Partners aim to turn algae to ethanol

TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk
Author: Paul Lucas, May 6, 2010

Two companies have decided to combine their efforts in a bid to produce commercial scale algae-based facilities and off-take arrangements with a global reach.

Algenol Biofuels Inc and Valero Services Inc have entered into the joint development agreement – Algenol is an algae-to-ethanol company, while Valero Energy Corporation of which Valero Services is a subsidiary, is North America’s largest independent petrol refiner and marketer.

Currently, Algenol makes low cost ethanol using carbon dioxide (CO2) and seawater that uses hybrid algae in sealed, clear plastic photobioreactors through direct to ethanol technology. The process links sugar production to photosynthesis with naturally occurring enzymes from algae cells. The company can produce ethanol at a rate of approximately 6,000 gallons per acre-year, which compares to corn at 400.

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