Bio Energy Technology

"Algenol Biofuels Inc. is a global, industrial biotechnology company that is commercializing its patented algae technology platform for production of ethanol and green chemicals. Our patented DIRECT TO ETHANOL technology enables the production of ethanol for less than $1.00 per gallon using sunlight, carbon dioxide and saltwater and targets commercial production of 6,000 gallons of ethanol per acre per year. The low production costs and high yields are achievable because DIRECT TO ETHANOL does not involve killing or harvesting algae, and relies on our patented photobioreactors and proprietary downstream techniques for the low-cost recovery and purification of ethanol. These novel, low-cost techniques have the added benefits of consuming carbon dioxide from industrial sources, not using farmland or food crops and being able to provide freshwater.

While ethanol produced using DIRECT TO ETHANOL is itself a transportation fuel, we are also expanding our product portfolio to convert ethanol into jet fuel and biodiesel. As we focus on ethanol as our primary product for biofuel applications, we are working on extending our algae-based platform technology to green chemistry, including propylene-based chemicals.

Direct to Ethanol technology
The DIRECT TO ETHANOL process uses sunlight and algae to produce ethanol. Our patented technology employs enhanced blue-green algae or cyanobacteria to convert sugar (pyruvate) made from carbon dioxide and saltwater by photosynthesis into ethanol.

Cyanobacteria are among the most photosynthetically active organisms on Earth. They are therefore very good at fixing carbon. Algenol has approximately 2,300 algae strains that have been collected globally, characterized and screened. We are working actively to produce more enhanced strains for increased ethanol and green-chemical productivity." ... more

"Aquaflow technology seeks to address two, global, strategic issues: the availability of clean water and the security of energy supplies. Aquaflow addresses these issues through the development of complementary technologies that provide usable water and renewable energy, while simultaneously addressing global imperatives to reduce emissions and waste. What results is the potential to create closed loop systems at a local, regional or national level.

Freshwater is a limited resource and the quality is under constant pressure from both natural and anthropogenic processes such as sewerage treatment and industrial effluent. Preserving freshwater quality is important for drinking water supply, food production and recreational water use. The issue of quality fresh water is one for both the developed and developing nations. Currently, more than 900 million people do not have access to safe drinking water.

Modern economies rely heavily on access to cheap energy. Uneven geographic distribution, particularly of fossil fuels, makes many countries vulnerable to geopolitical instability. It is important that governments develop energy strategies that incorporate renewable fuel sources.

Water and energy issues are inextricably connected, and Aquaflow's technologies exploit that connection. Nitrogen and phosphorous levels have been increasing in both freshwater and marine environments and are now considered major contaminants. The source of these nutrients can be from sewerage, run off from agriculture into local catchments and some industrial processes. Aquaflow takes advantage of the ability of naturally occurring algae to remove nutrients from the environment as they photosynthesise, grow and divide.

Aquaflow has a suite of technologies in algae biomass management. Aquaflow is developing technologies for the use of multiple biomass and to optimise algal yield to maximise nutrient remediation and sequester greenhouse gases by removing algae biomass from water bodies. The output of the technologies is cleaner water and a concentrated algal paste. Aquaflow continues to develop technology to then convert that algal paste and other multiple biomass sources to various value added products, including biofuels. Aquaflow technology is protected by patent applications and know how. " more

Solix BioSystems provides essential technology for industrial algae production

"Solix's Lumian^TM Algae Growth System (AGS^TM) is a high productivity, reliable algae cultivation photobioreactor system which includes Solix's proprietary Lumian panels. Solix's Lumian panels are designed to maximize light penetration and efficient mixing of CO2 for optimized algae growth.

The Lumian AGS4000 is a 4000 liter high productivity AGS ideally suited for the outdoor evaluation of algae species. It includes a growth basin with 20 Lumian panels integrated with a support system for media preparation, harvesting, reinjection and system cleaning. It is an essential tool for the development of growth parameters before scaling up or the creation of a clean inoculum for larger systems.

In 2009, Solix began operating its Demonstration Plant in southwestern Colorado demonstrating the scalability of Solix's Lumian technology and producing multi-ton quantities of algal biomass. For customers interested in larger cultivation systems or with specific operating requirements. Solix will work with you to design a system that suits your needs.

Solix extracts oil from the algae it grows at its Demonstration Plant. The algae biomass, extracted biocrude and residual biomass are available from Solix to customers interested in developing algae-derived products from Solix. The oil can be converted into biodiesel, green diesel, bio-jet and chemicals. The residual biomass, which is high in proteins and carbohydrates, can be used in aquaculture, animal feed, food and feed ingredients.

Solix works with partners interested in using its Lumian technology to produce algal oil as an alternative for petroleum-based fuel and chemicals and algae biomass for food and feed ingredients, supplements and other applications." more

"Phyco Biosciences is focused on commercializing algae as a new industrial crop to meet the growing global demand for food, feed and fuels. Phyco has developed a series of platform technologies that significantly reduce the development and operating cost associated with algae production. The savings created by these breakthrough technologies will result in the expanded utilization of algae as a sustainable feedstock.

Economical production coupled with an agriculturally proven strategy for processing and marketing provide a sound business strategy for the large-scale development of algal biomass production. Phyco is committed to providing quality algae biomass, oil, and meal products to meet the stringent supply chain requirements of food, feed and fuel customers.

SUPER TROUGH SYSTEM
The Super Trough algae production system, developed by Phyco Biosciences, represents the lowest cost technology for the production of algae available today. The Super Trough represents a 30+% reduction in capital cost and 50+% reduction in operating cost when compared to open ponds and raceway systems. The cost advantages of the Super Trough are derived from the ability to install 1,250 feet of Phyco's patent-pending liner system in a single pass using a tractor, dramatically reducing installation time and cost while enabling rapid scalability. In addition, the Phyco liner material contains an integrated liquid and gas emitter system capable of distributing crop inputs uniformly over 40 acres in a matter of minutes. The superior management control enabled by this integrated distribution system provides the opportunity for significantly higher yields than competing production technologies at a fraction of the cost. Lower cost, higher control and greater versatility of the Super Trough system represent a significant advancement in the field of large-scale algae production.

Key Advancements of the Super Trough:
  - Mechanical installation and maintenance
  - Low cost, durable components
  - Uniform distribution of liquid and gaseous inputs
  - Low energy, low shear air drive system for circulation of culture" ... more

"OriginOil's patent-pending, breakthrough technology can help provide the world with an endless supply of cost-competitive and environmentally-friendly oil to displace petroleum.

Next Generation Technology
OriginOil is proving its next-generation technology to greatly enhance algae biomass harvesting and oil extraction. This allows scalable industrialization to make algae a high-yield, cost-competitive replacement for petroleum.

By focusing on the "midstream", OriginOil is addressing the most important bottleneck in commercial algae production.petroleum.

Renewable Crude Oil from Algae
Now, to help algae growers make crude oil right at the point of production, we are developing an integrated system to create renewable crude oil that existing refineries can process.

OriginOil's planned Biocrude System^TM will integrate its own harvesting system with state-of-the-art biomass processing technology being developed under the recently-announced research agreement with INL, to convert raw algae into barrels of renewable crude oil.

This much cleaner replacement for conventional petroleum will be designed to be compatible with conventional petroleum refineries. Renewable algae crude could also be blended with other biomass sources to improve their performance." more

Biotechnology that Creates Renewable Oils from Microalgae
"Through our world class genetic and chemical engineering capabilities, we're coupling proprietary strains of algae with standard industrial biotechnology; converting what the earth produces naturally into what society needs most - oil.

Solazyme's proprietary biotechnology platform creates renewable oils by harnessing microalgae's prolific oil production capabilities. Through world-class molecular biology and chemical engineering capabilities, we're able to cost-effectively produce high-value tailored oils.

How the Solazyme biotechnology platform works
Most microalgae produce their own nutrients by using sunlight in a photosynthetic process. Our proprietary microalgae are heterotrophic, meaning they grow in the dark (in fermenters) by consuming sugars derived from plants that have already harnessed the sun's energy.

By using standard industrial fermentation equipment, we're able to efficiently scale and accelerate microalgae's natural oil production time to just a few days and at commercial levels." ... more

Providing renewable technology to address the global demand for new economical sources of feed, food and fuel

"Parabel is a licensor of a unique technology for improving the yields of naturally occurring aquatic micro-crops. These specially cultivated micro-crops offer an opportunity to create a new, local, large scale source of protein for animal feed, human food and renewable fuel feedstock. Importantly, we believe this proposition creates strong economic returns for the licensee and a significant number of "green jobs" in equatorial regions.

Parabel's technology at commercial scale is designed to produce:
  - High-quality protein used in animal feed for aquaculture, poultry, swine and other industries
  - High value protein used to supplement human diets
  - Enriched animal feed used as alfalfa meal alternative
  - Feedstock for organic fertilizer and bio-stimulants
  - Reliable and consistent feedstock for renewable "drop-in" fuels

Market studies have shown that there exists a high demand and value for the products currently being sold in these markets. With population growth and unrest in oil producing countries we do not expect the demand for renewable energy to decrease. The key to meeting these demands sustainably is to produce commercial scale quantities with consistent quality and sound economics.

Parabel's proprietary technology focuses on increasing growth and harvest yields of indigenous, non-GMO micro-crops to levels beyond what nature can achieve. Processing is optimized to produce products with consistent quality and maximized market value." ... more

Science 0verview
"Synthetic biology uses engineering concepts to leverage the power of biology. Through the design and construction of biological systems it is now possible to turn organisms into living factories, capable of producing chemicals previously attainable only through expensive extractions or through the use of petrochemicals and other non-renewable resources. Amyris is at the forefront of this emerging field, using synthetic biology to tackle problems for which nature has yet to find a solution.

"Amyris has developed genetic engineering and screening technologies that enable us to modify the way microorganisms, or microbes, process sugar. By controlling these metabolic pathways, we are able to design microbes, primarily yeast, and use them as living factories in established fermentation processes to convert plant-sourced sugars such as those from sugarcane or sweet sorghum into target molecules.

We first developed and applied our technology to create microbial strains to produce artemisinic acid, a precursor of artemisinin, an anti-malarial therapeutic. Our first commercialization efforts have been focused on a molecule called farnesene (Biofene®), which forms the basis for a wide range of products varying from specialty chemicals such as detergents, cosmetics, perfumes and industrial lubricants, to transportation fuels such as diesel.

Industrial Synthetic Biology Platform
We identify the need for renewable alternatives through both our own research and through insights gleaned from our partners and customers in the market place. We investigate the key molecular properties that are essential to a current product's performance and then analyze the chemical structures that drive those characteristics. Understanding of these chemical structures allows us to identify target molecules or simple derivatives of molecules that may be produced by our engineered biological systems.

We then apply our proprietary technology to the pursuit of this target molecule. The key components of our industrial synthetic biology platform are strain engineering, process development, scale-up and chemical finishing.

Strain Engineering: The primary biological pathway within the microbe that we currently use to produce our target molecules is the isoprenoid pathway. Isoprenoids consist of a large, diverse class of molecules with current product applications in a wide range of industries, including specialty chemicals and fuels. Our platform utilizes proprietary high-throughput processes to create and test thousands of yeast strains a day in order to choose those yeast strains that are most efficient and scalable." ... more

Blue Marble mission is to replace petroleum-based chemicals with fully sustainable, zero carbon specialty chemicals. We believe a renewable economy has arrived. Our part in this new economy is to create a more efficient, sustainable supply of specialty chemicals. We strive to make the most meaningful impact by enabling our partners and customers to lead the market in a post-oil economy.

Innovation
Living in an era of limited resources requires innovative solutions. We foster forward thinking and agility in our team to create the most dynamic and cutting edge processes and products.

Natural Processes
We are committed to non-GMO processes. We believe the solution to modern challenges lies in biological and chemical processes that have already been tested by mother nature.

Sustainability
We believe that there is no waste, only wasted resources. Through our processes, infrastructure and everyday actions we are committed to being: Zero waste, Carbon neutral & Low impact. more

Imagine driving high performance cars and large family safe SUV's while actually reversing global warming, and without using any foreign oil.

"That's the vision of CoolPlanet. We're developing revolutionary negative carbon fuels based on plant photosynthesis which absorb carbon from the air. We can make exact replacements for gasoline that will operate in your current cars and, we can make even more advanced superfuels for even higher gas mileage and better performance in future vehicles.

Our proprietary biomass fractionator technology extracts useful hydrocarbons from biomass, leaving behind the excess carbon as a high purity solid. The process generates activated carbon with a very high surface area which will allow it to be used as a soil enhancer similar to "terra preta." By burying this carbon in an appropriate manner, we can greatly enhance soil fertility while sequestering carbon for hundreds of years. In contrast, normal plant decomposition occurs in just a few years, releasing the plant's carbon as CO2 and even more harmful methane gas. Our process yields about the same amount of carbon as gasoline so, if we sequester this carbon as a soil enhancer, or simply bury it as coal, the associated fuel has a N100 Negative Carbon Rating.

Thus, the more Negative Carbon "N100" fuel you use,
the more carbon you permanently remove from the atmosphere.

In comparison, other green or clean technologies, such as solar, wind and hydro powered electric cars don't contribute any new carbon to the atmosphere, making them much better than fossil fuel powered vehicles, but they can't actually remove carbon from the atmosphere. Traditional biofuels production for ethanol and biodiesel emit most of their excess carbon to the atmosphere, making those fuels carbon neutral, at best. The clean coal strategy to inject CO2 underground simply puts back the carbon released by burning coal.

CoolPlanet BioFuels N100 fuel is quite possibly the most economical way to actually remove carbon from the atmosphere permanently and, thus, reverse the effects of global warming. more

"LiveFuels is developing an integrated approach to growing, harvesting and processing algal biomass into fuels and other valuable co-products. Our solution uses the productivity of natural aquatic life to fundamentally resolve challenges of cost, risk and scalability.

Growth: Using natural systems to keep costs low
While many algae-to-biofuels companies grow monocultures of algae—sometimes genetically modified strains—within expensive enclosures, LiveFuels grows a robust mix of native algae species in low-cost, open-water systems.

For decades, widespread run-off of fertilizers and other agricultural wastes into waterways has caused large, fast-growing blooms of algae in the ocean. When uncontrolled, these blooms disrupt, and potentially collapse, natural ecosystems. At the same time, these blooms represent an incredible amount of energy and resources.

LiveFuels grows and harvests algae in estuarine environments, at the intersection of rivers carrying agricultural waste nutrients and the open ocean, in order to capture the energy and resources of the algal blooms that already occur at these locations.

Our systems are designed to minimize the need for mechanical equipment and heavy construction and to make scaling-up simple and efficient. And by combining our low-cost systems with proprietary monitoring and management technologies, we are able to optimize growth conditions, such as algal species composition, nutrient balance and ecosystem functioning.

Today, we are turning our trial results into a commercial process that will allow us to select and develop the ideal sites for sustainable and environmentally beneficial algae production." more

"Aurora leads the world in the development of high-tech farming; a concept necessary and well timed to catapult us into a new era of innovation. Biochemists and engineers at Aurora have spent years focusing on the technology and science of growing algae. With more than a dozen patents filed on our science, and more than another dozen on our engineering innovations, we have developed processes that are truly revolutionizing farming as we know it.

We have combed the world's best production practices, adopted and adapted them to create the most cost effective and resource efficient methods for growing, harvesting, extracting, and producing high quality products. Our algae are entirely non-GMO, with selectively optimized characteristics to be highly productive and yield high concentrations of rich oil.

And like most crude oils, the possibilities for valuable products are plentiful.

Aurora Platform for Growth

Aurora Algae has optimized salt-water algae strains that thrive in open ponds, utilizing seawater rather than fresh water to conserve resources. Our particular strain is lighter in color than wild-type algae, allowing deeper penetration of sunlight, thereby extending the zone for algae reproduction and increasing yield.

Aurora Algae has also pioneered a unique, energy-efficient method of harvesting, leveraging technology from waste-water treatment industry rather than using a traditional centrifuge approach. These process improvements over traditional algae production, harvesting, and extraction methods, combined with the company's ability to take excess carbon dioxide from third-party industrial plants, will result in premium, cost-competitive and carbon-neutral products.

The company's patented system begins with proprietary biology and process design. Our scientists have screened a myriad of strains in search of microalgae that outperform others in terms of oil production and algal biomass yield. We have isolated characteristics of our select portfolio to maximize production performance and to increase oil purity and concentration." ... more

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"Bodega Algae, LLC, (Bodega) is a developer of scalable algae photobioreactors. The closed continuous-flow reactors produce high-energy algal biomass for use in the production of biofuel.

The Bodega photobioreactor is modular and stackable, allowing it to be co-located efficiently on the premises of industrial plants. The reactor uses nutrients readily drawn from a variety of waste streams. Sources for nutrients include wastewater from domestic sewage, municipal water treatment plants or carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) flue gases from industrial plants. The microalgae in the bioreactor converts these compounds to biomass, creating the feedstock for biofuel while improving the environment.

Microalgae has significant advantages when compared to conventional oil crop feedstocks. Algae produces over twenty times the amount of biofuel than soybeans on an equal amount of land due to rapid growth rates and high concentrations of lipids per cell density. In contrast to soybeans and other oil crops, the modest agricultural and resource requirements of microalgae make it an attractive low-cost alternative feedstock. Estimates indicate that algae grown in large volumes could reduce the cost of manufacturing a gallon of biodiesel by half of current rates. Lower costs and greater energy yield will make biofuels economically competitive with petro-fuels.

TECHNOLOGY
Lighting technology capable of distributing light throughout the cultivation tank is at the core of the algae photobioreactor developed by Bodega. The system increases the quantity of light required for efficient algal photosynthesis.

Prior to the introduction of the Bodega photobioreactor, the steep growth curves and exponential doubling rates that make algae so attractive as a feedstock for biofuels presented a challenge to large-scale commercial cultivation. Algal cells along the perimeter of the cultivation volume multiply rapidly, eclipsing light necessary to growth at the center of the volume. The current state of the art cultivation systems are limited to very small cultivation volumes because the light can not penetrate more than five centimeters into a tank at the densities necessary for industrial cultivation.

The proprietary lighting technology developed by Bodega Algae overcomes this problem by delivering solar energy internally within the photobioreactor. The result is a highly efficient photobioreactor capable of delivering large amounts of algal biomass with minimal use of real estate." ... more

"Seambiotic's vision is to become the global leader in development and production of superior quality marine microalgae for the food additives sector and as an energy alternative source. Seambiotic was initially established to produce and sell Omega 3 fatty acid products from marine microalgae. Seambiotic developed its business model and now presents a very appealing dual purpose application of its technology: Omega 3 and bio-fuels. Seambiotic will achieve this goal by establishing marine microalgae farms in different locations worldwide using our know-how technology in utilizing power plant resources & wastes for marine microalgae cultivation.

Microalgae Cultivation

Seambiotic is the first company in the world that is utilizing flue gases, from coal burning power stations, for algae cultivation. Seambiotic possesses unique technology for gas transfer and cleaning, command and control of its concentration in cultivation ponds and its absorption in the algae for energy rich products.

Algae can grow preferably in open ponds over closed bioreactors. Algal ponds are generally shallow to ensure the penetration of light into the culture; they are kept continuously mixed by gentle stirring. Growth of microalgae requires an abundance of solar radiation on a wide range of temperatures, therefore, large-scale open culture should be sited where both light and temperature permit growth outdoor. The algae "feed" comes from the supply of carbon dioxide. Feed of carbon dioxide is the biggest cost item in the long run of algal cultivation.

Seambiotic cultivates a few selected speices of marine autotrophic microalgae with high content of lipids and carbohydrates as equivilant to the production of bio-diesel and bio-ethanol." ... more

Inventure Chemical has pioneered process technology that accelerates the development of competitively priced, renewable chemicals and fuels—we're making the dream of sustainable, low carbon footprint plastics, coatings, fibers and fuels a reality. Inventure's cost-effective Direct Extraction Technology (DET) platform works with a variety of feedstocks - including algae produced from CO2 emissions, non-food cellulose materials, agricultural residues and oil seeds. We're helping to re-define and re-engineer the building blocks of industrial chemicals, adding value along the way.

Direct Extraction Technology

In 2006 Inventure started development work around direct processing of algae biomass for one of the early pioneers in the algae bioreactor space. Initial work focused on the processing of high moisture and high salt content algae in a Direct Extraction Technology (DET) system to convert contained lipids directly to Biodiesel. What we learned very early on was that under specific conditions not only did the contained lipids - both polar and neutral lipids - convert to Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME or Biodiesel), but the entire algae cell would become a soluble solution, breaking down the proteins and carbohydrates to soluble, monomer species. The reaction conditions allowed us to break down polysaccharides and proteins into soluble, monomer materials. We expanded our research to include cellulose biomass sources; using the same process technology, we successfully converted cellulose glucose and glucose derivatives. Inventure has developed reactor and catalyst technologies in combination with the core DET technology to revolutionize the generation of renewable, cost effective chemicals and fuels from biomass." ... more

"Bio Fuel Systems has developed a process based on the capture and accelerated conversion of CO2 using features such as solar energy, photosynthesis and electromagnetic fields. The process of controlled synthesis enables us to obtain an artificial fuel similar to fossil fuel without sulphur or heavy metals and it reduces CO2.

BFS launches the first plant in Europe to transform CO2 into fuel.
For each Brent barrel 2,168 kilos of CO2 are consumed, of which 938 kilos will never return to the atmosphere.

The world's first ecological oil is made using profitable industrial processes
By capturing carbon dioxide, a revolutionary system accelerates the process of creating and fossilizing biomass from a million years that it originally took to a few days." ... more

"Convertir le CO₂ en pétrole, une application immédiate !

La société espagnole Bio Fuel Systems (BFS) est à l'origine du premier procédé de conversion accélérée du CO2 en pétrole artificiel. Cette technologie de synthèse contrôlée, fruit de cinq années de recherche menée en coopération étroite avec les universités d'Alicante et de Valence, a permis la création d'une 1ère usine-pilote de production à Alicante, près de Valence en Espagne. Plus de vingt brevets déposés dans le monde et un procédé inédit d'ultra concentration énergétique donnent une productivité optimisée de pétrole à la tonne de CO2 capturé ; un des gros points forts qui distingue nettement BFS dans la filière mondiale des producteurs de biocarburants à partir d'algues

Un principe inspiré de la nature

Inspiré du processus naturel de formation du pétrole d'origine fossile, le procédé développé capture les rejets industriels de CO2 pour les transformer en un pétrole de qualité similaire au pétrole d'origine fossile (norme IFT), mais sans métaux et offrant les même possibilités de produits dérivés (plastiques, polymères...). De multiples coproduits et sous-produits à forte valeur ajoutée, tels les acides gras essentiels de type omégas 3, omégas 6..., confortent la rentabilité et l'amortissement d'une usine BFS qui fonctionne en continu 24h/24 et sur plus de 8.000h/an !..." more

"SGI is harnessing photosynthetic microbes (i.e., algae) to produce a range of liquid fuels and chemicals directly from sunlight and carbon dioxide. Algae produce significantly higher amounts of biomass and oil as compared to terrestrial crops, can be grown on land that is not suitable for agriculture, can thrive in sewage or other types of waste water, and are efficient at capturing and recycling carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas.

Current methods to produce fuel from algae include processes that resemble farming. Algal cells are grown, harvested, and then bioprocessed to recover the lipids from within the cells. In contrast, in one of our solutions, SGI has engineered algal cells to secrete oil in a continuous manner through their cell walls, thus facilitating the production of algal fuels and chemicals in large-scale industrial operations. Our first product in this area is a biocrude to be used as a feedstock in refineries.

Algae Biofuels Research and Development Program - Collaboration with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (EMRE)

SGI and EMRE have established a multi-year research and development strategic alliance focused on exploring the most efficient and cost effective ways to produce next generation biofuels using photosynthetic algae. Using our scientific expertise, SGI will continue its work to discover and develop superior strains of algae using leading edge genomic technologies. ExxonMobil's engineering and scientific expertise will be utilized throughout the program, from the development of systems to increase the scale of algae production through to the manufacturing of finished" ... more

"Sapphire Energy believes the time is now to create new energy solutions that are environmental, scalable, and renewable. Sapphire is leading the new industrial category of Green Crude production with the potential to profoundly change America's energy and petrochemical landscape for the better. With only sunlight and CO2, Sapphire Energy is turning algae into Green Crude that can be refined into the three most important liquid fuels we use today: gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. There is no need to make changes to our vehicles, pipelines, or distribution systems—as Green Crude offers a complete drop-in replacement solution.

Sapphire Energy was founded with one mission in mind: to change the world by developing a domestic, renewable source of energy that benefits the environment and hastens America's energy independence. What began as a debate among friends in early 2007 on how to create the perfect biofuel, by integrating the principals of industrial biotechnology, has become today's Sapphire Energy with facilities in San Diego, CA; Orange Country, CA; Las Cruces, NM; and Columbus, NM.

Sapphire Energy founders are led by entrepreneur and scientist Jason Pyle, and are backed by a team of the nation's leading researchers, scientists, and blue-ribbon investors in early-stage companies. Sapphire has already developed breakthrough technology to produce fungible, drop-in transportation fuels-including 91 octane gasoline, 89 cetane diesel, and jet fuel-all out of algae, sunlight, and carbon dioxide (CO2). Or, what we like to call Green Crude.

From the start, our goal has been ambitious: to become the world's leading producer of renewable, drop-in replacement fuels for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. We're on the right track and all indications support that. To meet our goal, we brought together a team of people who, as entrepreneurs, investors, scientists and concerned citizens, hold several shared beliefs. We believe that climate change is a threat to our environment and that dependence on imported oil is a threat to our national security and the security of future generations. We believe that existing alternatives to imported transportation fuels are too slow to commercialize, too expensive to produce, and have their own harmful environmental trade-offs.

We believe that, through the application of vision and technology, we have found a better way to achieve energy independence and minimize greenhouse gas emissions." ... more

"In 2006, Dr. Kevin Berner, Dr. Richard Sayre, and Mr. Robert Polak used their respective experience in manufacturing, molecular biology, and technology development to identify the opportunities, crucial technologies, key individuals, and research resources needed to develop and commercialize algae-based renewable biofuels. Phycal was formed, novel key technologies were licensed, and we began building our own intellectual property portfolio. Soon thereafter, tapping Dr. Sayre's experience as a distinguished cassava expert, we began development of non-food cassava as a source of low-cost sugar when it was apparent that other sources of sugar were not appropriate as feedstocks in our ethanol and algae operations. Today, we continue to build an integrated advanced biofuels company.

In September, 2010 we were selected by the US Department of Energy ("DOE") in a competitive process to receive a $51.5 million R&D contract to scale our algae biofuel production system; the largest such algae-related contract awarded by the DOE. Today, we are piloting our algal biofuel production system in Hawaii." ... more

"Bionavitas' mission is to harness the abundant power of the sun to more efficiently and effectively grow algae in order to address the pending global energy crisis and provide products which help people live healthy lives. Free of hype and unlikely projections, Bionavitas' focus on science aims to create a cost effective algae solution.

To achieve this, Bionavitas has developed proprietary patent pending technology for the high volume production growth of micro-algae. This technology has placed Bionavitas at the nexus of revolutionary changes in energy production, global warming prevention, production of new pharmaceutical and nutraceutical compounds, and remediation of our environment. By identifying and focusing on the critical areas of algae production, Bionavitas has developed targeted technology that places the company in the lead of the emergent field of algae production.

Science

Algae serves as the foundation for much of life on our planet. Algae produces more oxygen than every other plant on earth combined. Additionally algae capture and use a large amount of carbon dioxide during its growth process. Recently algae have shown the potential for also solving our energy reliance on fossil fuels, with the production of biodiesel using algae.

Numerous bio-feedstocks (i.e corn, soy, and palm) are currently being used for biodiesel production, however algae has emerged as the prime source for future biodiesel because of its high yield and low impact on the environment and food cycles.

While there is an increased interest in algae, there has been limited development of new technologies for its mass production. Through a variety of different methods, companies have been attempting to grow algae in a high density, low cost avenue needed for any commercial applications. It has been found that any successful production must include controlled, efficient, and predictable algae growth. The correct combination of these features of growth has yet to be achieved - until now.

Bionavitas was founded in February 2006 by Michael Weaver, Dr. Andrei Guschin, Brian Wilkerson, John Pulse and Dr. Jim Chen to solve and capitalize on the looming feedstock issues of biodiesel production, provide high-grade materials for healthy living, and help to clean up the environment we live in. " ... more

"The company's first development project at Seattle University accelerated algae growth processes to produce quantities of algae on an 8-day cycle. This process controlled sunlight, temperature, CO2 flow and circulation to create optimal conditions for volume oil production. Such an approach will produce algae 24 hours/day, and 365 days/year. Oxygen and spent by-products will either fuel plant operations or increase profitability.

Bioalgene's system to produce commercial quantities of algae (>100,000 tons/year) and overcome practical barriers to algae growth will generate an industrial-scale demonstration site within one year and may yield patents. Three outdoor field tests in summer 2008 with Washington State University have proven the concepts. The company has identified pilot plant sites in Eastern Washington.

The Bioalgene system is environment-friendly. It requires low external power inputs, captures large quantities of CO2, and produces large volumes of biofuel feedstocks.

Large-scale tank farms and processing facilities that already exist near CO2 sources in sunny areas may be converted to produce volumes of oil. Most process elements - CO2, process heat, methane, water, hexane, glycerin, etc. - will be recaptured and recirculated. The system is a net producer of energy and a net collector of pollutant streams and waste materials. Market, revenues and earnings potential are very large.

The company is developing three prototype operating sites in Washington State and has attracted a purchase order and grants from US Dept. of Energy and others. First revenues are expected during 2010 with earnings during the subsequent year from commercial pilot sites where the company's processes and technologies provide water and CO2 remediation benefits as well as fuel production." ... more