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University of Texas and other area researchers are on forefront of studying promising biofuel. The U Tex also has an excellent culture collection of various algae species.

This article provides an overview of the kind of stuff available at U of Texas; it also provides useful details on a range of research that is going on in the university in this regard

Full article here

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This is a June 2008 news item, but I felt it could be interesting.

Aurora Biofuels, an algae-to-biodiesel startup, said that it’s raised a second round of funding of $20 million; Oak Investment Partners, Gabriel Venture Partners and Noventi were included in the round.

Developed at the University of California at Berkeley, the company was founded in 2006 and uses genetically modified algae to create biodiesel. So far the company has been working in the labs and at pilot scale. Caspari says Aurora intends to be “the lowest cost producers” of algae for biofuels.

Aurora uses an open pond system to grow its algae, which is less expensive than the “closed system,” but keeping out “weed” organisms is difficult.

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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 harvesting algae are manageable. And he believes algae will have manageable startup costs and a quick innovation cycle.

Where algae fails to meet Khosla’s criteria is that he doesn’t believe algae will be able to compete unsubsidized with petroleum and other alternatives unsubsidized in the next five to seven years.

What algae needs, Khosla said, is a “black swan” solution. Black swans are those very important, industry disrupting ideas that may seem obvious in retrospect but no one forecast beforehand.

Full news report from here

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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 rather than grain or other livestock feed.

Their development is seen as a crucial cog in moving beyond the 'food versus fuel' debate.

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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 silica nanoscale particles to penetrate plant cell walls to deliver molecules to the cells. The biodiesel research project will attempt to use the nanoscale particles to penetrate the cell walls of microalgae to harvest chemicals from the algae to produce biodiesel without destroying the organisms - some kind of nanofarming.

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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 biodiesel is decades and billions of dollars away, feels this post.

While some fuel savings can be achieved by streamlining operations and reducing weight, the IATA is looking to reach emission gains and create feel-good PR for international aviation. The IATA’s Green Vision, or its plan to green the industry, would like to see “zero emission” jets by 2050, but has a short-term goal of 10 percent biofuel use by 2013.

The IATA’s desire for biofuels isn’t coming completely out of left field. Airlines like Virgin Atlantic, Air New Zealand and Lufthansa are trying out biofuel mixes with engine builders, mostly from the usual farm-raised crops like corn. But algae as a power source is mostly limited to government labs, where NASA is partnering with Boeing to study algae biodiesel.

Read more from this post @ BNet

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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.

Part one of this report was published on October 27, 2008 (see 10/27/2008 GSPI press release titled “Green Star States: Energy From Algae Is Being Recognized As A Major Solution” at http://www.greenstarusa.com/news/08-10-27.html).

Joseph LaStella, President of Green Star Products, attended the conference and reported, “Prominent speakers from all over the world displayed their research and the potential of algae to permanently solve the oil crisis, food crisis, and to control the buildup of global warming gases. The algae biological makeup was also investigated for the possibility to produce chemicals and new products limited only by our ingenuity to create them.

“One of the conference highlights was the presentation given by Congressman Jay Inslee (D-WA) from the state of Washington. Representative Inslee, being a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Select Committee for Energy Independence and Global Warming, has been a long term supporter of national sustainability and energy independence.

“Congressman Inslee started his speech by giving an account of what his father had told him as a young boy in 1959. Holding up a flask of algae, his father (a biologist) told him, 'Someday this will cure the world's energy needs.'

“Congressman Inslee went on to say that the United States needs an energy, environmental and job creation program similar in national commitment to the Apollo Space Program launched by President John F. Kennedy. He also stated that President Kennedy knew that the U.S.A. could beat the Russians to the moon if the United States ingenuity engine was unleashed. A similar program sponsored by Congressman Inslee is called 'The New Apollo Energy Act' which challenges us on energy independence, global warming and creating jobs.

“Congressman Inslee outlined a four point program, to address the triple threat to the U.S.: imported oil, global warming and job losses (http://www.house.gov/inslee/). Representative Inslee asked all 600 participants of the algae summit to go to Washington, D.C., and help him on Capitol Hill.

“Congressman Inslee reminded us that our fathers fought in World War II and left a legacy for Democracy. Those born after World War II, the 'baby boomers,' must now leave a legacy of Clean Energy. Industries cannot keep dumping their garbage into the atmosphere like it's a free sewer, and it is obvious that the U.S. addiction to foreign oil now has critical economic and national security implications.”

Mr. LaStella also states, “There was a clear consensus of opinion from all the industries, including airline, energy and chemical industries, that algae biomass is the answer to this dilemma. Presently, there is no clear pathway to the reduction of cost to produce commercial algae biomass.

“In summary, the summit speakers identified the most important items challenging the commercial production of algae biomass were the reduction of costs associated with capital construction and operation.

“Green Star's Hybrid Algae Production System (HAPS), one of the largest demonstration facilities, was operated for a continuous nine month period that created a foundation for addressing these cost issues. The HAPS system is protected by 23 individual patent pending components involving construction and operating techniques which will make it very cost competitive. None of these 23 high tech components were incorporated in any presentation at this summit by other companies.

“Therefore, it is my opinion that Green Star is ahead of the technology curve associated with the production of commercial scale algae biomass. Green Star is planning an exciting year for 2009 in developing two 500-acre commercial algae production facilities.”

As an additional comment, our last press release (part one) contained some minor inaccurate information. The Algae Biomass Summit was hosted by Byrne & Company and Wilson Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, and we would also like to give credit to John Williams of Scoville PR and the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) (algalbiomass.org) because we used several phrases from their press release to describe the attendance spectrum at the conference. We did reference their document in the previous press release; however, we would like to acknowledge again the efforts of Vinod Khosla in supporting this great industry.

Green Star Products, Inc. (OTC: GSPI - News) is an environmentally friendly company dedicated to creating innovative, cost-effective products to improve the quality of life and clean up the environment. Green Star Products and its Consortium are involved in the production of green sustainable goods including renewable resources like algae biodiesel and clean-burning biofuels, cellulosic ethanol and other products, as well as lubricants, additives and devices that reduce emissions and improve fuel economy in vehicles, machinery and power plants. For more information, see Green Star Products' Web site at http://www.GreenStarUSA.com, or call Public Relations at 1-800-741-7648 and 1-800-340-9784, or fax 619-789-4743, or email info@GreenStarUSA.com. Information about trading prices and volume can be obtained at several Internet sites, including http://www.pinksheets.com, http://www.bloomberg.com and http://www.bigcharts.com under the ticker symbol "GSPI".

Forward-looking statements in the release are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, continued acceptance of the company's products, increased levels of competition for the company, new products and technological changes, the company's dependence on third-party suppliers, and other risks detailed from time to time in the company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:
Green Star Products, Inc.
Joseph LaStella, President
800-741-7648
800-340-9784
619-864-4010
619-789-4743 (fax)
info@GreenStarUSA.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Green Star Products, Inc.

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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 analysed. Good reference for all folks interested in researching the aviation fuel from alternative sources

Read the full report from here (PDF file, 8 pages).

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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 micro-organisms to make fuel, please read the full interview here . This is what he has to say about the role of algae:

"
What excites you in alternative fuels? All of it, I think. I really like the idea of convincing algae to make long-chain fatty acids or long-chain alcohols. So if we could convince algae to efficiently produce oils — and there are algae that make up to 70 percent of their weight as oils — now, these are slow-growing algae, but if we could convince these algae, by genetically manipulating them, to grow rapidly and produce these oils, then you could develop ponds in non-arable land that would have this thin film of algae on the top. Every so often you harvest all the algae off the top, extract the oil, use the rest as animal feed, and a few days later you come back and you’ve got more.

What would it take for this to become reality? It’s hard to know yet. There are untold species of algae. Untold species of bacteria. We have to understand the pathways that lead to the production. We have to understand more how about algae do this. We have to convince organisms to make these fuels and still survive and propagate and make more organisms. And so this will involve understanding how life works in some ways that we may not understand it right now. The key discoveries, I don’t know what they’ll be. I think that the tools of synthetic biology can go a really long way towards developing biofuels that are truly carbon neutral and potentially also neutral in terms of impacting the world’s capacity to produce food. There are remarkable things that may become possible in the very near future.
"

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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 remain elusive for many years. In the late 1990s,
University of California at Berkeley Professor Anastasios Melis discovered that if the algae culture medium is deprived of sulfur it will switch from the production of oxygen (normal photosynthesis), to the production of Hydrogen.

Further research revealed that the enzyme responsible for this reaction is Hydrogenase, but that the Hydrogenase lost this function in the presence of oxygen. Melis determined that depleting the amount of sulfur available to the algae interrupted its internal oxygen flow, allowing the Hydrogenase an environment in which it can react, causing the algae to produce Hydrogen. Chlamydomonas moeweesi is also a good strain for the production of Hydrogen.

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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 by Diane Urbani de la Paz/Peninsula Daily News

At the Marine Sciences Laboratory on Sequim Bay, Michael Huesemann, a biochemical engineer who grew up near Hamburg, Germany, is at the front of the quest for algal biofuel. To him, it's not so new. Huesemann started working with algae six years ago, and has only recently seen interest in his research bloom like roses in a greenhouse.

The Sequim lab, which sits on 140 acres facing Sequim Bay, is the only U.S. Department of Energy marine research facility in the country, so it is indeed interesting to know that this lab is doing research on algal biofuels.

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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 of Fields of Fuel, Josh Tickell’s stunning new documentary on biodiesel and the state of a world dependent on petroleum"

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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 is not clearly ready.
(5) For both of these very promising feedstocks, algae and cellulose, we are going to wait a few more years before we’ll hopefully get a clear indication as to whether or not they truly emerge as major sources of transportation fuel.

This report does not consider converting algae to ethanol, from what I understand but rather does a direct comparison between different feedstocks for ethanol and for biodiesel (algae). However, it is an interesting article.

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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 they face significant hurdles, says this Feb 2008 white paper from Royal Dutch / Shell.

Useful details in this brief paper.

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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. Understanding biophotolysis well enough to model hydrogenase structure and function, regulatory and metabolic networks.
9. Extent of natural diversity among hydrogenases and hydrogen-producing organisms
10. How do we overcome the oxygen-sensitivity problem of hydrogenases?
11. Key capabilities needed to address many of the gaps in current understanding of biophotolytic hydrogen production include developing microbial hosts to produce hydrogenase enzymes, screening large numbers of enzymes for desired functionalities, large-scale molecular profiling to provide a global view of hydrogen production, in vivo visualization of hydrogenase structure and activity, modeling of regulatory and metabolic networks, and metabolic engineering (see Table: Roadmap for Development of Biophotolyic Hydrogen Technologies, and Table: Biophotolytic Hydrogen Production Challenges, Scale, and Complexity).

And more...a very important white paper!

Full report here


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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 kick off marketing efforts for the system has been pushed back as financing complications are worked out.

"The market demand for vegetable oil from algae biomass is a primary driver for the development of this new crop," said Ben Cloud, president and CEO of XL Renewables Inc. "XL Renewables Inc. continues work toward the development of algae biomass as a crop grown in Arizona, and we expect Arizona to be a leading supplier of algae biomass products for food and energy."

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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 up the Algae Biofuels Challenge, which it will fund with up to £6 million and will also have the backing and funding of the Department of Transport.

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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 it was a year ago
2. The panelists agreed that this was a good time for companies to continue their research and development efforts.
3. Those companies that are ready to move towards pilot and demonstration projects in the next two years will be well positioned to attract investment.
4. Algae companies will not be served well by thinking small. Most venture capitalists won’t be interested in projects that don’t have the potential for creating at least a billion dollars of value.
5. Another key area for investors will be the industries that will support the algae industry.

Source: Biodiesel Magazine

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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 executive teams.

"The opening of our Florida offices is a significant milestone in our company's continued growth," said Paul Woods, co-founder and CEO of Algenol Biofuels. "The establishment of our North American headquarters underscores our commitment to bringing affordable biofuel options to the U.S. as we look to lessen our dependence on foreign fuel sources and reducing CO2 levels."

Algenol's Direct to Ethanol(TM) process links photosynthesis with the natural enzymes to produce ethanol inside each tiny algae cell and does not use food, farmland, or fresh water. The Company currently has the capability of producing ethanol at a rate of over 6,000 gallons per acre per year and will be producing ethanol for commercial sales in 2009.

About Algenol Biofuels

Algenol Biofuels, Inc., a privately owned company, was founded in early 2006 and is engaged in broad research and development efforts to develop industrial-scale production systems to make ethanol from algae. The company's DIRECT TO ETHANOL(TM) process is the most advanced third generation biofuels technology that produces industrial-scale, low cost ethanol using algae, sunlight, CO2 and seawater. It is the only end-to-end commercial process that stabilizes and reduces CO2 levels. Algenol is slated for commercial sales of ethanol in 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.algenolbiofuels.com.

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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 JP-8 jet fuel. JP-8 is similar to Jet A, which is used in commercial aviation equipment. “If you can make JP-8, you can make Jet A,” said Tom Erickson, associate director for research at the EERC. Research is also being conducted on algal-oil-to-fuel projects

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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 risk that natural strains will out-compete its algae or eliminate its special qualities through hybridization.

Algae execs at competitors tend to scoff at this notion. The challenges keeping wild species at bay, getting consistent results generation to generation represent massive problems. And one can only imagine the land-use hearings when Sapphire says it wants to build a pond to raise GMO algae. Again, it is their job to scoff, but they have a point.

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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 (http://www.byrneltd.com), is the official conference of the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) (http://www.algalbiomass.org/events). The event, featuring nearly 50 speakers and 29 poster presentations, is designed to highlight scientific advances and encourage knowledge sharing to accelerate the commercialization of algae as a renewable energy source.

"That more than 600 people from around the world have registered, reflects the intense global interest in algae as one of the most promising renewable energy sources," said Tom Byrne, president of The Byrne Company and secretary of the ABO Steering Committee. "But it's also clear that people are coming to learn from the best and the brightest scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, government leaders and venture capitalists who are speaking and presenting posters at the event."

Keynoting the conference is Vinod Khosla, a nationally recognized clean technology investor and Managing Partner of Khosla Ventures (http://www.khoslaventures.com). Khosla Ventures has invested millions in clean technology start-ups in sectors including next generation, fuel-efficiency technologies, solar technology, carbon sequestration and in other sectors.

During the course of the event, these leaders and the hundreds of 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, and venture and project finance. Ongoing updates from the conference will be available through PR Newswire's Virtual Conference Newsroom (http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/tradeshows/events.jsp?show=639154&option=tradeshow&view=LATEST).

About the ABO

The Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and advocate for the development of commercially-viable transportation and power generation fuels as well as other non-energy applications for algae biomass. 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.algalbiomass.org.

SOURCE Algal Biomass Organization

John Williams, +1-206-625-0075, jwilliams@scovillepr.com, for Algal Biomass Organization,

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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 Mike Cowling, science and research manager at the Crown Estate, said: "Given Scotland's rugged western coastline and relatively clean seas, it is sensible to examine the farming of seaweeds and sustainable harvesting of natural supplies as a source of energy."

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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, to work together to convert wild algae into fuel products and sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) for Aquaflow's algal oil production.

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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 strategy for Boeing commercial planes, synthetic jet fuel already exists. South Africa, for example, uses a process developed during World War II, when the country was subject to an oil embargo. But that fuel is made from coal, not from halophytes (plants growing in salty areas) or jatropha (succulent land-based plants already used to make biodiesel).

Mr. Morgan predicts that in the next three to five years, first users will have access to “significant gallons” from the land-based plants. Other feedstocks like algae and waste cellulose will require technical breakthroughs, he said.

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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 Reached

- Rosetta has Already Identified microRNAs Correlated With Algal Oil Content and Starch & Oil Content in Corn

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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 phytoplankton is fertilized to speed up the growth process. It only takes a few days to grow a harvestable crop, which is one reason it’s attractive as a potential fuel source.

The algae-rich water is pumped from the pond into a centrifuge, where the algae are separated from the pond water through a spinning process. The algae create a thick, dark paste, which is scraped from the sides of the centrifuge.

The oil-rich paste is spread into a thin layer on a flat surface and placed in a dehydrator to be dried out. The end result is a series of thin pieces of a dark substance that almost looks like beef jerky. Those pieces are highly flammable from the high concentration of oil.

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Labels: algae oil

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The mission is under way to turn algae into an alternative to fossil-based oil by 2020 as the UK Carbon Trust launched the Algae Biofuels Challenge.As part of Advanced Bioenergy Accelerator, the Carbon Trust intends to make a multi-million pound investment to support the development and commercialisation of microalgae biofuel technologies that have the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The Carbon Trust intends to fund R&D into microalgae derived transport fuels through the Algae Biofuels Challenge, ABC.

The ABC is a two phase programme with the first phase addressing fundamental R&D challenges and the second phase moving to large scale production of algal oil. The total programme cost is expected to be in the region of £20m-30m, with up to £10m-16m of Carbon Trust funding.

The call for proposals for Phase 1 of the ABC opened on the 23rd October 2008 and closes on 15th December 2008. The launch event of the ABC, will be held on 30th October in London.

The launch event will be used to explain the strategy for the Algae Biofuels Challenge. This networking opportunities will provide a forum for attendees to generate inter-disciplinary and inter-organisational collaborations to deliver the requirements of the Algae Biofuels Challenge.

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GreenFuel Technologies Corporation and Aurantia, SA announced the second phase of their joint project to develop and scale algae farming technologies in the Iberian Peninsula on october 21. The Holcim cement plant was initiated in December 2007 near Jerez, Spain, the project’s goal is to demonstrate that industrial CO2 emissions can be economically recycled to grow algae for use in high-value feeds, foods and fuels.The second phase of the project commenced with the successful inoculation and subsequent harvests of a 100m2 prototype vertical thin-film algae-solar bioreactor.

The next phase of the Aurantia-GreenFuel project at Holcim will be the construction of a 1,000m2 algae greenhouse and harvesting facilities adjacent to the cement plant. In the meantime, GreenFuel and Aurantia will continue to test algae growth rates with the cement plant’s flue gasses.

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Seattle-based Inventure Chemical and Tel Aviv-based Seambiotic announced this week a joint venture to create biofuels from algae fed by a coal-fired power plant. Apparently, this is an idea growing in popularity. Seambiotic has developed a way to convert algae to biodiesel, ethanol, or specialty chemicals, and they’re testing their open-pond algae farm in Israel. The coal power plant and algae farm are working hand in hand to power one another – the flue gas emissions from the power plant will be used to grow the algae, which is in turn converted to fuel to either operate the plant, or be sold.

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Add another contender to the alternative aviation fuel race: Swift Enterprises. The company, which is based in Indiana, has developed a renewable jet fuel made from landfill waste, sorghum, algae, woodchips, and other feedstocks.

Swift’s biofuel currently costs $60 per gallon to produce, but the company believes that the cost will drop to $1.80 once they begin full-scale production.

And while other companies are also working on alternative fuels for planes, Swift believes that it has the most promising solution.

According to a spokesman for the company, Swift’s fuel has been the only successful challenger to outperform petroleum as a high-octane aviation fuel.

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Add another contender to the alternative aviation fuel race: Swift Enterprises. The company, which is based in Indiana, has developed a renewable jet fuel made from landfill waste, sorghum, algae, woodchips, and other feedstocks.

Swift’s biofuel currently costs $60 per gallon to produce, but the company believes that the cost will drop to $1.80 once they begin full-scale production.

And while other companies are also working on alternative fuels for planes, Swift believes that it has the most promising solution.

According to a spokesman for the company, Swift’s fuel has been the only successful challenger to outperform petroleum as a high-octane aviation fuel.

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Thought I'd profile this company.

Products
They grow agal species specifically tailored to your requirements. Quantities and dry processing and packaging is available for all species harvested at their facility.

Bioreactor
Bioreactor Forest(tm) 20 System - 2000L photobioreactor system is skid mounted and can process up to 1000L of wet algae per day. This system includes all necessary tanks, pumps and plumbing. Harvesting can be done in batch or continuous basis depending on the operational requirements and processing system in place.

More on Algal Sciences from their web site

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A rather old news item (Nov 2007 ), but I seemed to have missed this in my earlier posts, so there it is!

US-headquartered energy company Chevron and the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have entered into a collaborative R&D agreement to study and advance technology to produce liquid transportation fuels using algae.

Chevron and NREL scientists will identify and develop algae strains that can be economically harvested and processed into finished transportation fuels such as jet fuel. Chevron Technology Ventures, a division of Chevron USA, will fund the initiative.

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Arizona State University officials said today researchers have received a $3 million for a new algae spinoff company that's developed a kerosene-based aviation fuel derived from algae.

The scientists leading the effort are professors Qiang Hu and Milton Sommerfeld of ASU’s Laboratory for Algae Research & Biotechnology. The team said the new approach has cost reduction benefits much greater than traditional methods of producing kerosene from petroleum.

The new biofuel initiative is a collaborative project between Heliae Development, LLC and Science Foundation Arizona. This project will focus on the commercial production of kerosene from algae using technology patented by the two scientists.

Professors Hu and Sommerfeld have identified and characterized algal strains capable of converting portions of their cellular mass into oil that contains high concentration of medium chain fatty acids. When the oil is deoxygenated, the resulting hydrocarbon chains are similar to those found in kerosene. When mixed with small amounts of fuel additives, called JP8 or Jet A, the fuel is suitable for jet planes.

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To combat the rising cost of a barrel of oil the airline industry has implemented a suite of “creative” price hikes: Jetblue recently increased the cost of its roomier seats, American Airlines announced it will begin charging a luggage fee, and US Airways plans to price all its non-alcoholic drinks at $2.

But among these inventive moves, one idea that we rather like has been overlooked. Recently, air carriers Air New Zealand, Continental, and Virgin Atlantic Airways joined forces with the young but mighty Algae Biomass Organization (ABO). Boeing already co-chairs the 400-member non-profit that aims to fast track algae-as-commercial-fuel research.

Business Wire reported on Virgin Atlantic President Sir Richard Branson’s reasons for joining ABO:

"Algae really could be a solution to help airlines produce lower carbon emissions. Crucially, it is a source of fuel which doesn't lead to deforestation or the taking away of land or water from the cultivation of essential food crops."

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There are many companies that are joining the race to find a cost-effective, environmentally friendly way to turn algae into the fuel needed to power cars, trucks, airplanes and boats.

The amount of money being invested in algae-to-fuel research by venture capitalists is skyrocketing. New businesses are snapping up graduate students knowledgeable about the aquatic plants before they've even finished their degrees, and they're hustling to form alliances with algae academics who for years toiled without much notice.

"Industry is coming to us," said Shulin Chen, a Washington State University biological engineering professor working on algae power.

"This is an exciting time," said Rose Ann Cattolico, a University of Washington algae expert.

"A lot of the innovation is happening on the West Coast (of the US)," said Darrin Morgan, The Boeing Co.'s director of business analysis/environmental strategy.

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Came across this new site Algae Oil - not sure how long it has been around. Right now, it is a rather small site, am sure it will grow fast and become more useful with time

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Two leading Algae experts will share their views on the commercialization prospects of Algae Biofuels at the upcoming "Algae Biofuels: The REAL Story" webinar. This webinar separates facts from fiction and will provide a critical examination of several key issues central to long-term commercial success.

Algae Biofuels may not be quite ready for commercial production. In fact, according to one industry expert, future development faces three significant obstacles:

1) The relatively high costs of production;
2) The current market focus on Algae production for the health food market and
3) The lack of biological know-how for commercial scale Algae biofuel production.

So what is the correct and commercially viable path for Algae Biofuels to ultimately take? Today's current realities will be explored at the upcoming "Algae Biofuels: The REAL Story" webinar. This free webinar will air Wednesday, 29 October at 9 a.m. US Eastern Time, 1 p.m. GMT, 6.30 p.m. India, 9 p.m. Singapore/Hong Kong. The webinar is part of the upcoming Algae World 2008 meeting in Singapore on November 17 and 18.

For more info on the webinar, see here

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What looks just like a dune buggy -- for researchers at Old Dominion University -- is much, much more. Powered by what grows in ponds and aquariums, what's bubbling inside these large vats is being called the fuel of the future.

Dr. Patrick Hatcher is a leader of the Algae-to-Biodiesel Pilot Project at ODU. He says the project has hit some snags -- mostly because of the need for more microscopic plants. But they are going to continue the good efforts

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