Heliae, a developer of advanced algae production technologies, commenced operations at its first commercial facility in Arizona. Using its Volaris-brand platform, the commercial facility will initially operate at 33% of its capacity to produce high-value algae products for nutraceutical and personal care products but biofuels represents another business avenue for consideration. The start-up, which aims to be at full capacity before the end of the first quarter this year, represents the first phase of Heliae’s plant with further expansion slated for late 2014.- The Board of Directors of Sinav Ltd., the owners of GTL Resources and Illinois River Energy, have retained Ascendant Financial Partners LLC to assist them in the sale of the GTL/IRE business. IRE is an ethanol production facility located in Rochelle, Illinois, that owns and operates a 125 million gallon per year ethanol plant that commenced operations in September of 2006.
- Ergon, Inc. has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Ergon Ethanol, Inc., acquired Bunge North America, Inc.’s interest in and now owns 100% of Ergon BioFuels, LLC located in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Financial terms were not disclosed. Effective December 31, 2013, Bunge-Ergon Vicksburg, LLC changed its name to Ergon BioFuels, LLC.
- According to a Bluefire Renewables 8K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Energy (DOE) will no longer provide funding to the company that is developing a cellulosic waste facility in Fulton, Mississippi. In the Dec. 23 filing, Bluefire says it received noticed that the DOE was pulling its grant funding because it failed to comply with DOE deadlines related to providing information about the company’s future financing arrangements for the Fulton project. The company says it is seeking to re-establish funding under the DOE grant and has initiated the appeals process.
