UNL Hopes to Tap Into Algae as Energy Source

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Algae may be the next frontier for biofuels, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is poised to be among the nation's leaders in this research.

Part of the greenhouse complex at UNL's Beadle Center will be revamped into an algal biofuels research facility this year. Scientists will begin growing algae in small containers, then move on to five-foot long bags and, finally, a "raceway" – a small, oblong pool – as they seek answers to two key questions:

– What algae cultivars are best suited for biofuel development? There are at least 200,000 different algae, and ultimately genetic modification may play a role in engineering algae to produce the most lipids – specifically, triglycerides – possible for conversion to fuel.

– How can the triglycerides be most cost-effectively extracted from the algae to produce biofuel?

UNL already has received $1.9 million in federal funding for the research. It's also in line for tens of millions more in funding for several related research angles, including one that would couple this new research with UNL's already robust corn-ethanol byproducts research.

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Algae Advocates Praise EPA Findings

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The EPA in its Renewable Fuels Standard found that biofuels could have a significant impact on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions when compared with gasoline or diesel fuel. The finding now classifies algae-based biodiesel and renewable diesel as an "advanced biofuel" under U.S. federal guidelines. The EPA announcement is in step with a move by U.S. President Barack Obama to reach a comprehensive climate deal.

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Algae Knew about Quantum Mechanics 2 bln yrs Before Humans

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In a new study, a team of chemists from the University of Toronto in Canada have observed quantum mechanics at work in photosynthesis in marine algae, which suggests algae knew about quantum mechanics nearly two billion years before humans.

"Our latest experiments show that normally functioning biological systems have the capacity to use quantum mechanics in order to optimize a process as essential to their survival as photosynthesis," said chemistry professor Greg Scholes, lead author of the study.

Scholes and his colleagues isolated light-harvesting complexes from two different species of marine algae and studied their function under natural temperature conditions using a sophisticated laser experiment known as two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy.

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Growing Green: Bodega Algae and Bigelow Laboratory Collaborate to Develop Algal Biofuel Technology in New England

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Press Release:

Massachusetts-based renewable energy company Bodega Algae and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in West Boothbay Harbor, Maine, have received a six-month, $150,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation to develop and test a prototype for growing high concentrations of algae for use as biofuel. The grant is titled Light Delivery Enhancement of Photobioreactors and will be used to develop advanced photobioreactors that can be used in the nation’s quest for a carbon-neutral fuel source and energy independence.

A photobioreactor cultivates algae efficiently by delivering optimal supplies of nutrients and light for growth.

“Bodega is a developer of algae photobioreactors that grow high-energy algal biomass for use in the production of biofuel,” said Sam Hill, Bodega Algae’s president. “The first phase of our SBIR project addresses the technical challenges involved in cultivating large amounts of algae needed for producing and using algal biofuel at an industrial scale.”

The abundant populations of microscopic algae in the oceans of the world are the first link in the food chain for all marine life. Many species of algae contain large amounts of  lipids, or natural oils, and if companies can create the technology to grow algae on a large scale, these tiny, single-celled plants could hold the key to a significant domestic source

of renewable energy.   In addition to their potential as an energy source,

algae also offer a multitude of other possible commercial applications, ranging from aquaculture and nutraceuticals to bioremediation of chemicals and greenhouse gas reduction.

Dr. Willie Wilson, a Senior Research Scientist at Bigelow Laboratory, is the Interim Director of the Laboratory’s Provasoli-Guillard Center for the Culture of Marine Phytoplankton, the nation’s official collection of marine algae, and the largest micro algae repository on the east coast.

Wilson will test methods of light delivery developed at Bodega Algae for their effect on cell  growth rates for a range of algal strains

“A key goal of the project is to identify the best methods and design for capturing and sending light to algae in larger volumes under varying conditions in order to grow algae,” said Wilson. “This grant gives us a chance to test methods to grow high volumes of algae quickly and efficiently. This would open one of the major bottlenecks in the production of biofuel.”

The central focus of Bodega Algae, LLC is the development of next-generation commercial algae photobioreactors for high-volume commercial production of algae biomass. Bodega was recently identified by Earth2Tech (http://earth2tech.com), a website tracking innovations in green technology, as one of the top 15 biofuel companies in the country to watch.

Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences is a center for global ocean research. An independent, nonprofit research institution, the Laboratory is supported by federal research grants and private funds. The Laboratory’s research ranges from microbial oceanography -- examining biological productivity in the world’s oceans at the molecular level -- to the large-scale biogeochemical processes that drive interactions between ocean ecosystems and global environmental conditions.

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National Algae Association Announces Additions To Agenda For West Coast Workshop

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Press Release:

The National Algae Association is pleased to announce the following additions to the agenda for its West Coast Chapter Workshop on February 25th & 26th, 2010 at the Monte Carlo Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, hosted by BioCentric Energy:

Abdul S. Abdul, Ph.D., PHD
President
NESA & Associates

Scott Frasier

Vice President

OriginOil

Bill Weaver

Director, Technical Services

Harvel Plastics, Inc.

Dr. Abdul and Messrs Frasier and Weaver will join representatives from Renewed World Energy, BioCentric Energy, Virtuoso Biofuels, Iwakiamerica, Plast-O-Matic and Renewable Energy Partners in furthering the collaborative efforts of the National Algae Association to fast-track commercialization of the algae production industry.

There will be several algae growing systems, inoculators and harvesters on display at the Workshop.

Early registration ends on January 30, 2010.  To learn more about this workshop or to register, please visit: www.nationalalgaeassociation.com

 

NAA Quarterly Conference - April 29-30, 2010, in Houston.   Details and early registration information are available on our website, www.nationalalgaeassociation.com.

Call for Presentations and Papers:
 
The agenda for this conference is already filling up and presentation slots are limited. If you are interested in speaking, please forward a powerpoint presentation, abstract or white paper to the NAA by Jan. 31st to info@nationalalgaeassociation.

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Algae-based CO2 Capture at Power Plants - PowerPlantCCS

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Here's an interesting site (and blog) focussed on CO2 sequestration at power plants worldwide. Aptly called Power Plant CCS, it provides the latest updates on CCS at power plants worldwide. Interestingly, it has a special emphasis on researching the newest and novel methods for CCS at these plants.

I find this emphasis to be of enormous significance. While the three primary CCS methods - pre-combustion, post combustion and oxy-fuel combustion hog the headlines, along with the storage methods such as storing in depleted oil fields, in coal mines for methane recovery and saline aquifers, nobody really knows if any of these is sustainable in the long run. All we have as assurances are computer models. Pumping the CO2 into the ground sounds sort of scary to many people worldwide; also, capturing CO2 using any of the three methods is quite expensive - both in terms of money and energy.

It is against this background that research into more sustainable capture and storage mechanisms are vital. The site PowerPlantCCS provides research updates on such novel and innovative ideas.

For instance, there are three novel approaches about which detailed inputs are provided: CO2 sequestration using mineral carbonation, algae-based CO2 capture,
Carbon Mitigation through use of Biomass instead of Coal .

Of course, of the three mentioned above, what will be most interesting to readers is the detailed inputs given on algae-based CO2 capture at this site and blog. I will keep an eye out on any new updates on that site in this context.

Given that carbon capture and storage is likely to be one of the most important concepts that the world will be keen on researching, and also given that power plants have an urgent need to become less CO2 polluting, this is indeed an important site.

Good stuff.

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Hopewell Algae Project Prototype for the Country

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Hopewell launched the algae demonstration project in November. Until at least September, algae will be used to clean wastewater from nitrogen instead of conventionally engineered solutions. This new technology is a more cost-saving, green approach to nutrient removal, which results in cleaner waters in Virginia's rivers and in the Chesapeake Bay.

Excess nitrogen in the plant's discharge is one of the main challenges of wastewater treatment, and the regional plant is currently not designed to remove nitrogen. Plant director Mark Haley estimates that it would cost $90 million to upgrade the plant with conventional solutions. "This would result in higher sewer rates for the citizens and a higher cost for the local industries," Haley said.

But the algae project could even generate a profit - because algae creates a residue which can be used to produce biofuel and green coal.

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Energy Quest, Inc. to Build Power to Biodiesel Plant

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Energy Quest, Inc, an emerging leader in alternative energy and the development and production of hydrogen-enriched alternative fuels in an environmentally responsible manner announced today it is to begin construction on a turn key biomass (Wood Waste) to Power/Algae Energy plant producing 26.8 megawatt (24 net). The plant will consist of four 6.7 megawatt (6.0 net) modular power systems. Project site is located at Nances Creek Industrial Park, in Piedmont, Alabama. The attached Algae biodiesel plant will produce a clean and efficient fuel that can be used in any device that utilizes diesel fuel. 

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Qatar Airways Enters the Aviation Biofuel Ring - Starts Biomass-to-Liquids Project

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Qatar Airways are trying to develop a biofuel that will enable them to keep on flying and become carbon neutral.

The project will be a joint affair between Qatar Airways, Qatar Science & Technology Park, and Qatar Petroleum. The trio has established the Qatar Advanced Biofuel Platform which will focus on devoloping economically viable and sustainable biofuel production along with the aspects of market and strategic analysis.

Though the specific feedstocks they are going to use is not announced, algae are being investigated for future flying use. According to an aircraft manufacturer, aviation biofuels could be used commercially in a few years.

See more:Qatar Airways Enters the Aviation Biofuel Ring

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Extraction of Biocrude from Algae - A Top Story

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Climate change mitigation-related stories were among the top ten most read science stories from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2009.

Los Alamos National Laboratory team-up with Solix Biofuels Inc. to use the laboratory’s sound wave technology in optimizing production of algae-based fuel ranked as the seventh leading story for 2009.

Acoustic focusing – the use of sound waves by the Los Alamos Acoustic Flow Cytometer – is being commercialized to harvest biocrude, also known as green gold. The substance is an alternative to crude oil and can be refined into biodiesel, gasoline or even jet fuel.

More about Los Alamos National Laboratory

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LSU AgCenter Explores Algae for Biofuel

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The AgCenter announced in mid-December that it had received "conditional approval" from the state Board of Regents to establish the LSU AgCenter Biofuels Research Center, and it now has "one year to get the institute up and running," said John Russin, associate vice chancellor of the LSU AgCenter.

Timber processing leaves behind tons of branches, bark and debris -- biomass -- that can be converted to biofuel. Algae aquaculture also could generate significant biomass for fuel, and has been a subject of intense research nationally and at the AgCenter, Russin said.

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Turning Green Algae into Piles of Green Money

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Meghan Starbuck, an assistant professor of economics at New Mexico State University, is working on a way to turn microalgae, and millions of their tiny, slimy friends, into a successful fuel industry for the state.

"Algal biofuel can be refined into a variety of fuels, including gasoline. I would run my car on algal-based gasoline, if I could get my hands on a couple of gallons," Starbuck said. Her car, a 315-horsepower 2010 Mustang GT, comes in handy when making the 143-mile trip between Las Cruces and the NMSU Agricultural Science Center at Artesia.

The Artesia Science Center is home to a project with the Center for Excellence in Hazardous Materials Management, a nonprofit group in Carlsbad leading an effort in southeastern New Mexico to produce biofuels from algae. According to Starbuck, CEHMM is a leader when it comes to scaling-up algae production, an important step in making the biofuel industry economically successful in New Mexico.

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Algae Biofuel Workshop 2010

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Growdiesel Climate Care Council announces the International Workshop on Algae Biofuel on the 12th & 13th of April 2010 in India.  

The workshop is focused on next generation of Biofuels using Algae as a main feedstock. The workshop offers an excellent opportunity for investors, entrepreneurs, Biofuel companies, renewable fuel experts, their associates and academia to share their valuable experiences and knowledge. The main objective of the workshop is to provide an understanding of the next generation feedstocks and technologies in the Algae Biofuel Industry.

To know more click here

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Call for Instructors - National Algae Association (NAA)

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Press Release:

Proposed Algae Production Certification Program 

3 day intensive training course

To all Algae Producers, Researchers, Equipment Companies and Economists:

The National Algae Association has written the first algae production certification program for the algae industry. Starting in the first quarter of 2010, the NAA will be offering an intensive - 3 day course covering topics such as: algae strains and cultivation, growing, lighting, harvesting, extraction as well as benchmarking and economics.

Algaepreneurs will learn:

Day 1 - Algae Strains and Cultivation 

Day 2 - Growing, Lighting, Harvesting, Extraction

Day 3 - Benchmarking, Cost Analysis, Economics

For additional information or are interested in becoming an instructor, please contact: 

Barry Cohen
National Algae Association
4747 Research Forest Drive, Suite 180
The Woodlands, TX 77381
www.nationalalgaeassociation.com

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Call for Presentations and Papers - NAA

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Press Release:

To all Algae Producers, Researchers, Investment Companies and Team Leaders:

Due to the continuing volatility in oil prices, the lack of jobs in the US and the funds already dedicated to research, commercializing the algae industry is now on the fast track. The NAA has challenged the industry to build the first 100 acres to prove out costs and economies of scale, and to give algae researchers opportunities for the first time to work in a commercial-scale setting.

People from 44 states, 9 countries and 8 universities have registered for our past conferences to pool their knowledge, experience, resources and curiosity with algae production, algae research and equipment companies. Collaboration, innovation and commercialization are the motivating factors of our organization.

The National Algae Association's next workshop will be Feb. 25-26 at the Monte Carlo Resort & Casino in Las Vegas; the next conference will be on April 29-30, 2010 at the Doubletree Hotel Houston Intercontinental in Houston. We will be focusing on algae production and equipment and progress along with existing technologies that are ready for commercialization. Submit your proposed presentations for review no later than January 30th or March 30th for consideration.

For additional information, please contact:

Barry Cohen
National Algae Association
4747 Research Forest Drive, Suite 180
The Woodlands, TX 77381
www.nationalalgaeassociation.com

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Biofuels from microalgae are not yet sustainable

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The article is found interesting as it deals with the negative aspects of biofuels from microalgae. The energy balance which is an essential factor influencing sustainability of biomass production is discussed. It can be determined that at first glance, microalgae appear to be an attractive source of biomass.

A more detailed consideration of energy requirements, however, indicates that the practice is not sustainable because of the negative energy balance associated with the production process. Culture stability, media recycling and harvesting are still a significant challenge and require further research. Field demonstration projects are necessary to advance understanding the possible environmental risk of large scale microalgal monocultures.

Link:Biofuels from microalgae are not yet sustainable

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UTPA Receives More than $3 Million from the State

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Money from the state tech fund is also going to two South Texas businesses.

Houston-based ScanTech Sciences, which is developing a food sterilization process through electronic pasteurization, was awarded $2 million. Another $1 million is going to Brownsville-based Photon8 Inc., which is working on producing bio-fuel from algae. The grants are to help with the development and commercialization of their research.

Photon8 moved its offices from New Jersey to the University of Texas-Brownsville/Texas Southmost College’s campus last year and is working with the university to develop bio-fuel technology. The company already received $250,000 of its grant, said Brad W. Bartilson, Photon8’s president and chief executive officer.

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Collaboration Formed to Develop Fuels from Algae Oil

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Endicott Biofuels, LLC, a Houston-based, next-generation biodiesel producer, and TransAlgae, Ltd., an algal biotechnology company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of algae as a potential transportation fuel and renewable chemical feedstock source.

TransAlgae’s mission is to develop commercially viable algae strains for a variety of algae biomass growth platforms in order to deliver cost effective transportation fuels as well as other non-energy applications.

For the past year, Endicott has been involved in a fully flexible feedstock development program for the production of biodiesel, which includes algae oil-to-biodiesel commercialization. Among its future development plans are technologies that provide a higher degree of freedom for algae producers in algae strain selection and algae oil extraction for the production of biofuels.

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Solix Produces Biofuel from Algae Oil in Demo Plant

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Fort Collins, Colo.-based Solix Biofuels is producing a steady stream of algae-based biofuel from its six-month old demonstration facility, CEO Doug Henston told the Cleantech Group.

Solix, which developed a process using photo-bioreactors to make algae-based biofuel and chemicals, is sending the biofuel to potential partners for testing, Henston said.

Solix’s Web site says the facility has a peak production capacity of 3,000 gallons per acre, per year of algal oil. Microalgae can be harvested every five to seven days during the peak growth season, according to Solix.

Henston said Solix plans to expand the production of Coyote Gulch if it can access more CO2 and wastewater.

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