A maker of parts for biodiesel and ethanol operations says it has been awarded a “Notice of Allowance” by the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a device that is supposed to make it easier to harvest algae to make biofuels. This press release from San Marcos, California-based Circle Biodiesel & Ethanol Corporation says the company received the notice …
Wind Company Getting Into Biodiesel Biz
A Texas wind energy company is getting into the bioidesel business. The Houston Business Journal says National Wind Solutions Inc. has just bought a biodiesel plant for $3 million: The plant, located in Atascosa County just south of San Antonio, produced biodiesel for commercial transportation uses before being mothballed due to high soybean oil prices. Houston-based National Wind intends to …
JB Hunt’s Big Rigs Running on Algae Biodiesel
National carrier J.B. Hunt has committed to burning algae biodiesel in its semi-trucks. This post on the FleetOwner blog says that after successfully testing 20 and 50 percent blends of SunEco Energy’s biodiesel, made from algae oil, J.B. Hunt found it reduced emissions by more than 80 percent without any loss of power: “Producing renewable fuel supplies from algae grown …
OriginOil Announces ‘Milking’ Live Algae Oil Extraction
OriginOil has seen many successes the past few months and today they have achieved another. The company has succeeded in extracting algae oil on a continuous basis without cell sacrifice. This process, which OrginOil has coined ‘milking,’ joins the company’s Cascading Production technique to create a combined cycle which creates additional process efficiencies. Aside from any production gains, combining the …
Webinar Features Talk on Algae for Fuels & Chemicals
Last time, we told you about how researchers are working on ways of making algae into a viable feedstock for Midwest biodiesel production. In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we continue the conversation on algae and it’s potential as a fuel… and the chemical by-products and processes it can bring to the table. During the recent 2009 World …
RWE Patents New Algae Oil System for Biodiesel
A South Carolina company has a patent pending on a new method for growing, harvesting and extracting oil from microalgae, promising dramatic cost savings and greater yields over existing algae production technologies. Renewed World Energies (RWE) says company president Richard Armstrong and chief technical officer Tim Tompkins have come up with a system efficiently remove nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide …
OriginOil Announces Dynamic Lighting Process
OriginOil just announced another breakthrough process to transform algae to renewable oil: a Dynamic Control System designed to continuously respond to algae’s behavior. This invention improves energy efficiency and growth rates by ensuring the right types and amounts of light are used at all times as the algae grows to maturity. Scott Fraser, VP of Operations for OriginOil and one …
DOE Announces $85 Million for Algal and Advanced Biofuels
Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that they would offer up to $85 million in funding for the development of algae-based biofuels and advanced, infrastructure-compatible biofuels. The funding comes as part of the funds released from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The goal of the monies is to bring together a group of leading algae and …
Wash. State Slated for $2 Mil in Algae Biofuels Research
Washington State University is set to get $2 million for its algae-biofuels research, thanks to that state’s senior senator. This press release from U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) says she was able to use her position on the Senate Appropriations Committee to put the money in the fiscal year 2010 Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill: “This funding will support …
DF Cast: Midwest a Good Place for Algae Biodiesel
While producing a green fuel from a green pond scum… turning algae into biodiesel… isn’t anything new, doing it in the nation’s breadbasket, where plenty of soybeans for biodiesel are already being grown, is a bit more of a novel concept. In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we talk to Dr. Richard Sayre, the Director of the Enterprise …