• Biofuels Nirvana: The Ideal Biofuels Process?

  Filed under Biofuels companies, algae, biofuels
  Feb 12
  Ethanol, and to a lesser extent biodiesel, have been the only biofuels products of note to be offered thus far. Why? For the simple reason that the technology already existed to make these products at a cost that allowed for commercialization without too large a subsidy. But, if one thinks about the ideal biofuel process, there is a much more attractive option being pursued at a number of early-stage biofuels developers.

  Imagine a process that converts carbon dioxide–a greenhouse gas!–into a biofuel while growing in a pond or in sea water. This would be biofuels nirvana, and it may not be too far from becoming a reality.

  Here are a few companies to watch.

  Aurora Biofuels is using a genetically modified algae developed at the University of California at Berkeley to efficiently produce biodiesel using CO2 as the feedstock. The Aurora claims the technology can create biodiesel fuel competitive with $50 per barrel oil.

  Synthetic Genomics approach does not use algae, but rather, specially created micro-organisms that are built by redesigning the genome almost form scratch. The ultimate goal is the conversion of carbon dioxide into fuels or commodity chemicals using energy from the sun to drive the process. Craig Venter, of genome-sequencing fame, leads this effort with up to $300 million in funding form Exxon Mobil. That kind of financial support gives Synthetic Genomics a good shot at success.

  Solazyme was named the Biofuels Digest “Company of the Year,” ranking number one on their list of the 50 Hottest Biofuels Companies. Solazyme has also announced a near-term focus on launching food products produced by algae, with a food oil similar to olive oil as a lead product. This probably stands a better chance of  near-term commercialization since the prices are about 25 times higher than for a fuel. The hope appears to be that cash flow from a large-volume food product will help fund even larger-volume fuel production.

  Sapphire Energy is developing a product the company calls Green Crude. The product is green because it is produced by algae from sunlight and carbon dioxide. If successful, Sapphire’s crude product will be refineable into the three most important fuels in use today: gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. With more than 100 employees and blue chip venture capital support, Sapphire bears watching.

  Compared to bio-ethanol companies, algae companies have been lurking in the shadows, but they may be about ready to pounce.

  Tagged as: algae, biofuels, Biofuels companies
  
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