Category: Press

WASHINGTON, DC (July 10, 2015) The Algae Biomass Organization, the trade association for the algae industry, applauded the Department of Energy today for awarding six algae technology projects with awards totaling up to $18 million to advance the agency’s goal to reduce the price of algae-based biofuels to $5 per gallon gasoline equivalent by 2019.

“We are grateful for the Department of Energy’s ongoing effort to accelerate algae technologies that can become new sources of sustainable fuels and other products,” said Matt Carr, Executive Director of the Algae Biomass Organization. “The potential of algae technologies underscores the importance of the Department of Energy’s support. All of these projects are developing systems that can use carbon dioxide as a feedstock for high value products, simultaneously reducing greenhouse gases while providing new jobs and revenue for a number of industries.”

The DOE’s funding will advance technologies in algae harvesting, cultivation and processing that can be used to produce fuels as well as other products that include feeds and biochemicals. The selected projects include: Producing Algae and Co-Products for Energy (PACE), Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO; Marine Algae Industrialization Consortium (MAGIC), Duke University, Durham, NC; Global Algae Innovations, Inc., El Cajon, CA; Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ; University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA; Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA.

Products made from algae are the natural solution to the energy, food, economic and climate challenges facing the world today. This tiny but powerful organism has the ability to simultaneously put fuels in vehicles, reuse CO2, provide nutrition for animals and people, and create jobs for millions of Americans. More information can be found at www.allaboutalgae.com.

About the Algae Biomass Organization
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit 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.

 

Event to showcase breakthrough algae technologies in food, fuel, feed and other industrial products 

WASHINGTON, DC (June 2, 2015) The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, announced today the preliminary agenda for the 9^th Annual Algae Biomass Summit, unveiling the plenary and breakout sessions where the latest advances in algae commercialization, research and finance will be discussed at the largest algae conference in the world. The agenda for the Summit, which kicks off with tours on September 29^th and runs through October 2^nd in Washington, DC can be viewed at: http://www.algaebiomasssummit.org/?page=Agenda.

ABO chose Washington, DC for the location of the Summit because the region is a major hub for both the investment and policies that will influence the future of this growing industry. Washington DC is also the headquarters of the Algae Biomass Organization.

“Every day the potential of algae to become a new source of sustainable products is attracting new attention from investors around the world and policy makers in Washington, DC,” said Matt Carr, executive director of ABO. “Increasingly, companies in our space are intersecting with policies and legislation that will impact their future success. Bringing the industry to the doorstep of our nation’s policymakers is the best way to showcase our solutions to challenges in energy, agriculture, health, carbon utilization, wastewater treatment and more.”

The Summit comes at a time when the industry is seeing more algae companies successfully moving their laboratory breakthroughs into the marketplace. Many companies are making new algae-derived products available to consumers or opening large-scale demonstration and pre-commercial facilities, with expectations for expansion in the future. ABO members are also ramping up outreach to national and state policymakers as they advocate for extended advanced biofuels tax credits, aggressive research and development, and strong support for Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) at the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency and elsewhere.

In addition to plenary sessions featuring leading keynotes and panels on the most pressing topics facing the industry, the conference will feature dozens of presentations in breakout sessions organized into four tracks: Biology, Engineering & Analysis, Finance & Policy and Commercialization. More than 100 posters will be on display showcasing groundbreaking new technologies and research. More information about the Summit can be found at www.algaebiomasssummit.org.

Products made from algae are the natural solution to the energy, food, economic and climate challenges facing the world today. This tiny but powerful organism has the ability to simultaneously put fuels in vehicles, reuse CO2, provide nutrition for animals and people, and create jobs for millions of Americans. More information can be found at www.allaboutalgae.com.

About the Algae Biomass Organization
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit 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.

Addition of just 12 words could accelerate pace of large scale, emissions reducing algae projects at fossil fired power plants

WASHINGTON, DC (May 13, 2015) The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the US algae industry, today applauded new legislation offered by U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) to prioritize research and development of carbon utilization technologies under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fossil Energy program. The bill (S. 1282) would add “Improving the conversion, use, and storage of CO₂ produced from fossil fuels” to the list of DOE Fossil Energy R&D objectives under Section 961(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16512(b)).

The bill is recognition of the growing importance of algae and other technologies that can convert captured CO₂ to fuels, chemicals and other products. “By converting emissions into revenue streams, utilities and ratepayers can not only offset the cost of CO₂ capture, minimizing the impact on electricity costs, but also create jobs and economic development in regions across the country,” said ABO Executive Director Matt Carr. “This bill will help speed the development and deployment of these important technologies.”

“Algae and other biological carbon utilization platforms are under development or demonstration in more than 30 states,” said Carr. “The inclusion of carbon utilization as an R&D priority for DOE’s Fossil Energy program will help further link these projects with fossil energy generators to optimize fossil carbon conversion and speed commercial deployment.”

Algae and other similar biological platforms have shown exceptional ability in pilot and demonstration projects throughout the country to convert CO₂ into low-carbon advanced biofuels, plastics, fish and animal feed, and even fertilizer.

“We’ve spoken with dozens of members of Congress in the past year and have received bi-partisan support for this common sense approach to emissions reductions,” said Carr. “We look forward to seeing the proposal adopted.”

About the Algae Biomass Organization

The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit 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.

 

WASHINGTON, DC (April 20, 2015) The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, today announced Algae Systems, a company conducting energy positive wastewater treatment coupled with carbon-negative fuel production, as its newest Gold-level member, and HY-TEK Bio, a global leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions with algae, as its newest Corporate-level member. Algae Systems and HY-TEK Bio join the growing ranks of companies and organizations that are working with ABO to develop algae into a source of sustainable fuels, chemicals, feeds, nutraceuticals and other products.

With operations in Alabama, California and New York, Algae Systems’ technology captures what others discard – untreated wastewater and atmospheric CO2 – and produces renewable fuels and fertilizers, leaving behind only clean water for reuse. Their wastewater treatment process is powered by photosynthesis, lowering the cost per gallon of wastewater treated by alternative technologies. At the same time, the fuel that is produced by the company’s process is both carbon-negative and cost-competitive with fossil fuels.

Maryland-based HY-TEK Bio is an emerging global leader in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and cultivating algae to produce high value products.  HY-TEK Bio’s technology uses a unique strain of algae, which utilizes unfiltered flue gas as a growth accelerant to absorb up to 100 percent of the GHG emissions produced in industrial manufacturing and power generation. HY-TEK Bio’s algae can be used to make a variety of useful products, including soaps, paint thickeners, lubricants, palm oil substitutes, lutien/zeaxanthin, carbohydrates and proteins for food supplements, biofuels and many other products.

“Algae Systems and HY-TEK Bio both take waste carbon dioxide and transform it into valuable resources, strengthening the case for deploying algae technologies in the fight against climate change,” said Matt Carr, executive director of the Algae Biomass Organization. “We welcome both of these innovative companies and look forward to working with them as we continue the push for the accelerated development of carbon utilization technologies.”

Products made from algae are the natural solution to the energy, food, economic and climate challenges facing the world today. This tiny but powerful organism has the ability to simultaneously put fuels in vehicles, reuse CO₂, provide nutrition for animals and people, and create jobs for millions of Americans. More information can be found at www.allaboutalgae.com.

About the Algae Biomass Organization

The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit 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.

Al Darzins, R&D Director at Gas Technology Institute and James Levine, CEO of Sapphire Energy join ABO leadership as industry continues to expand breadth of product offerings

WASHINGTON, DC (February 10, 2015) The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the algae industry, today announced that Dr. Al Darzins, Research & Development Director at Gas Technology Institute (GTI) and James Levine, CEO of Sapphire Energy have been appointed to the ABO Board of Directors.

“As the algae industry continues to spawn new companies, new technologies and address new markets, Al and Jamie’s perspectives and experiences will be valuable additions to our board,” said Matt Carr, Executive Director of the Algae Biomass Organization. “Their combined deep experience in biotechnology, Fortune 100 companies, global finance, publicly traded companies and DOE national labs will add important perspectives and voices to our focus and execution.”
ABO’s board of directors guides the organization in its mission to educate the general public, policymakers, and industry about the benefits and potential of algae to provide sustainable solutions for commodity chemicals, fuels, food, and feed applications, as well as for high-value applications such as nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, among others. In addition, ABO’s board works closely with its executive director to advocate for policies that can accelerate the development of key market segments and commercial-scale algae production facilities for the full range of products that can be made from algae.

ABO’s board is comprised of representatives from multiple sectors of an industry that is experiencing more investment and seeing new commercial facilities opening or being planned around the world. Board members come from industry sectors that include academia, research institutes, professional services, algae biomass producers, technology suppliers, project developers, and end-users.

Dr. Al Darzins is an R&D Director at the Gas Technology Institute (GTI), a leading not-for-profit research, development and training organization with a legacy of expertise in biomass conversion technology development and deployment, where he is responsible for biotechnology-based research efforts in alternative energy and renewable fuels development. He served as ABO’s Program Co-chair for the 2014 Algae Biomass Summit (ABS) and is currently the Program Chair for the 2015 Summit that will be held in Washington, DC, September 30-October 2.

Prior to joining GTI, Dr. Darzins was a Research Manager in DuPont’s Biofuels division where he led an enzyme engineering effort and managed an ARPA-e funded macroalgae to biobutanol project. He has also held a position at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), where he managed biofuel technology development, re-established the organization’s long-dormant microalgal biomass program, and played an instrumental role in helping to organize the DOE’s National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap workshop.

James Levine joined Sapphire Energy as Chief Executive Officer in July 2014. He was formerly president and CEO of Verenium Corp., a NASDAQ-listed industrial biotechnology company that develops commercial-scale enzyme solutions using proprietary and patented technologies for industries worldwide. At Verenium, he fostered and managed the company’s most critical partnerships, including BP, which acquired the company’s cellulosic ethanol unit in 2010, as well as DuPont, Royal DSM, Bunge North America, Cargill, Novus International Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Co. and Tate & Lyle PLC, among others. Each of these partnerships enabled the application of Verenium’s technology in global food, fuels and animal nutrition markets. He also he led the company through its acquisition by BASF Corp. in late 2013. Prior to Verenium, Levine was a managing director in the global energy group at Goldman Sachs & Co.

Products made from algae are the natural solution to the energy, food, economic, and climate challenges facing the world today. This tiny but powerful organism has the ability to simultaneously put fuels in vehicles, reuse CO₂, provide nutrition for animals and people, and create jobs for millions of Americans. More information can be found at www.allaboutalgae.com.

About the Algae Biomass Organization

The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) is a 501 c(6) non-profit 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.