Aquapreneur » biofuel

Solazyme Delivers 100% Algal-Derived Renewable Jet Fuel to U.S. Navy

Admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:30:12 +0000

Solazyme, Inc. is helping the U.S. military move closer to powering its planes, ships, tanks and trucks on renewable fuel and has delivered of 1,500 gallons of 100% algae-based jet fuel for the U.S. Navy’s testing and certification program. The U.S. Navy has previously announced the objective to operate at least 50% of its fleet on clean, renewable fuel by 2020, and the delivery fulfills a contract awarded to Solazyme by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in September 2009.

Solazyme, a renewable oil and green bioproducts company and leader in algal biotechnology, manufactured the world’s first 100% algal-based jet fuel through its proprietary fermentation process in collaboration with renewable jet fuel processing technology from Honeywell’s UOP. Solazyme’s renewable Solajet(TM)HRJ-5 is designed to meet all of the requirements for Naval renewable aviation fuel. In preliminary tests, it also meets the fuel requirements of the U.S. Air Force and meets the standards for commercial jet fuel.

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Algal Biomass Summit Releases Meeting Agenda

Admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:10:40 +0000

The 2010 Algae Biomass Summit recently released the event’s newly-expanded agenda featuring more than 70 speakers and seven new sessions. The 4th annual event will be held September 28-30 at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Algae as a source for electricity

Admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:06:21 +0000

In an electrifying first, Stanford scientists have plugged into algae cells and harnessed a tiny electrical current. They found it at the very source of energy production – photosynthesis, a plant’s method of converting sunlight to chemical energy. It may be a first step toward generating high-efficiency bioelectricity that doesn’t give off carbon dioxide as a byproduct, the researchers say.

“We believe we are the first to extract electrons out of living plant cells,” said WonHyoung Ryu, the lead author of the paper published in the March issue of Nano Letters. Ryu conducted the experiments while he was a research associate for mechanical engineering Professor Fritz Prinz.

The Stanford research team developed a unique, ultra-sharp nanoelectrode made of gold, specially designed for probing inside cells. They gently pushed it through the algal cell membranes, which sealed around it, and the cell stayed alive. From the photosynthesizing cells, the electrode collected electrons that had been energized by light and the researchers generated a tiny electrical current.

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Algal Biomass Organization Announces Algae Finance Summit in NY

Admin — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:08:38 +0000

The Algal Biomass Organization (ABO), the leading trade association for the algae industry, today announced it will be hosting an Algae Finance Summit on May 13^th, 2010 at New York City’s Flatotel. The day-long event will provide investors, analysts and fund managers with the information needed to make informed investment decisions and recommendations regarding opportunities in the fast-developing algae for energy industry.

Key experts, including government regulators and policymakers, algae producers, legal experts and investment professionals, will offer attendees a holistic — and realistic — assessment of the capital needs and financing structures for algae companies and projects, as well as the role of the federal government in regulating the industry and facilitating its growth through funding.

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In vessel composting by VCU Europa plays vital part in meeting national waste objectives in UK

Admin — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 22:56:14 +0000

As the need for more sustainable alternatives to landfill continues to grow globally, in vessel composting plays a vital part in meeting national waste objectives.

UK Fish waste composting company VCU Europa’s technology is being used to treat organic waste on more than 30 different sites in seven countries.

The company’s Vertical Composting Unit (VCU) is an in-vessel, aerobic composting system with a small footprint and incredibly low operating costs, states Steve Morris, VCU’s general manager. Systems are proven in municipal and industrial applications ranging from 2500 to 40,000 tonnes per year, he adds.

The VCU was the first system to be fully accredited by the State Veterinary Service (SVS). There are currently 13 VCU installations in the UK and Ireland, with a further 20 worldwide.

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BioMarine Fuels of Florida selected to present at CleanEquity Monaco 2010

Admin — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:40:59 +0000

BioMarine Fuels has been selected to present at CleanEquity Monaco 2010, the foremost event for next generation clean and green technology next month. The algal fuels pioneer is a development-stage company focused on the production of algal biomass in a patent-pending, closed photobioreactor system, or SolarMagnatron™. Products include the creation of “green” biofuels for the electric power and transportation fuels industry, and valuable chemicals like Omega 3 oil used in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food products.

They intend to combine with identified new technologies that will also enable our company to neutralize fossil fueled smokestack pollution while capturing the waste CO2 and converting the discharged pollutant chemicals into algae nutrients and feedstock for the production of energy-rich algal biomass within the SolarMagnatron ™ bioreactor system.

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Green Star Licenses Algae Biotechnology Prior to Wall Street Auction

Admin — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:34:15 +0000

Green Star Products, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: GSPI) and its Consortium announced on March 10, 2010, that it will be auctioning the United States licensing rights to a game changing proprietary algae growth biotechnology on September 9, 2010.

Potential bidders who were not interested in the total United States licensing rights to the algae biotechnology have requested licenses for individual U.S. States. To address this new request, this press release is a notice to all bidders that additional licenses have been granted for the States of Utah and Alabama.

Idaho and Missouri where excluded from the original auction because of existing equity holdings of Green Star and its Consortium in these U.S. States.

The auction will now cover the licensing rights for 46 U.S. States.

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Algae-focused Aurora Biofuels Secures $15M in Funding

Admin — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:27:07 +0000

Aurora Biofuels, Inc. said it has secured an additional $15 million in a recent funding round led by Oak Investment Partners, with the continued support of Gabriel Venture Partners and Noventi Ventures. This third round of financing brings the total amount of money raised by the company to more than $40 million. The new funding will be used to support the continued path to commercialization for its advanced algae biofuel technology.

In addition, the company has hired Scott McDonald, a veteran Silicon Valley executive, as its Chief Financial Officer. Mr. McDonald brings to Aurora Biofuels a 25-year history in executive management and in planning and executing corporate strategy. He has substantial experience in operations, administration and financial oversight, and has helped to build and scale many successful startup and high growth companies.

“This additional investment will be critical as our company expands its field of operations and further optimizes its technology,” said Mr. McDonald. “I am excited to be joining a company with truly enormous potential and an ample reserve in the bank, and look forward to implementing Aurora Biofuels’ financial and operational strategies moving forward.”

Brian Hinman, Oak Venture Partner and Aurora Director, added that, “Aurora Biofuels has made a significant genetic engineering achievement in doubling the productivity of its proprietary algae, and this round of funding will allow the company to demonstrate the productivity and production processes at scale.” Mr. Hinman added that “we are pleased to bring Scott McDonald to the company, as he has a wealth of experience in finance, operations and technology, which will be tremendously important as we build out the company’s capabilities on the demonstration scale.”

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Algae World Summit, San Diego, CA, coming in May 2010

Admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 02:04:44 +0000

Key players in the algae industry value chain – co-product algae purchasers, oil and chemical companies, utilities, industrial CO2 generators, wastewater treatment operators,algae technology developers, algae equipment suppliers, algae project developers, biofuelsrefiners, financiers, transportation companies and government representatives–will share the latest information on:

Their activities in support of the emerging algae industry
The key technical, financial and economic issues they are addressing
The relationships they are establishing to support the value chain

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Gulf Coast Agricultural and Seafood Cooperative, Inc. applies for authorization for construction of a seafood byproduct processing facility

Admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 00:33:08 +0000

Gulf Coast Agricultural and Seafood Cooperative, Inc. (hereinafter “the Co-op”), plans to construct a new seafood byproduct processing facility (hereinafter “the facility”) on a previously undeveloped site located on Little River Road in Bayou La Batre, Mobile County, Alabama.

The facility would be designed to process up to forty (40) tons of shrimp and crab waste per day, with an expected annual capacity of approximately 5,000 tons. Waste product, which is currently diverted to landfills, would be obtained from area seafood processors. The Co-op estimates an annual production rate of 2,700 tons of beneficial material. Final product is utilized as an additive in fertilizer or poultry feed, in chitosan production, and in wastewater treatment.

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