Algenol

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Algenol Biofuels Inc.
Type private
Industry Biofuels
Founder(s) Paul Woods, Craig Smith, Ed Legere, Alejandro Gonzalez
Headquarters Bonita Springs, Florida
Key people Paul Woods (CEO & President)
Dr. Craig Smith (COO)
Ed Legere (Principal & Co-Founder)
Katie McFadden (CFO)
Dr. Ron Chance (Sr. Vice President of Engineering)
Dr. Ken Spall (Vice President of Business Development)
Quang Ha (General Counsel)
Revenue US$ 3.1 million[1]
Employees 100
Website www.algenolbiofuels.com

Algenol, headquartered in Bonita Springs, Florida, is a company developing a process to produce ethanol directly from algae. Rather than grow algae and then harvest them, the ethanol is removed without killing the algae. Their process appears somewhat unique in this regard as nearly all other fuel comes from either long dead organic matter in the case of fossil fuels or recently dead organic matter in the case of normal biofuel.

Contents

[edit] Research

Algenol's process uses seawater, carbon dioxide and sunlight to produce ethanol and freshwater.[2] The source of the carbon dioxide can be "captured industrial or captured atmospheric".[3]

[edit] Comparison with other alternative biofuels

Algenol claim the process can produce 6,000 US gallons per acre per year (5,600 m3/km2·a) as compared with around 370 US gallons per acre per year (350 m3/km2·a) produced by growing corn and fermenting it and 890 US gallons per acre per year (830 m3/km2·a) for sugar cane. The algae is grown in salt water and so can be grown in desert areas using sea water rather than needing existing agricultural land and water sources. Their process also uses carbon dioxide generally obtained as a waste product from power stations.

[edit] Locations

Algenol's newest facility is located in Southwest Florida, just north of Florida Gulf Coast University and opened in October 2010. The new research and development facility is working to create a commercially viable fuel from algae.[4] The site features a research labs including engineering facilities, advanced molecular biology, CO2 management, separations, and green chemistry advanced labs and an outdoor process development production unit on 40 acres.[5] It is to cover 43,000sqft and to include 40 acres (160,000 m2) of photobioreactors[6] In addition, Algenol and FGCU are working together on curriculum, internships and teaching opportunities.[4]

The company operates the world's largest blue green algae library and the algae they are using was chosen from a collection of nearly 10,000 strains.

[edit] Projects

BioFields have committed to build an algae farm in the Sonoran Desert in northwest Mexico and intend to sell the ethanol fuel at or below market price of ethanol. Production was planned from Mexico in 2009, now delayed to 2012 due to permitting delays and the company says it plans to produce 1 billion US gallons (3,800,000 m3) by the end of 2014 which would make it the worlds largest ethanol producer. [7][8] They have claimed production costs as low as 85¢ per US gallon (22¢/l).[9]

[edit] Partnerships

On June 9 they announced a partnership with Dow Chemical to build a demonstration project, Integrated Biorefinery Direct to Ethanol project in Lee County Florida, site with 3,100 bioreactors. The bioreactors shown in 09 were long closed and sealed flexible plastic looking rather like a long hot dog balloon. Dow will provide the plastic balloon material. The Georgia Institute of Technology and Membrane Technology will also work on the process. Algenol also announced partnerships with Valero Energy Services and Linde Gas AG [10][11]

[edit] Grants Awarded

In December 2009, Algenol received a $25m United States Department of Energy grant to help build the Integrated Biorefinery Direct to Ethanol project in Lee County Florida. Algenol also received a $10m grant from Lee County to employee people in Lee County and also build the Integrated Biorefinery Direct to Ethanol project in Lee County Florida. [12]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Algenol Biofuels Inc. | Company profile from Hoover's". Hoovers.com. http://www.hoovers.com/company/Algenol_Biofuels_Inc/xffysssfc-1.html. Retrieved 2010-08-24. 
  2. ^ "Harnessing the Sun to Fuel the World". Algenol Biofuels. http://www.algenolbiofuels.com/default.html. Retrieved 2010-08-24. 
  3. ^ [1][dead link]
  4. ^ a b "Algenol to change SW Fla., the world". http://www.news-press.com/article/20101020/BUSINESS/10200379/Algenol-to-change-SW-Fla-the-world. 
  5. ^ "Impending verdict on Algenol’s biofuel production utility". Biofuels International, February 2, 2010. http://www.biofuels-news.com/industry_news.php?item_id=1708. 
  6. ^ "Algenol Partners With Lee County as Commission Votes to Approve Incentive Funding for Florida-Based". PR-CANADA.net. http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=164477&Itemid=58. 
  7. ^ "Algae farm in Mexico to produce ethanol in '09". cnet. 2008-06-12. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9966867-54.html. 
  8. ^ "Algenol Enters The Algae Biofuel Race With Process Economics Advantage". TreeHugger. 2008-06-12. http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/06/algenol-algae-biofuel-race-process-economics-advantage.php. 
  9. ^ "Fuel the World". Gulf Coast Business Review. http://www.algenolbiofuels.com/media-gulfcoast.html. 
  10. ^ "Baltimore lab seeks fuel in pond scum". Baltimore Sun. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-te.md.algae08may08,0,2228536.story/. 
  11. ^ Wald, Matthew L. (2009-06-29). "Algae Farm Aims to Turn Carbon Dioxide Into Fuel". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/29/business/energy-environment/29biofuel.html?scp=1&sq=algenol&st=cse. 
  12. ^ "US Names Biofuel Projects". CNN. http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200912041756DOWJONESDJONLINE000726_FORTUNE5.htm/. 

http://www.oilgae.com/blog/2008/09/algenol-hires-schlicht-denman-to-build.html http://biodieselfever.com/?p=607 http://www.ethanolproducer.com/article.jsp?article_id=4793 http://www.nature.com/nbt/journal/v26/n10/full/nbt1008-1198.html http://biodieselfever.com/?p=607 http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-188730198.html

[edit] External links

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