Wednesday, December 24, 2008

5 Big Algae companies are racing for JP8 production from Algae

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A kerosene-based aviation fuel called Jet Propellant 8 made up more than 90 percent of the fuel used by the Department of Defense in 2006, at a cost of $6 billion, according to Cleantech Group.But startups that have launched in the last 10 years, including the five fast-moving ventures below, could be the ones that finally get pond scum ready for take off.

Solazyme:The San Francisco-based firm uses synthetic biology and genetic engineering to boost biofuel yields from algae.In September, it announced a major breakthrough: an algal fuel that doesn’t freeze at high altitude.

Inventure Chemical Technology: Inventure makes a reactor system that uses thermochemical processes and catalysts to turn algae into three types of fuel, including jet fuel.

Sapphire Energy:With more than $100 million from high-profile investors including Bill Gates’ Cascade Investment, ARCH Venture Partners and Venrock, Sapphire is one of the best-funded algae-to-fuel startups around.

Aquaflow Bionomic Corp.: The New Zealand-based firm announced earlier this month that, using technology from Honeywell subsidiary UOP, it has converted (for the first time) wild algae into synthetic paraffinic kerosene, which can be combined with conventional kerosene for jet fuel.

Algenol Biofuels: Naples, Fla.-based Algenol circumvents expensive refining processes by collecting ethanol vapors directly from algae. The startup has $70 million in private backing and an agreement with Sonora Fields S.A.P.I. de C.V.

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