microalgae

Solazyme’s novel biofuel production method involves growing algae in the absence of light. In nature, algae use light to make sugar and then make oil from that sugar. Solazyme skips the light part and just feeds their algae sugar to get them to make oil.

The vision of Solix Biofuels is to unlock the complex secrets of one of the simplest organisms on Earth, microalgae, to create a commercially viable biofuel that will play a vital role in solving climate change and petroleum scarcity, without competing with global food supply.

On the heels of a breakthrough which the company claims will make algae oil farming a true competitor to petroleum, OriginOil has filed two patents that may make the production of fuel products from algae incredibly cheap and easy in the near future.

PetroSun has announced it will begin operation of its commercial algae-to-biofuels facility on April 1st, 2008. The facility, located in Rio Hondo Texas, will produce an estimated 4.4 million gallons of algal oil and 110 million lbs. of biomass per year off a series of saltwater ponds spanning 1,100 acres.

From the story: That green scum you've seen on ponds and lakes could well be the next biodiesel feed stock. AlgaeLink, a subsidiary of the Dutch firm Bioking, is introducting it's revolutionary photobioreactor next month at the Biodiesel-Expo in the UK.

TECNIA is an Integration Engineering Company, providing solutions from starting projects and studies, to turn-key plants in several environmental fields, from water and wastewater facilities, sludge and waste solids handling and treatment, gases and air cleaning, industrial equipment and processes and plant automation and control.