Plankton Power and the Regional Technology Development Corp. (RTDC) of Cape Cod announced the establishment of a public-private consortium focused on building a leading-edge facility to produce renewable biofuels from algae. Under the [...]]]> Plankton Power and RTDC have abouned a Consortium of local research-industry-government-military organizations collaborating to establish algae farm and biorefinery for production of renewable fuels.

 Plankton Power and the Regional Technology Development Corp. (RTDC) of Cape Cod announced the establishment of a public-private consortium focused on building a leading-edge facility to produce renewable biofuels from algae. Under the leadership of Plankton Power, the RTDC, Massachusetts National Guard, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), and Cape Cod Commission are joining forces to establish the Cape Cod Algae Biorefinery. The new facility will focus on pilot- and commercial-scale development of algae biodiesel (a type of biofuel) that is cost-competitive with existing petroleum- and vegetable-based fuels, with improved performance characteristics.

The planned biorefinery is proposed for construction on five acres of land on the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) in Bourne, Massachusetts, supported by the Massachusetts National Guard pending legal and regulatory reviews. The pilot facility will provide the required infrastructure for testing commercial scale-up of a breakthrough algae-growth technology resulting from 20 years of cold saltwater species research and production.

The biodiesel from Plankton Power algae is a “drop-in” replacement for home heating oil and petroleum diesel and will be produced for commercial distribution. The Cape Cod Algae Biorefinery Consortium recently submitted a $20 million proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy that would leverage $4 million in private funding to construct the proposed facility. MassDevelopment, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, and Loud Fuel Company are also supporting the initiative.

“Over the next few years, we are ready to set up the MMR as a partner for a number of critical clean-energy initiatives that will not only help the military but boost the regional economy,” said U.S. Rep. Bill Delahunt (DMass.).

“Working with entrepreneurs and the institutions based in Woods Hole, we want to make the MMR not just a center for the National Guard and Coast Guard, but an incubator for cutting-edge initiatives on algae as fuel, wind and solar energy, and unmanned aircraft for joint military and oceanographic research. The use of algae as a fuel has major potential and can be nurtured right on Cape Cod.”

Beginning in autumn 2010, Plankton Power expects to initiate pilot-scale operations to generate up to one million gallons of biodiesel per year—enough fuel to supply Cape Cod’s current biodiesel usage. The company projects that commercial-scale operations on 100 acres could eventually yield 100 million gallons of biodiesel, which would meet 5% of the demand for diesel and home heating fuel in the state of Massachusetts.

“We are extremely pleased by the vision and commitment of our consortium partners to achieve the infrastructure, resources, and collaboration necessary to advance commercial development of promising algae-to-biofuel technology on the Cape,” said Curtis S. Felix, CEO and Founder of Plankton Power. “The MMR location is ideal for this pilot project—the on-site wastewater treatment plant would provide an excellent source of nutrients for the algae, and MMR’s location close to the Cape Cod Canal would provide a convenient source of seawater as well as a renewable thermal energy source for algae growth and temperature control. We acknowledge the National Guard and the state of Massachusetts for providing critical support to this initiative.”

“The Cape Cod Algae Biorefinery initiative provides a perfect example of the tremendous economic development potential created by fusing the expertise and resources of the Cape’s research brain trust to achieve industry goals and government objectives—in this case, the federal mandate to quadruple biofuel use by 2020,” said Robert A. Curtis, CEO of RTDC. “By joining forces, this consortium is positioning the Cape and Massachusetts for a leadership role in the development of a critical new, renewable source of energy that will create local jobs in algae farming and downstream industries, advance energy independence, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The algae farm facility’s location near MBL and WHOI will provide Plankton’s team access to the exceptional scientific expertise and resources available at the Cape’s two world-leading marine research institutions and facilitate a collaborative approach to address the challenges of efficiently producing commercial quantities of biofuel from algae.

“The Cape Cod Algae Biorefinery provides an excellent opportunity to bring WHOI and MBL’s combined scientific power to bear on a critical national need,” noted WHOI Executive Vice President Larry Madin and Joshua Hamilton, Chief Academic and Scientific Officer of MBL, in a joint statement. “We look forward to applying our institutions’ collective expertise and complementary strengths in the ecology and biochemistry of marine algae to support the establishment and production of algae-powered energy on the Cape.”

About Plankton Power (www.planktonpower.com)

Plankton Power applies proprietary technologies to create cost-effective, low carbon-emitting, 100% renewable biofuel products from algae. The company’s cold-saltwater algae species produce “drop-in” replacements for petroleum-based biofuels that offer improved performance characteristics, particularly compared with vegetableand animal-based biofuels. The company’s algae crude, biodiesel, biojet fuel, and other products are derived from a breakthrough patent-pending technology that is the culmination of 20 years of research by the company’s worldleading team of experts in algae-to-biofuel research and process development. Plankton’s production approach is environmentally superior to the current alternatives: The system uses naturally occurring algae species, converts sunlight and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to produce the oil, and incorporates bioremediation of waste solids as a nutrient source to feed the algae. The process produces no hazardous materials, employs a green technology to extract oil from the algae, and generates valuable byproducts that can be used in the production of animal feed and nutraceuticals. Plankton’s fully contained recirculating algae production system uses closed ponds and novel algae-to-fuel bioreactors and recycles much of the nutrient content and virtually all the water used in production, minimizing environmental impact. Plankton was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Wellfleet, Massachusetts.

 The Algaeprenuer Award honors companies and individuals who make important contributions to the development and commercialization of algae-based fuels. It is usually bestowed on algae fuel producers and marketers; however, Cyclone is the first honoree of the [...]]]> Pompano Beach, FL, Sept. 22, 2009. ” at the National Algae Association Conference, held last week in Houston, TX.

 The Algaeprenuer Award honors companies and individuals who make important contributions to the development and commercialization of algae-based fuels. It is usually bestowed on algae fuel producers and marketers; however, Cyclone is the first honoree of the award outside these fields. The National Algae Association (NAA) is the leading trade organization for algae researchers, producers and financiers.

 Cyclone received the NAA award for its heat regenerative, Rankine cycle engine, an efficient and earth-friendly modern steam engine capable of running on virtually any fuel, including today’s most promising biofuels. In tests performed by the company earlier this year, the Cyclone engine’s fuel atomizers and combustion chamber successfully burned several different variations and grades of the same strain of algae fuel without engine modification and, equally important, without expensive processing of the fuel. It is this adaptability in utilizing algae fuels, as well as other renewable and traditional fossil fuels, to power generators, automobiles and virtually any other engine application in the near future which marks a major milestone for the industry.

Recently, major corporations such as Chevron and ExxonMobil have made large investments in algae fuel production, and Continental Airlines has demonstrated algae as a usable fuel for jet planes. Algae can be processed to produce a carbon neutral oil-based fuel which can be grown almost anywhere without competing with worldwide food supplies.

 Cyclone was also featured on Channel 39 News (Houston) during the conference, a video of which can be viewed on the company’s website at: http://www.cyclonepower.com/video.html.

 CORPORATE PROFILE

Cyclone Power Technologies is the developer of the award-winning Cyclone Engine – an eco-friendly external combustion engine with the power and versatility to run everything from portable electric generators and garden equipment to cars, trucks and locomotives. Invented by company founder and CEO Harry Schoell, the patented Cyclone Engine is a modern day steam engine, ingeniously designed to achieve high thermal efficiencies through a compact heat-regenerative process, and to run on virtually any fuel – including bio-diesels, syngas or solar – while emitting fewer greenhouse gases and irritating pollutants into the air. Currently in its late stages of development, the Cyclone Engine was recognized by Popular Science Magazine as the Invention of the Year for 2008, and was presented with the Society of Automotive Engineers’ AEI Tech Award in 2006 and 2008. Additionally, Cyclone was recently named Environmental Business of the Year by the Broward County Environmental Protection Department. For more information, visit www.cyclonepower.com.

Breakthrough could reduce cost for algal fuel production

SEATTLE (July 27, 2009) Bioscience firm Targeted Growth (TGI) today announced it has developed a way to increase the lipid content of cyanobacteria by approximately 400 percent. This discovery will dramatically increase the oil yield per acre, decreasing the cost of algae production and helping algae based [...]]]>

TGI

Breakthrough could reduce cost for algal fuel production

SEATTLE (July 27, 2009) Bioscience firm Targeted Growth (TGI) today announced it has developed a way to increase the lipid content of cyanobacteria by approximately 400 percent. This discovery will dramatically increase the oil yield per acre, decreasing the cost of algae production and helping algae based biofuels become price-competitive with petroleum.

During the past four years the entire genome of cyanobacteria has been sequenced by researchers. TGI molecular biologists and their collaborators have identified and tested every active gene and made major breakthroughs in both adding new genes and manipulating their functions to create a high oilyielding algae strain. The company has filed multiple patent applications on these innovations.

“There’s no way that algae are sustainable as a feedstock for fuel or energy unless you can dramatically increase the yield per acre and optimize the strain for use as an energy source,” said Tom Todaro, CEO of Targeted Growth. “Any type of modification requires intricate understanding of and experience with molecular biology as well as significant testing. Our decade of working at the molecular level on other photosynthetic organisms has given us a significant advantage in working with cyanobacteria.”

In addition to developing algae strains for use as a feedstock for conventional diesel, TGI is also testing algae’s ability to be converted to biojet fuel through a partnership with refining technology developer UOP LLC, a Honeywell company. UOP’s renewable jet fuel process technology has produced renewable fuels from various oil-based feedstocks, including algae, for use in three separate airplane test flights in the past year.

Targeted Growth’s expansion into algae is a natural extension of the company’s legacy of deep experience and success in agricultural bioscience. Since 1998, the company has leveraged both genetic and traditional agricultural methods to help solve some of the world’s most pressing issues related to the use of agriculture for both food and fuel.

Its initial breakthrough came in the field of yield enhancement, when its scientists discovered a way to produce double-digit yield increases in certain row crops through regulating the cell division cycle. The company has since licensed this technology to a major seed company. In 2007, the company introduced a non-transgenic version of camelina sativa, an oilseed crop that grows in rotation with wheat. In January, 2009 a Japan Airlines Boeing 747 conducted a test flight powered in part by camelina oil processed into bio-jet fuel by UOP, a Honeywell Company.

About Targeted Growth, Inc.

Targeted Growth, Inc. was founded in 1999 with a goal of developing technologies that would increase the productivity of existing farmland and create new crops for use on land otherwise unsuitable for agriculture. Today, Targeted Growth is a global leader in bioscience, having developed technologies that both increase seed size and yield in major crops. It has also developed a line of dedicated energy crops, including camelina and sugarcorn, as well as a non-agricultural feedstock – cyanobacteria algae for biomass. The company has strategic partnerships with leading researchers and agribusinesses around the world. Targeted Growth is based in Seattle, Wash., with labs in Seattle, Saskatchewan, Ottawa and New Brunswick. More information is available at www.targetedgrowth.com.

The company has prepared some videos on the challenge below.

According to the company here is why Algae has been [...]]]> Prize  Capital is creating a high profile, international competition to find sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based fuels. They are preparing to offer $10 million to the team that produces the best algae based biofuel.

The company has prepared some videos on the challenge below.

According to the company here is why Algae has been chosen for feedstock to be used by prize contestants.

In response to current renewable fuel shortcomings, ‘2nd generation’ renewable fuel technologies have emerged.  These technologies are inherently more efficient than 1st generation technologies because they use more of the plant to produce fuel.  So, instead of just using the ear of the corn, 2nd generation technologies are able to break down the other components, such as the stalk, into its constituent parts, which are sugars bearing carbon and can be synthesized into more complex hydrocarbons.

While appealing from both environmental and efficiency viewpoints, undertaking this process is incredibly difficult to do without applying large amounts of heat, pressure or chemicals.  Accordingly, these fuels are suitable not as an end but more as a stepping stone to fuels that have the inherent advantage of simple, productive, and scalable production.  Algal and other 3rd generation renewable fuels heed that calling.