Solazyme, Inc., a company that develops technologies for renewable oil production, is in the process of testing sugars that are produced through a patented process designed by BlueFire Ethanol Fuels, Inc. The goal of the technology is to test the compatibility with Solazyme’s renewable oil process to produce the oil cost effectively and at commercial scale production. The sugars used in the process are produced through non-food cellulosic waste.

Arnold Klann, CEO of BlueFire Ethanol Fuels forecasts great results. “Our technologies are a great fit for each other,” he said. “Our patented acid hydrolysis process allows BlueFire Ethanol to utilize a variety of non-food feedstocks to produce sugars that can be used to make a variety of different types of fuels and chemicals. Supplying these low cost sugars to Solazyme’s technology provides them with the option of creating a variety of oils for the renewable energy industry and beyond.”

BlueFire Ethanol is currently focused on developing its first ethanol biorefinery in Lancaster, California. The Lancaster facility will use post-sorted cellulosic wastes diverted from landfills in Southern California to produce 3.9 million gallons of fuel-grade ethanol per year. The company was also awarded $40 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for construction of a second plant in Southern California, and has received the first installment of funding from the DOE for the development of the BlueFire Mecca, LLC plant in Southern California.

In addition to the production of renewable oil, Solazyme is also a leading algal synthetic biology company.  The renewable oil produced from algae will not only be used as a replacement for fossil fuels, but also in cosmetics and cleaning supplies that have traditionaly used petroleum as an ingredient.