Algae innovator Algenol currently at 50% over initial production goal – seeks to finish trial in 2013, and head for commercial-scale in 2014.
In Florida, Algenol proved that the organization had realized output levels 9,000 gallons of algae ethanol per acre annually – and business CEO Paul Woods said that ” I fully expect our talented scientific team to achieve sustained production rates above 10,000 by the end of this year.”
Only last September, in the beginning plenary session at the Algae Biomass Summit, Woods said that the organization, at its 4-acre, outdoor Process Development Unit in Lee County, Florida, had reached constant output of algae ethanol at the 7,000 gallon per acre rate.
That it was a large improvement over the company’s initial goal of 6,000 gpa, and had been obtained in open-air operation within typical working circumstances.
With the news, Woods verified that the business, right after finishing main engineering tasks at their built-in pilot scale biorefinery in 2012, has entirely changed focus to exhibiting the commercial practicality of Direct to Ethanol engineering at its pilot facility and determining sites for professional initiatives to start in 2014.
Woods added, “Our patented ‘Direct to Ethanol’ technology enables the production of algae ethanol for around $1.00 per gallon using sunlight, carbon dioxide and saltwater. The low production costs are achievable because ‘Direct to Ethanol’ technology produces high yields and relies on our patented photobioreactors and proprietary downstream techniques for the low-cost recovery and purification of ethanol.
“One ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) is converted into 160 gallons of ethanol, and 2 gallons of fresh water are produced for each gallon of ethanol in the ‘Direct to Ethanol’ process.
While preserving a principal focus on ethanol manufacturing, Woods revealed that Algenol had broadened its product profile to incorporate diesel and jet fuel from waste algae. ”Algae Ethanol will be our main commercial product and jet and diesel will be integrated into our process over the next 2 years. We also continue to monitor opportunities to adapt our algae-based platform technology to produce valuable chemicals, such as propylene-based chemicals.”
The reports from Florida was the initial significant development in the Algenol story since last October, when it was disclosed that Reliance Industries Limited, the Indian petroleum, chemicals, telecom and manufacturing conglomerate, had put in a total of $116 million (Rs6.2 billion) in the algae space – with $93.5 million (Rs5.0 billion) heading to Algenol and 22.5 million (Rs1.2 billion) to Aurora Algae.
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