Algae Biofuel Companies

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Oil Extraction

EXTRACTION AS A BOTTLENECK & USE OF CHEMICALS A PROBLEM

This was interesting in the United Environment & Energy article:

“Other refining or fuel companies, such as Illinois-headquartered UOP and San Diego-based Sapphire Energy, are also aiming at producing oil and fuel alternatives from algae but have struggled to get adequate supplies of it. Wen says his company has a "stable supplier" of algae oil that he also refused to identify for competitive reasons. He adds that said supplier was not U.S.-based as environmental regulations in this country hamper use of the toxic solvents necessary to extract oil from the algae. "Algae growth is not a big problem, people know how to grow it," he says. "The big barrier is extraction."



From Biofuels Digest, commenting on Origin Oil’s new extraction method:
http://biofuelsdigest.com/blog2/2009/04/20/originoil-announces-breakthrough-one-step-process-to-extract-oil-from-algae-without-dewatering-clears-barrier-to-algae-commercialization/

“The dewatering of algae and extraction of algal oil has been rated by many sources as the most perplexing barrier preventing the rapid expansion of commercial algal fuels.”



From Origin Oil’s Desmet PR:

”In contrast, the OriginOil Single Step Extraction technology does not require a petrochemical solvent, such as hexane, which is known to require an extensive permitting process before implementation, thus allowing for a more cost-effective production of algal oil."



SOLUTIONS

So we’ve got

1. Origin Oil’s new method.

"The company’s technology combines electromagnetism and pH modification to break down cell walls, releasing algal oil within the cells. The oil rises to the top for skimming and refining, while the remaining biomass settles to the bottom for further processing as fuel and other valuable products."

As a sidelight, here’s a brief video of Gov. Schwarzenegger and an OOIL exec:
http://katynally.wordpress.com/2009/04/20/origin-oil/


2. We have this comment in an article on Aurora Biofuels:

http://biofuelsdigest.com/blog2/2009/03/12/aurora-biofuels-in-florida-the-panther-roars-as-a-little-seen-algae-producer-targets-130-algae-fuel-at-the-gate/

“The cost of fuel is in the feedstock,” Walsh adds. “About 80 percent of it. That’s where you have to focus. With algae, you have to get a good dominant species, and no GMO,” and confirmed that Aurora has made breakthroughs in extracting oil from algae without passing through a drying stage, bypassing the most expensive and energy-intensive part of the algae production process.”

It doesn’t say that they do it without chemicals, so that would be interesting to find out.


3. CEHMM using SRS in Dexter, Michigan:

http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=37496964&txt2find=extraction

“The algae was grown in New Mexico in outdoor, oval-shaped, “raceway” type ponds and extraction of the oils was done in Dexter Michigan by SRS, a company who is at the forefront of commercial extraction technology....The raw oils extracted from CEHMM’s algae show incredible purity and viability for fuel production.”

Does the purity imply that SRS doesn't use chemicals? Not necessarily, so it's something to find out.


4. This is from an April 7 biofuel post concerning a nanotechnology extraction method in Iowa that doesn’t even harm the algae.

http://investorshub.advfn.com/boards/read_msg.aspx?message_id=36875725&txt2find=extraction

“The so-called "nanofarming" technology uses sponge-like mesoporous nanoparticles to extract oil from the algae. The process doesn't harm the algae like other methods being developed, which helps reduce both production costs and the production cycle.”


5. I wonder what else is out there.