll keep you updated with more in the coming weeks!
Algae’s appeal around the world continues as this week yet another agreement is announced between a US algae company and an overseas partner.
On July 10, the US State Department announced that an algae-derived renewable crude oil project between San Diego-based Sapphire Energy and Beijing-based Sinopec, China’s national oil company and the 5th largest company in the Fortune Global 500, has been selected for the U.S.-China EcoPartnerships program. The announcement was made in Beijing, by the U.S. Secretary of State and the People’s Republic of China State Councilor.
This collaboration between the two companies exemplifies the mutual goal of producing cleaner energy solutions for the U.S. and China. Sinopec and Sapphire will demonstrate that crude oil from algae can be produced with favorable economics; that it can be integrated into existing fuels distribution networks; and that it will deliver substantial advantages for the reduction of CO2 emissions in both nations.
ABO salutes Sapphire, Sinopec and the US State Department for its efforts to show the world what is possible with algae. We believe this endeavor will serve as a model for other countries – including the US – to follow, especially in light of new EPA regulations for the reduction of CO2 from coal and natural gas powered electricity generation.
ABO and its membership strongly urge the US EPA to recognize carbon reutilization as an approved mitigation strategy under rule 111(d). Doing so will accelerate the development and adoption of algae-based technologies that convert waste CO2 into a variety of end products that consumers need, from fuel to feed to food, creating thousands of jobs in nearly every state, reducing the harmful effects of climate change, and increasing our nation’s energy and food security.
The announcement of this partnership is one of the many algae-related developments and events that make up the Summer of Algae 2014, a national campaign to raise awareness about the promise of the algae industry to create jobs, domestic fuels, and other food and feed products. The Summer of Algae 2014 is sponsored by the Algae Biomass Organization and implemented by its member companies, with events taking place during the throughout the summer and stretching into early Fall.
Last week the U.S. Department of Energy gave the nation’s energy independence a nudge forward by announcing $4 billion in new funding for loan guarantees to support renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
The solicitation is aimed at supporting “catalytic, replicable, and market-ready” projects that avoid, reduce or sequester greenhouse gases and employ new or significantly improved technology. Drop-in biofuels are among the five key technology areas identified in the funding announcement, along with integration of renewable sources to the grid and storage of electricity, waste-to-energy technology, enhancements to existing facilities, and improved efficiency in residential or commercial buildings.
Within the drop-in biofuels category, the program will support three areas:
a) New bio-refineries that produce gasoline, diesel fuel, and/or jet fuel;
b) Bio-crude refining processes; and
c) Modifications to existing ethanol facilities to gasoline, diesel fuel, and/or jet fuel.
The funding includes $170 million to cover credit subsidy costs – essentially the insurance premium against default – for selected projects, potentially offsetting a significant component of the cost of participating in the program.
ABO members seeking to finance commercial-scale projects are encouraged to review both solicitations.
