Category: Press

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) endorses tax parity for advanced biofuels

MINNEAPOLIS –October 27, 2011 – Day two of the 2011 Algae Biomass Summit, the official conference of the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) and the world’s largest algae industry conference, was highlighted by discussions about the technological advances that will be bringing innovative algae-based products and fuels into everyday life.

Presentations and panel discussions throughout yesterday focused on the latest advances in algae biology, animal and aquaculture feed, algae processing, production and other components of the value chain for the new and rapidly expanding global algae industry.

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) urged attendees during a lunchtime video keynote to build on existing technological foundations that can help bring the next generation of advanced biofuels into large scale production, like that of the ethanol industry that has become a vital part of Minnesota’s economy. Recognizing the importance of federal support for domestically produced, sustainable fuels, Senator Klobuchar told the 800 conference attendees that algae-based fuels deserve to compete on a level playing field with fossil fuels when it comes to tax policy and industry subsidies.

Also addressing the conference during the luncheon was Cynthia (C. J.) Warner, president of Sapphire Energy. Predicting an enormous spike in demand for fuel in the coming decades, Ms. Warner described that the latest technologies behind algae-based fuels, like those that Sapphire is using to begin algae production on a commercial scale, have the ability to rapidly and economically provide for future transportation fuel needs.

The summit will continue through Thursday afternoon. Information on the event, including a full agenda is available at http://algaebiomasssummit.org.  Ongoing developments can also be monitored via the Twitter hashtag #ABS11.

About the ABO

The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website:www.algaebiomass.org.

Media Contact:
John Williams, Scoville PR for ABO
206-660-5503, jwilliams@scovillepr.com

Business and environmental interests come together as commercial production advances

MINNEAPOLIS – October 27, 2011 – On the third day of the 2011 Algae Biomass Summit, the official conference of the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), experts on environmental and economic sustainability sat down with algae business leaders to discuss the role that commercial algae products can play in meeting some of the most pressing environmental and food-production challenges facing the world today.

Algae’s unique properties of high yields, fast growth and reduced greenhouse gas emissions has brought the organisms to the attention of many in the environmental community, just as sustainability concerns have become an important part of the business models for many in the algae industry planning on expanding their commercial production efforts.

Leading environmental and sustainability experts shared with business leaders their hope for algae fuels, fertilizers and other products to help meet challenges around climate change, food production, and diminishing water supplies.

Acknowledging the importance of engaging early with the newly expanding algae industry, experts from the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment, the National Resources Defense Council, Future 500, Rainforest Alliance, and the Biotechnology Industry Organization discussed some of the challenges and lessons from other industries that have rapidly expanded from laboratory science to large commercial production.

The largest Algae Biomass Summit to date concluded today with panel discussions on the latest biotechnology research and the experiences of algae firms that are building new facilities and marketing products. More than 800 people from 20 countries attended the conference.

Information on the event, including a full agenda is available athttp://algaebiomasssummit.org. Next year’s summit will be held in Denver, Colorado.

About the ABO

The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website:www.algaebiomass.org.

Media Contact:
John Williams, Scoville PR for ABO
206-660-5503, jwilliams@scovillepr.com

Reality of commercial production for food, feed and fuel dominates discussions on Day One

MINNEAPOLIS (October 25, 2011) The 2011 Algae Biomass Summit, the official conference of the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO), officially opened this morning in Minneapolis with remarks by Senator Al Franken (D-MN) and other leaders on the role the algae industry can play in stimulating economic growth, enhancing national security and addressing climate change.  More than 800 industry leaders and stakeholders from 20 countries are participating in the event, the world’s largest algae conference.

Senator Franken (D-MN) helped kick off the event with a keynote address stressing that algae-based fuel will be an important part of economic development in Minnesota and around the country. Senator Franken’s call for algae-based fuels to receive the same tax treatment as other biofuels, and for the elimination of subsidies on dirty energy, was well received by many of the event’s attendees.

Following Senator Franken’s remarks, several algae business leaders discussed the latest trends that are shaping this emerging industry, including plans to dramatically increase production over the next few years. Executives at Sapphire Energy, Phycal Inc., BioProcess Algae, Heliae Development , Algenol Biofuels, and ExxonMobil described several different technologies being commercially deployed to market the many products that can be derived from algae.

A lunchtime keynote by Harrison Dillon, president at Solazyme, offered a case study of what just one company is doing to exploit the full potential of algae. Dillon walked through how his company is manufacturing designer oils that can be used to make everything from transportation fuels that work in the tanks of today’s cars and trucks, to food products like margarine and cooking oils, to high-end cosmetics.

Judy Canales, administrator of USDA’s Rural Development, Business and Cooperative Programs, also spoke to attendees over lunch on her agency’s commitment to renewable energy development, as well as the direct assistance they provide to entrepreneurs and businesses operating in the space.  She asked the audience to stress the importance of continued funding for Rural Biomass programs in the 2012 Farm Bill.

The summit will continue through Thursday afternoon. Information on the event, including a full agenda is available at http://algaebiomasssummit.org.  Ongoing developments can also be monitored via the Twitter hashtag #ABS11.

 

 

 

About the ABO

The Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website:www.algaebiomass.org.

Media Contact:
John Williams, Scoville PR for ABO
206-660-5503, jwilliams@scovillepr.com

Execs from Solazyme, Sapphire Energy and USDA round out keynote speakers

 

MINNEAPOLIS – October 14, 2011 – The 2011 Algae Biomass Summit, the official conference of the Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) and the algae industry’s premier event, today announced U.S. Senators Al Franken (D-MN) and Amy Klobuchar  (D-MN) as keynote speakers. Senator Franken will help kickoff the conference on Tuesday, October 25^th as he makes the case for the importance of clean energy to the United States. Senator Klobuchar will address the conference via a video lunchtime keynote on Wednesday, October 26^th.

The senators join a blue-chip list of industry leaders that have also been added as keynote speakers including Harrison Dillon, President of Solazyme, Inc., a renewable oil and bioproducts company;
Judy Canales, Administrator for Rural Business and Cooperative Programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development agency; and Cynthia “C.J.” Warner, President of Sapphire Energy, a producer of algae-based biofuels.

“That Senators Klobuchar and Franken both chose to participate in the conference reflects the importance of algae-based fuels and co-products not only for the state of Minnesota, but also the rest of the country,” said Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director of ABO. “They, and our other keynote speakers who are on the front lines of the rapidly expanding algae industry, understand the huge potential of the industry to create jobs and reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels.”

The 5^th annual Algae Biomass Summit, the largest conference of algae producers, scientists, investors and policymakers will feature presentations and poster sessions from more than 200 experts from around the world, with exhibits by more than 60 companies and organizations. The event is expected to attract more than 800 participants, with 20 countries already represented among the registrants to date.

The full conference agenda, including a list of current panel speakers, is available via:https://algaebiomass.org/events/.

Harrison Dillon, keynote speaker on Tuesday, October 25^th, is President of Solazyme (http://www.solazyme.com), a renewable oil and bioproducts company that utilizes industrial fermentation to convert low-cost plant sugars into high-value tailored oils.

Judy Canales, also keynoting on Tuesday, is Administrator for Rural Business and Cooperative Programs at USDA’s Rural Development agency (http://www.rurdev.usda.gov), where she leads efforts to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for rural residents.

Cynthia “C.J.” Warner, speaking on Wednesday, October 26^th, is President of Sapphire Energy (http://www.sapphireenergy.com), a San Diego-based company that has already produced drop-in replacement fuels such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel out of algae.

About the ABO

The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website:www.algaebiomass.org.

Media Contact:
John Williams, Scoville PR for ABO
206-625-0075 x1, jwilliams@scovillepr.com

Pre-conference workshop showcases challenges & opportunities for the algae industry in northern climates such as the Midwestern United States

 

MINNEAPOLIS – September 28, 2011 – The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the leading trade association for the algae industry, is partnering with the University of Minnesota to offer a unique workshop and tour for attendees of the 5^th annual Algae Biomass Summit, which will be held
October 24 – 27 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis.

The October 24 workshop, titled “Algae – A Midwest and Northern Climes Perspective,” will feature presentations by experts on algae growth in northern climates, as well as a tour of the St. Anthony Falls Laboratory at the University of Minnesota. In addition to the physical tour of the laboratory, attendees will also participate in virtual tours of two algae-industry firms operating in the region: Algaedyne and BioProcess Algae.

More information on the workshop, including a link to registration and the full agenda, is available at: https://algaebiomass.org/events/.

“This is a unique opportunity to see first-hand how top-notch research institutions and businesses are developing the algae industry in northern regions,” said Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director of the ABO. “The research and commercialization taking place here in Minnesota demonstrates that algae for energy really is a 50-state economic development and job creation engine. This workshop and tour will showcase innovative approaches to benefitting from algae even in colder climates.”

With the progress of start ups and commercialization efforts nationwide, continued research breakthroughs, and a new $510 million investment in next-generation biofuels announced last month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy and the U.S. Navy, the workshop will offer a window into one segment of an industry with high potential.

“The growing algae industry, and the biofuels and other products that come from it, will play a role in the economic development of Minnesota and the surrounding region,” said John Sheehan, Scientific Director for Biofuels and the Global Environment with the University of Minnesota’s Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment. “We’re excited to show attendees how this region – and the University of Minnesota in particular – is making a unique contribution to the industry.”

The workshop will take place just before the opening of the 5^th annual Algae Biomass Summit, the largest conference of algae producers, scientists, investors and policymakers. During the course of the event, leaders and attendees will discuss issues of critical importance to the emerging algae industry, including the commercial viability of algae production, current government and private initiatives, evolving technologies, processing concepts, life cycle analysis and venture/project finance.

The Algae Biomass Summit features presentations and poster sessions from more than 200 experts from around the world, with exhibits by more than 60 companies and organizations across the algae industry value chain. The event is expected to attract more than 800 participants, with 20 countries already represented among the registrants to date.

About the University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota is one of the nation’s leading renewable energy research institutions. Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory within the College of Science and Engineering is an interdisciplinary fluid mechanics research and training facility focused on environmental, energy and health challenges. The Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE) – part of the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment and a major sponsor of the pre-conference workshop – has provided over $35M to nearly 250 renewable energy projects across the university since its inception in 2004.