You are at: Oilgae Blog. Vinod Khosla told more than 700 people attending the Algal Biomass Summit in Seattle on Oct. 23 that he has five criteria for investing in cutting edge energy technologies. Algae meets four of those criteria but fails on the last. Khosla said he believes the engineering problems of growing and […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. The Federal Government will spend $15 million on second generation biofuels research and development. Under the new program businesses and institutions researching second generation biofuels are now able to apply for grants of between $1 million and $5 million. Second generation biofuels use fuel stocks such as biomass and algae […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. The U.S. DOE has awarded $885,000 to its Ames Laboratory, which is operated by Iowa State University in Ames, to research using nanoscale particles to harvest chemical compounds—such as triglycerides, neutral lipids, and fatty acids—from microalgae for biodiesel production. ISU just completed a research project that successfully used chemically-coated, honeycomb-like […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Here’s a post that talks about the recent and sudden focus that the aviation industry has acquired for algae-based biofuels. The International Air Transport Association is backing the use of second and third generation biofuels to lower jet emissions — and they have set their target on algae. Unfortunately, algae […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Press Release Source: Green Star Products, Inc. Thursday October 30, 2008 KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Green Star Products, Inc. today announced that it is releasing part two of a report covering the assessment of the 2nd Algae Biomass Summit hosted by Byrne & Company and Wilson Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati. […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. This is a white paper by the Boeing Co, done in 2007. Excellent report, provides detailed data and analysis on the various fuels and feedstock that have been attempted by the Boeing Aircraft Co for possible use in aircraft. Of course, algae is one of the feedstock that is being […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. I really liked this interview with John Glass, a senior scientist at the J. Craig Venter Institute’s Synthetic Biology and Bioenergy division in Rockville, where researchers are working to create synthetic bacteria that could be engineered to make cheap, abundant fuel. He provides insights on how to use bacteria and […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. In 1939 Hans Gaffron, a University of Chicago research scientist, observed that the green algae he was studying, Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii, would occasionally switch from the production of oxygen to the production of Hydrogen. Gaffron was unable to discover why the algae would change to Hydrogen production and the answer would […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Algae and seaweed grown in the open ocean could provide biodiesel and even jet fuel, according to Michael Huesemann, a biochemical engineer at the Sequim Marine Sciences Laboratory. The facility, the only U.S. Department of Energy marine lab in the country, is a center for algal fuel research. — Photo […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. This is a Jan 2008 report, thought will make a note for those of you looking for real-world tests of algae biofuel. “The world’s first pair of cars to run on algae biodiesel were announced at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. The cars were prominently displayed outside the world premier […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Here are some comparisons: (1) Algae can be converted into ethanol or diesel, depending on the process.(2) Cellulose feedstock, generally speaking, has a much larger geographic footprint than proposed algae designs.(3) Both algae and ethanol can be grown utilizing waste streams.(4) Cellulosic feedstock for ethanol is available now. Algae feedstock […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Algae hold great promise as a possible source of biodiesel because they grow rapidly, are rich in vegetable oil and can be cultivated in ponds of seawater, reducing the need for fertile land and fresh water. Many companies are seeking ways to produce algal oil on a commercial scale, but […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. This is an excellent paper on Biohydrogen production. Some of the topics discussed are: 1. Nitrogenase-Mediated Hydrogen Production. 2. Fermentative Hydrogen Production. 3. Biophotolysis of Water 4. Biophotolytic Hydrogen: Goals and Impacts 5. Engineering Oxygen-Tolerant, Efficient Hydrogenases. 6. Designing Microorganisms Optimized for Hydrogen Production. 7. Gaps in Scientific Understanding 8. […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Not surprisingly with an emerging technology, the playing field is shifting for algae biomass pioneer XL Renewables Inc. The firm’s Algae Development Center has refined its patented XL Super Trough System for algae biomass production at the company’s facility at Withrow Dairy in Casa Grande. But a field day to […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Algae-based transportation fuel could reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by over 160 million tonnes, according to the Carbon Trust. The organisation has set up a funding initiative to boost research and development into algae biofuels with the aim of creating an alternative to fossil fuels by 2020. It has set […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Algae producers should still be able to find funding from eager investors, according to a panel of experts who discussed venture capital and equity financing at the Algae Biomass Summit in Seattle early this month. Excerpts from this news report: 1. The investment situation for algae is actually better than […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Algenol Biofuels, developers of DIRECT TO ETHANOL(TM), the most advanced third generation biofuels technology, today announced the official opening of the Company’s U.S. headquarters in Naples, Florida. The new headquarters joins established locations in Baltimore, Maryland and Palm Beach county Florida. The office will house the Company’s business development and […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Several members of the renewable fuels industry recently made announcements promoting their latest accomplishments in renewable jet fuel production. Researchers at the University of North Dakota’s Energy & Environmental Research Center have produced samples of a 100 percent renewable jet fuel that meets the stringent requirements for the U.S. military’s […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Genetic engineering also influences how Sapphire will grow its algae. It wants to grow the algae in open, saline ponds, rather than sealed bioreactors, like Greenfuel. The company also says that it has minimized the danger of rogue algal blooms from its genetically enhanced algae ponds as well as the […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Press release Seattle, Oct. 22 — When the 2008 Algae Biomass Summit kicks off tomorrow in Seattle it will be in front of nearly twice as many attendees as the inaugural summit last year. The Algae Biomass Summit, sponsored by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati (http://www.wsgr.com) and The Byrne Company […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Seaweed could be used as a green fuel alternative, research by Scottish scientists revealed yesterday. The research details how marine algae could be farmed to produce biomass fuel for homes and transport. The Scottish Association of Marine Science was commissioned by the Crown Estate to conduct the new research. Professor […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Marlborough-based Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation, which announced last month it had produced biofuel from algae growing on sewage, is to work with a multi-national company to commercially exploit its technology. Aquaflow said today it had signed a memorandum of understanding with United States-based UOP LLC, wholly owned by Honeywell International Inc, […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Currently aircraft mostly run on kerosene, and while a variety of other biofuels are being discussed for aircraft, the idea would be to use plant sources to manufacture synthetic kerosene — or, to use the technical term, synthetic paraffinic kerosene. According to Darrin Morgan, who is in charge of environmental […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Initiates Rosetta Green, a Project Which Will Leverage Rosetta Genomics’ Proprietary microRNA Technologies and Strong IP Position to Develop a Wide Range of Plant-Based Applications – The Company has Recently Secured Up to $1.5M From Private Investors, Which Will be Invested in the Project in Trenches as Certain Milestones are […]

You are at: Oilgae Blog. Mr. Kemp and his students start the process of creating “oilgae” by collecting phytoplankton (microscopic algae) from Bogue Sound, then growing it in special ponds. As the water is pumped from the sound into the ponds, a filter separates the phytoplankton from other microscopic animals that would eat it. The […]