15 Algae Startups Bringing Pond Scum to Fuel Tanks

Updated: greenfuelphoto.jpgIf corn-based biofuels are the Britney Spears of the cleantech world (a fallen star but still all over the place), fuel made from algae is the next great American Idol winner (major potential in the pipeline). And despite the fact that algae-to-biofuel startups have been taking their sweet time bringing a pond scum fuel product to market, some inroads have been made recently — GreenFuel is building its first plant, PetroSun starts producing at their farm on April 1, and big oil Chevron and Shell have made some early bets as well.

As we watch this play out, here are 15 algae biofuel firms that you should know about:

GreenFuel Technologies: The Cambridge, Mass.-based algae firm led by telecom bigwig Bob Metcalfe (whom we interviewed here) has reached an agreement to build its first fuel plant — worth $92 million — in Europe, says Xconomy. It’s good news for the firm, which has hit some speed bumps over the past year, including layoffs, switching CEOs, shutting down a greenhouse in Arizona and discovering that its algae tech was more expensive than first planned.

The startup builds algae bioreactor systems, which use recycled CO2 to feed the algae, which is then converted into biofuels; it uses the containers to carefully control the algae’s intake of sunlight and nutrients. GreenFuel is backed by Polaris Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson (our video interview with DFJ here) and Access Private Equity and has been working on raising a Series C funding.

Solazyme: The five-year old firm uses synthetic biology and genetic engineering to tweak algal strains for better biofuel yields. Based in South San Francisco, the company grows its algae in fermentation tanks without sunlight, by feeding it sugar. The company is one of the few that have managed to do deals with a major oil company — Chevron — as well as biodiesel maker Imperium Renewables. Backers include Blue Crest Capital Finance and The Roda Group.

Blue Marble Energy: The Seattle-based company finds algae-infested polluted water systems, cleans up the environment, and turns the algae into biofuel. “If the future of biofuels is algae…you’re never going to get enough volume in bioreactors or ponds…It has to be something with greater volume,” the company told the Guardian . We’re not sure how Blue Marble will control the wild algae settings, but it sounds like it could be difficult.

Inventure Chemical: Also out of Seattle, this startup is working on an algae-to-jet fuel product, and told the Seattle PI that it has already created algae-based fuel in 5- to 10-gallon tests and plans to set up a test plant to see if it can produce between from three and 15 million gallons of biofuel each year. Inventure Chemical closed its first round of funding mid-2007, and investors are reported to be biodiesel company Imperium Renewables, Cedar Grove Investments, Brighton Jones Wealth Management and undisclosed angel investors.

Solena: Profiled in the New York Times today, Solena uses high temperatures to gasify algae and other organic substances with high-energy outputs. The Washington state-based company is talking with Kansas power firm Sunflower to build a 40-megawatt power plant run on gasified algae, according to the NYT; the algae would be grown in big plastic containers, and fed by a combination of sunlight and the sodium bicarbonate biproduct of the adjacent coal plant.

Live Fuels: Instead of attempting to convert algae directly into ethanol or biodiesel, this startup is trying to create green crude that could be fed directly through the nation’s current refinery system. The Menlo Park, Calif-based startup uses open-pond algae bioreactors and plans to commercialize its technology by 2010. Investors include the Quercus Trust (David Gelbaum’s well-known environmental funding group) and Sandia National Labs.

Solix Biofuels: Like Live Fuels, Solix is also working on a biocrude, but using a closed-tank bioreactor set-up. Based in Fort Collins, Colo., and founded in April 2006, the firm is backed by Colorado State University’s Engine and Energy Conversion Laboratory. The company has said that construction will begin shortly on its first, large-scale bioreactor at the nearby New Belgian Brewery, where CO2 waste produced during the beer-making proicess will be used to feed the algae.

Aurora Biofuels: Developed at the University of California at Berkeley, the company is using genetics ally to isolate modified exclusive algae strains that can efficiently create biodiesel. Aurora claims the technology can create biodiesel fuel with yields that are 125 times higher and have 50 percent lower costs than current production methods (Update: developed by microbial biology professor Tasios Melis was an early advisor to the team). According to the company’s web site, backers include Gabriel Venture Partners, Noventi, Oak Investment Partners (and angel investors include Auttomatic CEO Toni Schneider)

Aquaflow Binomics: The New Zealand company’s goal is to become “the first company in the world to economically produce biofuel from wild algae harvested from open-air environments.” Like Blue Marble Energy, the three-year-old startup sources its algae from algae-infested polluted water systems, cleaning the polluted environment in the process.

Late last year, publicly held Aquaflow used its algae-based biodiesel to run a Land Rover driven by New Zealand’s Minister of Climate Change. And it’s been working with Boeing on algae-to-bio-based jet fuel.

Petro Sun: This company is also publicly held, but we thought it was important to include it because they plan to start up their algae-to-biofuel production factory in Rio Honda, Texas, on April 1. The algae farm has 1,100 acres ponds that Petro Sun thinks will make 4.4 million gallons of algal oil and 110 million pounds of biomass per year. Some think the company is just jumping on the algae-slimed bandwagon.

Bionavitas: Based in Snoqualmie, Wash., the company says it has developed technology for the high-volume production of algae using bioreactors. Check out their WIPO patent app for the bioreactor setup.

Mighty Algae Biofuels: The little we do know about Mighty Algae Biofuels we learned through their entrance in the California Cleantech Open last year. We know, for example, that it uses closed bioreactors to grow the algae. They were also quoted in the San Jose Mercury this month on a story about algae biofuel.

Bodega Algae: Another newbee, this one with roots at MIT, the one-year-old firm has developed a set-up to grow algae in bioreactors with light and nutrients that it says is lower cost and more efficient than the current methods. Back in May 2007 Bodega said it was looking for $300,000 for “capital equipment, salaries and testing materials to complete the first prototype and begin a pilot study with a biodiesel manufacturing facility.” (Their web site is down, so we’ll if they’re still around).

Seambiotic: The five-year-old Israeli startup produces algae for applications, including the budding biofuel industry, and is working with Inventure Chemical. The firm has been working with Israeli Electric Company, utilizing IEC’s smokestack for a source of CO2 and grows algae in eight open algae ponds.

Cellena: A joint venture created by Hawaiian algae-to-biofuel startup HR Biopetroleum and oil company Shell. Shell has majority share of the company, which is in the process of building a demo facility on the Kona coast of Hawaii.

 

Comments (59)

  • Katie: Way 2 Go! Green biodiesel is the “way 2 go”.
    We live on Lake Champlain. Currently, the dairy farms dump manure on fields which drains into the lake fertilizing seaweeds which choke the shoreline. We can harvest the seaweed biomass and blend with the manure, cut the carbon, produce methane and power.
    “Way 2 go!”.
    Bob Hardy, Vergennes, VT 05491 M 802 777 3311

    bob hardy5:49 AM on March 27, 2008 Reply

  • One more: Algae @ Work, http://www.algaeatwork.com/. They were formed when Jim Sears left Solix to pursue a different vision for the technology.

    Tom4:22 PM on March 27, 2008 Reply

  • Thanks Tom! Anyone else have any additions to the list?

    Katie Fehrenbacher, Earth2Tech4:46 PM on March 27, 2008 Reply

  • Check the research being done at the National Biofuels Energy Laboratory at Wayne State University in Detroit (http://www.eng.wayne.edu/page.php?id=4765 and click on “projects”) — some very cool research into which particular breed of pond scum will make the best diesel oil. Some of these startups should be linking up with this lab for research.

    Matt Roush10:54 AM on March 28, 2008 Reply

  • Valcent is another company working on algae to biodiesel.

    http://www.valcent.net

    XeoMage1:58 PM on March 28, 2008 Reply

  • Global Green Solutions, whose Vertigro solution is a vertical closed system. Located near El Paso.

    http://www.globalgreensolutionsinc.com

    Mark Tyson — 8:33 PM on March 28, 2008 Reply

  • As a resident of China, I am wondering if any of these companies have moved into China, and if so what the reception has been.

    Last summer there were no less than 14 large lakes that experienced sever algae blooms, and already we have seen 10 tributaries of the Yangtze experience algae blooms this year (in the cold season).

    In my mind, and of course this depends on the ability of the technologies listed above, there could potentially be a large market in China.

    r
    http://www.china-crossroads.com

    China @ Crossroads7:54 AM on March 29, 2008 Reply

  • XLTechGroup’s PetroAlgae LLC
    http://www.petroalgae.com/

    Jay W. — 10:33 AM on March 29, 2008 Reply

  • Great report, and interest in your follow-up story that could discuss technical hurdles, harmful biproducts, current cost comparison to ethanol, rates of progress toward cost reduction, etc.

    AAI8:45 PM on March 31, 2008 Reply

  • another one missed: http://www.originoil.com/

    chasbabb — 1:21 PM on April 2, 2008 Reply

  • Good article. Thank you, Ms. Fehrenbacher. One criticism. The media have got to stop using cute little tag lines like “Turning pond scum into fuel”. It is demeaning of a very serois technology that offers the world a MAJOR solution to a myriad of problems.

    Ari7:21 AM on April 3, 2008 Reply

  • Good to see that Algae is getting some traction in on the web. This article spurred me to post my own summary about different companies related to the Algae for BioFuels.

    http://seacleantech.blogspot.com/2008/04/algae-summary.html#links

    I just added a few comments but I think it can be a pretty good start for anyone interested in knowing more.

    I welcome feedback, comments and contacts.

    Best regards,

    Per Dahlen

    Per Dahlen1:17 AM on April 10, 2008 Reply

  • Nice summary. Petro Sun management includes Dallas Cowboys legend Rayfield Wright. They sponsor a college football bowl game in addition to harvesting algae. Maybe they’re going to break through into the open with their farms on the Gulf Coast.

    o'scrod — 3:13 AM on April 14, 2008 Reply

  • We have a pond property near Boston that an algae researcher might be interested in.

    Thanks,

    HB Buckner

    603.801.9765

    HB Buckner9:41 AM on April 17, 2008 Reply

  • Sorry:

    We have a pond property near Boston that an algae researcher might be interested in.

    Info at: http://www.troutpondnh.com

    Thanks,

    HB Buckner

    603.801.9765

    HB Buckner9:43 AM on April 17, 2008 Reply

  • This will change the world for the better. Say good-bye to OPEC.

    Jerry Hoy — 12:05 PM on April 19, 2008 Reply

  • Pond Scum Shows Promise as Fuel

    by Jan TenBruggencate Honolulu Advertiser May 12, 2007

    Could pond scum solve the world’s energy and global warming crises?

    University of Hawai’i professor Pengchen “Patrick” Fu thinks it can, with a little push from biotechnology.

    Fu has developed strains of cyanobacteria – one of the components of pond scum – that feed on atmospheric carbon dioxide, and produce ethanol as a waste product.

    He has done it both in his laboratory under fluorescent light and with sunlight on the roof of his building. Sunlight works better, he said.

    “It’s a promising technology,” said Maria Tome, energy engineer with the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s energy office. “It has a lot of appeal and potential.”

    Tome, who has been briefed on the project, said that if it works, its benefits could be significant.

    “Turning waste into something useful is a good thing,” she said.

    The technique may need adjusting to increase how much ethanol it yields, but “I think this technology has a future. This work is very good,” said C.Y. Hu, associate director for research with the university’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, which houses the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology.

    The process was patented by Fu and UH in January, but there’s still plenty of work to do to bring it to a commercial level, Fu said.

    ETHANOL PLANT PLANS

    Fu figures his team is two to three years from being able to build a full-scale ethanol plant, and they are looking for investors.

    He is fine-tuning his research to find different strains of blue-green algae that will produce even more ethanol, and that are more tolerant of high levels of ethanol. One problem Fu encounters is that as the cyanobacteria produces ethanol, the increased concentration of ethanol eventually kills the algae.

    Recently, he clambered over Kilauea volcano on the Big Island seeking out new strains of cyanobacteria that might be more effective.

    Fu started out in chemical engineering, and then began the study of biology. He has studied in China, Australia, Japan and the United States, and came to UH in 2002 after a stint as scientist for a private company in California. He is an assistant professor in the university’s Department of Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology, although his contract ends this summer.

    He is working with NASA on the potential of cyanobacteria in future lunar and Mars colonization, and is also proceeding to take his ethanol technology into the marketplace. A business plan using his system, under the name La Wahie Biotech, yesterday won third place – and a $5,000 award – in the Business Plan Competition at UH’s Shidler College of Business.

    Daniel Dean and Donavan Kealoha, both UH law and business students, are Fu’s partners. Kealoha said the time seems to be right and the technology compelling, so they are in the process of turning the business plan into an operating business.

    The production of ethanol for fuel is one of the nation’s and the world’s major initiatives, partly because its production takes as much carbon out of the atmosphere as it dumps into the atmosphere. That’s different from fossil fuels such as oil and coal, which take stored carbon out of the ground and release it into the atmosphere, for a net increase in greenhouse gas.

    Most current and planned ethanol production methods depend on farming, and in the case of corn and sugar, take food crops and divert them into energy. Fu said crop-based ethanol production is slow and resource-costly. He decided to work with cyanobacteria, some of which convert sunlight and carbon dioxide into their own food and release oxygen as a waste product.

    Other scientists also are researching using cyanobacteria to make ethanol, using different strains, but Fu’s technique is unique, he said. He inserted genetic material into one type of freshwater cyanobacterium, causing it to produce ethanol as its waste product. It works, and is an amazingly efficient system, he said.

    “We have no need to use anything but sunlight and carbon dioxide,” plus a trace amount of nutrient materials, he said. “We are very confident about this.”

    QUICK RESULTS

    The technology is fairly simple, he said. It involves a photobioreactor, which is a fancy term for a clear glass or plastic container full of something alive, in which light promotes a biological reaction.

    Carbon dioxide gas is bubbled through the green mixture of water and cyanobacteria.

    “Solar energy drives the conversion” of the carbon dioxide into ethanol, Fu said. The liquid is then passed through a specialized membrane that removes the ethanol, allowing the water, nutrients and cyanobacteria to return to the photobioreactor.

    The benefit over other techniques of producing ethanol is that this is simple and quick-taking days rather than the months required to grow crops that can be converted to ethanol, Fu said.

    And he believes it can be done for significantly less than the cost of gasoline and also less than the cost of ethanol produced through conventional methods.

    Also, this system is not a net producer of carbon dioxide: Carbon dioxide released into the environment when ethanol is burned has been withdrawn from the environment during ethanol production.

    To get the carbon dioxide it needs, the system could even pull the gas out of the emissions of power plants or other carbon dioxide producers. That would prevent carbon dioxide release into the atmosphere, where it has been implicated as a major cause of global warming.

    Source: Honolulu Advertiser

    PROF. HANS-JÜRGEN FRANKE & PROF. PENCHENG… — 3:32 PM on April 22, 2008 Reply

  • CEQUESTA

    Cequesta of Jerusalem, Israel (http://www.cequesta.com) are leaders in large-scale algae field (LSAF) technology. Of all plants, algae have the most exciting future since their potential productivity per hectare is many more times any other plant variety.

    To achieve their full potential, improvements are needed in algae strains, photo-bioreactor design, and processing. Cequesta knows and understands these areas very well and has retained the most experienced researchers in this exciting field. The company has independent development teams in four places around the world, coordinated from Jerusalem. We believe we will be the first to produce low-cost bio-fuel from algae, along with other very important commercial products like fishmeal; natural neutraceuticals; replacements for synthetic neutraceuticals and synthetic food additives and fish oils.

    Our senior staff are:
    Chief Operational Officer: Shlomzion Landau
    Chief Technical Officer: Dr Michael Kagan
    Chief Scientist: Professor Amos Richmond
    Chief Excutive Officer: David Waimann
    Chief LSAF designer: Eitan Sharir
    Chief Labs: Jenia Gutman

    t: +972 2 6738158
    f: +972 2 6738157

    Our laboratories and test centre are at Mevo’ot Yam by the Mediterranean sea.

    | Prof. Amos Richmond | Dr. Michael Kagan | David Waimann |

    David Waimann3:40 PM on April 22, 2008 Reply

  • a non-profit company in New Mexico involved in developing an integrated system for production of algae biodiesel: http://www.cehmm.org

    CEHMM — 10:28 AM on May 12, 2008 Reply

  • I am having the large land plots in Rajasthan in India and wish to go for the production of Alge for the biofuel.
    Can any one suggest the project cost viable at the starting level.

    chirag Gajjar — 10:24 AM on May 13, 2008 Reply

  • Chirag Gajjar,

    You can start at any initial investment size depending on who you have collaborating on a project. Finding equipment suppliers or advisors is not the principal challenge. Once you start, you will want to know who will be investing in the following steps to build on the first initial investment. I am also bringing together investors for possible participation in new initiatives; they may like to also hear about what you want to do. Let’s discuss on my website-blog if you like.

    Jensen Boire11:42 AM on May 13, 2008 Reply

  • XL Renewables recently announced that they have developed an economical system for the large-scale production of algae and they will be installing a 40 acre commercial-scale facility in Arizona.
    Website: http://www.xlrenewables.com

    Michael McCloud10:51 AM on May 16, 2008 Reply

  • I like to invest,Can any one suggest the project cost viable at the starting level

    BHAVESH GULABCHAND SHAH — 4:14 AM on May 22, 2008 Reply

  • i want to start it but can any one tell me the cost of project and if some one for joint venture i would also go ahead. email me at bhavesh3_1978@yahoo.co.in

    BHAVESH GULABCHAND SHAH — 4:18 AM on May 22, 2008 Reply

  • This is the answer to the nations energy problem! There should be a mandate from congress to start mass production of algae biofuel. It should be made available first to the truckers before many have to cease operation. I think the clowns at OPEC are getting nervous about this one. I can’t wait to see their faces when they can’t even give away their dirty oil. Hurray up guys!!

    DonL — 5:31 AM on May 25, 2008 Reply

  • One more for the list, and a big one: Algenol, which is helping to build an $850m solar algal bioreactor plant in the Mexican Sonoran Desert, and whose algae are distinctive in that they actually SECRETE ethanol, rather than having to be harvested and processed for lipids (the base for biodiesel).

    L Yarbrough — 10:32 AM on June 28, 2008 Reply

  • Yet another firm

    http://www.greenstarusa.com

    Buddy Nickel — 8:19 PM on July 8, 2008 Reply

  • Algae Commercialization:
    Business Roundtable, Research and Networking Forum – SOLD OUT

    http://www.nationalalgaeassociation.com

    b cohen9:52 AM on July 15, 2008 Reply

  • Hey, great article. If the lakes I have visited here this summer are any indication, there is indeed a never ending source of fuel in the area of algae!

    Seriously though, I like the idea, and think you did a great job in presenting it.

    James9:00 AM on July 21, 2008 Reply

  • Is there any work being done on home/farm level production/harvest? having experience in auqua-culture, I usually spot many algea choked ponds in my travels. Could a vision of a farmer/propery owner with an automated harvester collecting for delivery to a central processing point be off the mark?
    Also the thought occured to me, (not first I’m sure), possibility of using the biofuel being mowed down and discarded along our countries medians and right of ways.

    Tim Lutz — 7:37 AM on August 8, 2008 Reply

  • Good question Tim, was wondering the same thing myself. Is it possible to be an algae farmer? Who would buy it?

    Scott — 8:51 PM on August 11, 2008 Reply

  • I like what GreenStar (www.greenstarusa.com) are doing. They are a research and development company with experience through partnerships in ethanol and biodiesel production cos. so they have a good foundation in renewable fuels already. They also hold some key patents.

    Chris Cudnoski — 7:53 PM on September 3, 2008 Reply

  • I was wondering if you could send me some info aboout the growth of Algae. I’m doing a science fair project on it my topic is “Does the terbity of the water affect the growth of algae?”

    Becky callen — 8:28 AM on September 16, 2008 Reply

  • We are a small manufacturer of blown plastic films in NW Washington State. We can very efficiently blow up to approx 12″ diameter continuous tubing. We have come across some resins that produce films that are oil and UV resistant, along with having good clarity and tear strength. I see the tubing as possible portable aglae growing chambers. What do others think? Does anyone know of others working on similar ideas?

    Dick Mathes — 3:53 PM on September 24, 2008 Reply

    • Why not lay the tube on the ground (flattened, with sand bed)? keeps algae film less than 100mm thick, cover keeps it sterile, and pump CO2 rich combustion products over the algae for enhanced CO2 levels. use water pump with ceramic filter (sterile water)and multiple lengths of tube to achieve desired area/length, harvest algae at the end of the tube.

      inventorman — 3:47 AM on October 23, 2009 Reply

  • We are a nonprofit corporation in the Philippines and USA that focus on Agro Fishery. Our 5 hectare fishpond is an organic farm. My research and work is on algae and the different alternative plants for fish feeds. We all know that one of the world’s biggest crisis is fuel, but the bigger one is food. We have several methods and technique to make algae bloom in our ponds which feeds our fishes and crustaceans. If anyone out there is interested in our mission in creating low cost fish feeds and increase the much needed fish protein diet of the world and in doing so…produce algae that could make a dent in the fuel crisis..please contact me…my goal is to produce fish like the tilapia in thousands of hectares of unproductive fishponds in the Philippines. We are fully registered in the US and the Philippines and is 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in USA. We can produce food and fuel at the same time and maybe make a little difference in the world of the underprivileged. junnfflores@yahoo.com

    Junn F. Flores — 12:53 AM on September 29, 2008 Reply

  • You can also view algae biodiesel at Circle Biodiesel & Ethanol Corporation where they make an algae harvester and algae photo bioreactors. I think they are a company to look at for sure.

    Michel Platini — 7:41 AM on October 1, 2008 Reply

  • [...] almost all the major airlines are keen to be the first to get a passenger plane in the air powered entirely by green energy alternatives and, as things stand, algae is looking the best bet [...]

    Jet plane to fly on algae-based fuel by 2010…11:57 PM on October 17, 2008 Reply

  • Personally, I’m investing in the VALCENT/VERTIGRO systems. Rather than depending on a flat plane surface for growth, a much more productive vertical hanging scheme is used. Check out the patent pending system at Valcent industries site. I’m so glad that there is so much interest in algae for fuel. Thanks.

    Donald Nelson — 1:59 PM on October 18, 2008 Reply

  • I suggest investing in an algae company that has an algae product with customers ready to purchase it. This gives the company cash flow while the research is done to reduce the cost of producing algae for biofuels. This results in less risk for the investor.

    Andrew Ayers10:10 AM on November 14, 2008 Reply

  • this is really interesting. I’m going to do more research right away…

    ookami Bert — 6:10 PM on November 15, 2008 Reply

  • Seambiotic is a very cool Israeli srartup

    Israel Cleantech2:37 AM on December 4, 2008 Reply

  • Hello all, i am conducting my own research with botryococcus braunii and genetic tools. I am looking to manipulate the biosynthesis pathways in the strain to generate short chain alkanes. I am going to be making my way from Atlanta GA to Vancouver BC, and plan to visit as many algae researchers as possible. I depart Atl on Jan. 15. If you can offer any contacts or would like to meet me please email me. afreeman1984@gmail.com
    Thank you and i love that there are so many fighting for the cause for clean energy!!!!

    Adam Freeman — 6:57 PM on December 25, 2008 Reply

  • Algae Fuel
    It’s all over the news today. Airlines are testing it with great results. Looks like they relly may have found something here !

    Algae It is the Future !
    Jerry

    Http://AlgaeFuelMaking.Com

    Jerry P. — 12:46 PM on January 8, 2009 Reply

  • Hi, my name is willie j from ft valley university in georgia. I am thrilled to see that this world is fastly becoming a place of thinkers and in the near future, we the people will have control of our own destiny. I want to begin work on a project for algae farming for my school that will educate the black community and inpower them as well. I want to start but I dont know the steps to take to see my dream realized? Can you help me?

    Willie — 10:57 AM on January 25, 2009 Reply

  • Anything that reduces our dollars to the ragheads is a positive – biofuels, wind, solar, nuclear, coal, hydro – bring it all on and get us off foreign oil completely in 15 years.

    coolguy12:04 AM on January 27, 2009 Reply

  • Interesting blog, look forward to more.

    glenn k6:14 AM on February 17, 2009 Reply

  • I’m a student and i’m making a presentation on this topic: algal fuel and i’v realised that i dont know much and i have no idea what should i be looking for to make a clear picture of the whole scenario for the other students. i was hoping i would get help from somewhere

    shaista — 2:58 AM on March 1, 2009 Reply

  • This is great post,I’m surely bookmark this page and keep reading every post you made, thx!

    Shelley light12:32 PM on March 14, 2009 Reply

  • We need to get rid of the word “biodiesel”. It is all biological in origin. The crude oil that is pumped out of the ground and refined into diesel and gasoline originated from living things.
    With that said, I would very much like to start a business raising algae to be converted into fuel. I understand the technology pretty well and I am comfortable (based on experience) with my ability to operate a production facility and handle the logistics of production and delivery. I do not have any kind of solid understanding of the bottom line numbers. How much to start, how much to operate, how much production daily/weekly, cash flow. Until I have those numbers it would be silly to seek venture capital.

    trruk8:20 AM on May 25, 2009 Reply

  • Someone needs to get a hold of the DNR in Mercer/Auglaize counties in Ohio. Their lake, Grand Lake St. Mary’s has become overrun with Algae. They need a way to clean up & this sounds like something that would really be beneficial to both parties.

    Thomas — 5:26 PM on June 24, 2009 Reply

  • Very useful job!! will definitely visit again/

    home made wind generators11:32 PM on June 26, 2009 Reply

  • BioCentric Energy Shareholder Update
    6:00a ET July 13, 2009 (Market Wire)

    BioCentric Energy Holdings, Inc.(PINKSHEETS: BEHL) Shareholder Update:

    President of the National Algae Association, Barry Cohen, while in our corporate offices in San Juan Capistrano, California, participated in a discussion arranged by the BioCentric Team and a representative of a public company that has 61 operating locations coast-to-coast in 50 cities, approximately 6,400 employees, and approximately $1 billion in annualized revenues.

    The Engineering, Procurement and Construction representative asked Barry Cohen for his thoughts of BioCentric and the onsite Photobioreactor, his comments were, “BioCentric is the ‘Wal-Mart’ of the Algae Business… they provide the most inexpensive solution, by a long shot… they looked at the business of algae farming and calculated how to make it significantly less expensive than anyone else… and their ongoing future developments will continue to hold that lead for the foreseeable future.”

    Additionally while Mr. Cohen was present at the company’s headquarters the definitive dates of January 4th and 5th 2010 have been established and arrangements are now being made to hold the first conference of the West Coast Chapter of the National Algae Association in Las Vegas. Mr. Shen, a member of the National Advisor Council for the NAA, Mr. Fisher, President of the West Coast Chapter of the NAA, and the BioCentric Team, along with the assistance of Lisa and Barry Cohen will fine tune this event in the coming months.

    Mr. Shen leaves this week to meet with Biocentric associates in the Czech Republic to define priorities, allocate resources, and commit to a definitive plan of action. In the second leg of his travels he will be visiting China to manage the initial procurements.

    Dennis Fisher, CEO, BioCentric Energy Holdings, Inc. today stated, “The last days of assembly could not have been completed without the incredible efforts of Lowell Brittain and Patrick Kuykendall. In their efforts they built a component that before now had only been conceptualized. Consequently they will have their names on the provisional patent. When you are lucky enough to assemble a crew like the BioCentric Team, it is truly a wonderful experience.”

    About BioCentric Energy Holdings, Inc.

    Biocentric Energy Holdings, Inc. is dedicated to the development of new technologies as well as acquiring and fostering companies with innovative technologies designed to provide unique and effective green energy solutions for the 21st century. Along with the cultivation of important relationships and partnerships with synergistic entities, BioCentric Energy has devoted substantial time and effort in research and development in order to bring a range of innovative green alternatives to the marketplace. http://www.biocentricenergy.com & http://www.biocentricenergyalgae.com

    Safe Harbor Statement: This release includes forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as BEHL or its management “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “foresees,” “forecasts,” “estimates” or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements herein that describe the Company’s business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.

    VOD Newswire View this release in video format — http://vodnewswire.com/vodnewswire/news/biocentric-energy-20090713/

    Contact: Dale Baeten BioCentric Investor Relations Office: 920-273-7941

    SOURCE: BioCentric Energy Holdings, Inc.

    Mike G — 12:36 PM on July 13, 2009 Reply

  • we lick to have bio plant in Sri-Lanka.pls.let us know you all carrect infor mtion toget through if you all give details tham cam for nigoshtion .
    Best Regs,
    Ranjan.

    ranjan perera — 11:35 PM on July 23, 2009 Reply

  • … coming around the backstretch and moving up from behind with a vision, it’s, SCIPIO Biofuels. Making the charge of a lifetime for the finish line… it’s… it’s… definitely to be checked out to-day!!

    Technology that speaks for itself.

    Matt Snyder9:13 AM on September 14, 2009 Reply

  • You missed WTWO also known as W2ENERGY INC which is building plant to make fuel out of algae.

    B Goeller — 9:29 AM on September 25, 2009 Reply

  • Another Company is Logos Energy

    http://www.phycal.com/

    Ebrett — 5:57 AM on September 29, 2009 Reply

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