Oilgae Blog - The Latest from the World of Algae Fuels

Algae-Based Carbon Capture Next to Power Plants at Orissa, India

Algae-based carbon-dioxide capture seems to be an excellent opportunity for industries such as cement industries, iron and steel as well as for companies such as  National Aluminum Company(NALCO) which emit enormous amount of carbon-dioxide into the atmosphere. With the initiative of the Orissa government, a 9.5 million project will be launched to sequester carbon-dioxide from [...]

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[ More ] September 6th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-CO2-Capture, Algae-Fuel-Research |

BP ventures into Verenium’s Cellulosic Biofuel Business

Verenium Corp., a Cambridge commercial enzyme developer, has closed the $98.3 million sale of its cellulosic biofuels business to BP Biofuels North America today.As part of the acquisition, Verenium’s pilot plant and demonstration-scale facility in Jennings, La., is now owned by BP BP also takes over the company’s research and development facilities in San Diego [...]

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[ More ] September 4th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Energy-Companies |

Thailand’s Alternative Energy Development Plans to Fund Algae Biofuels

Thailand’s Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Department may be financing algal biofuel research and development, according to Deputy Director-General Twarath Sutabutr. The department will fund the project and help  two Thai universities – Burapha University and Kasetsart University the leading Australian research institutes James Cook University and the Queensland University of Technology share marine technology [...]

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[ More ] September 4th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Fuel-Research |

Comparative Study Of Lipid Composition Of Two Halotolerant Alga

I came across this  paper on the comparitive study of lipid composition of two halotolerant algae, Dunaliella bardawil and Dunaliella salina.- Interesting! This paper highlights the the composition of polar, neutral and glycolipid fractions of two halotolerant algae, Dunaliella salina and Dunaliella bardawil. These two algae are usually used to study beta-carotene As far as [...]

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[ More ] September 3rd, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Fuel-Research |

Washington State University Takes a Lead on a Aviation Biofuel Project

Washington State University(WSU) along with  Alaska Airlines, Boeing, Port of Seattle, Port of Portland and Spokane International Airport will be working on a algae-biofuel project for aviation purposes. Research will include an analysis of biofuel feedstocks native to the Pacific Northwest, including algae, oilseeds such as camelina and woody biomass. The project will identify potential [...]

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[ More ] September 3rd, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Fuel-Research |

Wet Extraction of Algal Biomass to Biodiesel.

As you might be aware that extraction of algal biomass directly i.e. avoiding the steps such as dewatering and drying which are energy intensive will help a great deal in reducing the cost of biodiesel obtained from algae.The researchers at the University of Michigan have published the feasibility of a two-step process to produce biodiesel [...]

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[ More ] September 2nd, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae, Algae Oil Extraction, Algae-Fuel-Research |

Biofuels Produced in the UK Fail to Meet the Environmental Standards

The Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA), the UK’s independent regulator for biofuels  report that they are disappointed that the vast majority of biofuels sold on UK forecourts do not conform to environmental standards. The fuel suppliers were meeting legally binding volume targets but some were falling “well short” on achieving voluntary green standards. The figures of [...]

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[ More ] September 1st, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae, Algae-Energy |

Strategies for Engineering Microbes for Biofuel Production

When I was researching on the metabolic engineering  aspects of algae to produce renewable fuels, my eyes caught upon this article- it squite Interesting   and it provides a lot of useful insights on the strategies employed for genetic engineering microbes for fuel production. Using synthetic biology, metabolic engineering, or other advanced techniques to create novel [...]

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[ More ] September 1st, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Genetic Engineering |

DOE’s National Laboratories Receives R&D 100 Awards

The Department of Energy(DOE)  comprises of many national laboratories and technology centers and many such national labs are working on algae projects. Three national labs of the DOE have now been awarded the R&D 100 awards, for their innovative technologies. A brief description of their technology and the advantages of each of those techniques have [...]

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Biomass Program Webinars: Algae Webinar by DOE

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Biomass Program is hosting a Webinar on Wednesday, September 8, 2010, from 2:00–4:30 p.m. EDT entitled “The Promise and Challenge of Algae as a Renewable Source of Biofuels.” This Web conference marks the first in the Biomass Program’s Webinar series, which will cover many of the program’s activities and [...]

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[ More ] August 31st, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Energy-Events |

How are algae able to grow in the dark?

Dark fermentation is in the news after Solazyme , an US based algae company delivered 1500 gallons of jet fuel to the US navy early July. Interestingly, this company ‘s approach ( Earlier post) is different from the rest, they grow genetically engineered algae  in the dark and follow what is called the heterotrophic fermentation [...]

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[ More ] August 30th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Genetic Engineering |

Photoautotrophic Cultivation- Open ponds Vs Photobioreactors.

Algae-cultivation on a whole faces several challenges. There are two methods of growing algae -  one is the photoautotrophic cultivation  and the other is the  heterotrophic cultivation. Photoautotrophic cultivation as the name suggests is cultivating algae in the presence of light – the light can be either freely available sunlight or artificially provided light.  Heterotrophic [...]

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Fast Track Algae Commercialization, Production, Research and Networking Conference.

An algae bioenergy event  is being organised by the National Algae Association(NAA). All the registeration information can be obtained from the following link – http://www.nationalalgaeassociation.com. All algaepreneurs from all over the world are expected to attend this mega event. Its not just a conference, there is more – Scholarships will be awarded for  the most [...]

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[ More ] August 30th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Energy-Events |

Algae Strain Selection- An Intensive Exercise!

It’s not easy to select the right algae strain  say many scientists and its absolutely true.. It is not just isolating a algae from a natural environment and culturing it and transferring  them into a open-ponds, PBR’s, fermenter or whatever. It is a lot more… According to the DOE, there are three parameters required to [...]

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[ More ] August 29th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Strains |

Continental Airlines Joins the Algae-Fuel Race

Some airlines have been testing different types of biofuel to determine the viability of using sustainable alternatives  such as algae aviation fuel to the Jet-A1 (kerosene) fuel currently used by commercial aviation. Recently, a company called Solazyme has delivered about 1500 gallons of aviation fuel to the US military. Slowly, many other airlines are working [...]

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[ More ] August 28th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Aviation-Fuel |

The Future of Biofuel Market – Algae Summit and Exhibition in Berlin

This summit and exhibition -  Defining The Future Biofuels Market taking place on 13-14 September 2010 in Berlin  invites biofuel enthusiasts to learn, network and generate sales at ground-breaking annual biofuel and biomass event focused on the development of renewable sources of energy. This high-profile event expects to get  connected  with plant builders, financiers, consultants, [...]

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[ More ] August 27th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Energy-Events |

Event on Algae Commercialisation for Food, Feed and Fuel in Singapore

An event in Singapore -  3rd Algae World Asia  being  held on the 19 and 20 Oct, 2010 plans to focus on the business and technological aspects of producing algae for: Human and animal nutrition, Carbon-dioxide Sequestration Waste-Water Treatment The event will have various  participants  such as Algae fuels Producers .  Algae Equipment Suppliers , [...]

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[ More ] August 27th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Energy-Events |

Algae.Tec Signs two MOU’s

Algae.tec Limited, which has secured the exclusive global rights to a pioneering highly-efficient algae growth and harvesting system that produces algal products such as algal oil and biomass announced two MOUs  deploy the algae  technology in China and Australia. Algae.Tec is currently undertaking an Initial Public Offering by way of a prospectus dated 16 July [...]

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[ More ] August 27th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Energy-Investments |

A New Type of Chlorophyll Discovered After 60 Years of Research

An interdisciplinary team of scientists discover a new form of Chlorophyll which could lead to new developments of new methods to produce biofuels. The team had a group of scientists -  Dr Martin Schliep and Dr Zhengli Cai (University of Sydney, Australia) -   Associate Professor Robert Willows (Macquarie University, Australia); -  Professor Brett Neilan (University [...]

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[ More ] August 27th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae, Algae- Photosynthesis |

Has the Big Time Finally Come for Biofuel Startups?

VCs have put in billions into biofuels over the last six years with nothing  to show . Range Fuels and Mascoma have had to delay production and everyone has suffered from a swoon in oil prices. To generate revenue in the short term, many have diversified into green chemicals or food. Algae specialist Aurora Biofuels, [...]

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[ More ] August 26th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Energy-Investments |

Aurora Biofuels Reorganizes to Enter Food Market

The new business plan of Aurora, formerly Aurora Biofuels emerged out of research conducted at UC Berkeley in 2007 with a business plan to grow algae in open ponds to produce fuel. However, they have now decided to move into the food market and hence the change in the name as well. Now into the [...]

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[ More ] August 26th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Energy-Companies |

A Commercial PBR is not Far Away!

BioCentric Energy an algae company based out of technical team is working at its headquarters this week preparing and assembling all components of the commercial PBR system for the Death Valley Junction, California site. The team is in the process of loading the 20ft trailer that recently arrived from South Carolina last Friday, with the [...]

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[ More ] August 25th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Energy-Companies |

New Mexico State Goverment Grants Funds for Algae Fuel Research

The New Mexico  State University  (NSMU) has secured a fund of  $200,000 . The university plans to use  a portion of its funding for renewable energy research, specially to fund the algae biodiesel project.  The fund has been provided by the  New Mexico Gov – Bill Richardson According to Abbas Ghassemi,  a NMSU professor of [...]

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[ More ] August 24th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Fuel-Research |

Algae Genetic Engineering

Algae genetic engineering simply means engineering the DNA of these algae to improve their abilities to yield oil. Genetic engineering finds its application on many aspects of algae, especially on biofuel algae. There is a need for algae engineering because the problem we are facing right now is that one algal strain is very unlikely [...]

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[ More ] August 24th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Genetic Engineering |

Algae Venture System – Easy Harvesting, Dewatering and Drying of Algae

Last week I had posted a few lines on low cost dewatering and drying techniques, when I was surfing through Algae Venture’s website, came across some more  interesting points about their new harvesting, dewatering and drying system, in short called HDD. Algae Venture system, a company based out of Ohio have developed a new technology [...]

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[ More ] August 24th, 2010 | No Comments | Posted in Algae-Energy-Companies |