Sapphire Energy has paid off the entire loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In December 2009, the company was awarded $54.5 million through the Biorefinery Assistance Program, administered by the USDA Rural Development-Cooperative Service (and one of the energy programs in jeopardy in the current House version of its farm bill). The funds were to be used …
Sapphire Energy To Sell Algae-Based Crude to Tesoro
Sapphire Energy has entered into an agreement to sell its algae-based Green Crude oil to Tesoro Refining and Marketing Company. Under the agreement, Tesoro will purchase crude oil from Sapphire Energy’s Green Crude Farm in Columbus, New Mexico, which recently reached a new milestone: continuous cultivation and crude oil production. This begins the first step of a commercial relationship to …
Sapphire Energy & ISB Further Develop Algal Biofuels
Sapphire Energy and Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), have formed a strategic partnership to further the development of algae biofuels. The two companies will focus on applying systems biology solutions to algae with the goal of significantly increasing oil yield and improving resistance to crop predators and environmental factors. Nitin Baliga, director of Integrative Biology at ISB, said of the …
Sapphire Energy Announces $144 Million Funding
San Diego-based biofuel developer Sapphire Energy, Inc. has secured the final installment of $144 million in a Series C round of venture funding that includes Arrowpoint Partners, Monsanto, and other undisclosed investors. This round of funding is being used to directly support Sapphire’s active and on-schedule commercial demonstration of an algae-based biofuels facility in Luna County, New Mexico. The Green …
Sapphire Energy’s 4 Pillars to Success
Sapphire Energy has four pillars that define the company; yet the over arching pillar that truly drives them is the concept of scale. But before they could begin overcoming that challenge, they first had to decide what kind of company they wanted to be. The answer – an energy company. Sapphire is an energy company that just happened to land …
Sapphire’s Algae Project Picked for China Eco Program
Sapphire Energy has been picked to partner with China’s Sinopec’s to produce algae-derived renewable crude oil. This statement from Sapphire says it’s part of the U.S.-China EcoPartnerships program, one of six new U.S.-China partnerships that promote cooperation between the U.S. and Chinese companies that work on clean energy, climate change, and environmental protections. “This collaboration between our two companies exemplifies …
Sapphire & Phillips 66 Embark on Algae Partnership
Algae-based Sapphire Energy and Phillips 66 have announced a joint development agreement with the goal of taking production of algae crude oil to commercial scale production. The companies will work together to collect and analyze data from co-processing of algae and conventional crude oil into fuels. The goal is to complete fuel certifications to ready Sapphire Energy’s renewable crude oil, …
ABFA Launches Stories of Clean Energy Companies Videos
The Advanced Biofuels Association (ABFA) is playing a key role in fighting for the sanctity of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). According to Michael McAdams, president, despite misinformation being thrown about during the recent debate over the RFS, drop-in and cellulosic biofuel technology is moving from the laboratory to reality – and ABFA members are designing, purchasing and building the …
Sapphire, Linde Partner to Turn Algae into Crude Oil
San Diego-based Green Crude – oil made from algae – producer Sapphire Energy, Inc. and German gasses and engineering company The Linde Group have partnered to commercialize a new industrial scale technology to turn algae biomass into crude oil. The five-year deal is to go through the development of Sapphire Energy’s first commercial scale, algae-to-energy production facility. “Sapphire Energy is …
BioEnergy Bytes
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO), has announced the agenda for the 7th Annual Algae Biomass Summit. The event is being held October 3, 2013 in Orlando, Florida. An opening panel on the latest developments in algae-derived biofuels will include Paul Woods, Chief Executive Officer of Algenol Biofuels and CJ Warner, Chief Executive Officer and President of Sapphire Energy. A second …