The U.S. Navy is working with Arizona State University to develop biofuels from algae. This article from the school says Dennis McGinn, U.S. Navy Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations and Environment, visited the school’s Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation (AzCATI) to discuss how the Navy and civilian industry have some key overlapping issues, such as cost, sustainability, efficiency …
AE Biofuels Changes Name to Aemetis
AE Biofuels has a new name to better reflect the company’s business strategy. The industrial biotechnology company which produces renewable chemicals and advanced fuels using patented microbes and processes became Aemetis, Inc. as of November 15. In June 2011, AE Biofuels acquired Zymetis, Inc., a Maryland industrial biotechnology company. The name Aemetis was derived from “AE” which means “The One” …
AE Biofuels Re-Starts California Ethanol Plant
The AE Biofuels ethanol plant in central California is back in production. Subsidiary AE Advanced Fuels Keyes has restarted operations at the 55 million gallon per year ethanol production facility located in Keyes, California and hired about 50 full time employees. The company announced in March it was restarting the plant, which has been closed since 2009. The original $130 …
CAFOs Could Commercialize Algae Biofuels
Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) could be the key for algae-to-biofuel operations becoming commercial-scale… that according to Thomas Byrne, president and CEO of Byrne & Company LLP, a renewable energy project developer. This article from Biorefining Magazine says the potential is greatest in northern climates, where anaerobic digesters that use microbes to break down the organic forms of nitrogen and …
Algae Biofuels To Reach 61M Gallons by 2020
According to a new report released by Pike Research, algae biofuels production will reach 61 million gallons per year with a corresponding market value of $1.3 billion by 2020. While barely a drop in the bucket for biofuels, this represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 72 percent, roughly on par with early development in the biodiesel industry. The …
Key Vote in US House Moves Forward Algae Biofuels
A key vote in the U.S. House of Representatives has moved forward a measure that will help the nation’s algae biofuels industry. Passage of H.R. 4168, the Algae-based Renewable Fuel Promotion Act, garnered praise from Sapphire Energy for two key Congressmen, Reps. Harry Teague (D-NM) and Brian Bilbray (R-CA) whose bi-partisan support lead to the bill’s passage: Congress took the …
Algae Biofuels Focus of Session at Delaware Conference
Just got a quick note from my friend Tamra Fakhoorian with the National Algae Association letting me know that she will be one of the speakers at the 2010 Energy & Sustainability Conference Sept. 23-25 at the Trabant Center in Newark, Delaware. Tamra will be presenting on Thursday afternoon during the Carbon Abatement session of the conference with a talk …
Three Algae Biofuels Consortia to Share $24 Mil Funding
Three groups researching algae-based biofuels will get a big boost from $24 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. Biofuels Digest reports that Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Cathy Zoi made the announcemet at this week’s BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing in Washington, DC: According to Zoi, the selections will support the …
Stimulus Bucks to Fund Algae Biofuels Research
Money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act … aka the Stimulus Bill … will go to fund research on algae-based biofuels. This press release from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory says the lab will get about $14.2 million for its role in two biofuels research consortia: [Energy Secretary Steven] Chu funded the consortia with nearly …
Future is Today for Five Producing Algae Biofuels
While I know we’ve talked about the promise of algae-based biofuels, especially biodiesel, many of you have pointed in derision to the seemingly always present caveat: in about five years… the amount of time the ideas seem to take until they’re ready for the street. But there are some companies that are not still five years away from making algae …