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Algenol Biotech, LLC
Company typePrivate
IndustryBiofuels
FounderPaul Woods, Craig Smith, Ed Legere, Alejandro Gonzalez
Headquarters
Fort Myers, Florida
RevenueUS$3.1 million[1]
Number of employees
127
Websitealgenol

Algenol,founded in 2009, headquartered inFort Myers, Florida,Algenol is an industrial biotechnology company that is commercializing patented algae technology for production ofethanoland other fuels. The technology enables production four of the most important fuels (ethanol,gasoline,jet,anddiesel fuel) using a proprietary process involvingalgae,sunlight,carbon dioxideandsalt water.

History[edit]

In 2008 the company announced it would begin commercial production of Ethanol by 2009 in the Sonoran Desert in northwest Mexico. This seems not to have happened though and as of 2015 they are still not in commercial production.[2]In October 2015 Paul Woods, the founder, resigned and the company announced they were laying off 25% of the staff and changing to a “water treatment and carbon capture now, and maybe fuels later” focus.[3]In 2016, Algenol celebrated its 10th anniversary and added algae-based sustainable products to its portfolio. Their name changed to Algenol Biotech LLC, and they are focusing on algae-based product development and manufacturing.

Research[edit]

Algenol's biofuel technology potentially allows production of the four most important fuels (ethanol,gasoline,jet,anddiesel fuel) for around $1.27 per gallon each at production levels of 8,000 total gallons of liquid fuel per acre per year, but to date has not been successfully implemented in commercial production. Potentially the fuel would be produced with a 60% reduction incarbon footprintand could offer customers savings of 75 cents a gallon. The technology could produce high yields and relies on patented photobioreactors and proprietary downstream techniques for low-cost fuel production. These low-cost techniques consume carbon dioxide from industrial sources, do not use farmland or food crops, and providefresh water. [4]

Their biofuel technology uses sunlight, algae, non-arable land and carbon dioxide to produce ethanol and the leftover spent algae that can be converted into otherbiofuels.The technology usesblue-green algae(orcyanobacteria) to change CO2and seawater into sugars and then into ethanol andbiomass.[5] Algenol's algae arenon-invasivein natural habitats and the company has tested the algae repeatedly to ensure it isnon-toxic,non-invasive, and are not plant pests[6]

Locations[edit]

Algenol's newest facility is located inSouthwest Florida,just north ofFlorida Gulf Coast UniversityinFort Myers,and opened in October 2010. The new commercial development facility is working to create a commercially viable fuel from algae.[7]The site features research labs including engineering facilities, advanced molecular biology, CO2management, separations, and green chemistry advanced labs and an outdoor process development production unit on 40 acres.[8]It is to cover 43,000sqft and to include 40 acres (160,000 m2) of photobioreactors[9] In October 2011, Algenol began construction on a pilot-scale Integrated Biorefinery, allowing the company to work with algae from a single strain in the lab all the way to commercial-scale production. The Integrated Biorefinery, completed in 2012, demonstrates the commercial viability of the technology.[10]

Algenol also has subsidiaries located inBerlin,GermanyandZug,Switzerland.[10]

Projects[edit]

Algenol licenses the DIRECT TO ETHANOL® technology.[11]One of these licenses is with BioFields S.A.P.I. de C.V. in Mexico. BioFields has access to over 42,000 acres of non-arable land in theSonoran desertinMexico.[12][13]The area is close to waters for transportation and growing ethanol markets in South America.[14]Another large partner of Algenol's isReliance IndustriesLtd. based inMumbaiIndia.Finally, Algenol has stated that they are discussing commercial "Direct to Ethanol" projects with several partners in the United States, South America, Israel, and Africa.[14]

Partnerships[edit]

Algenol has a number of partners. Partners include theNational Renewable Energy Laboratory,BioFields,Membrane Technology and Research, and Reliance Holdings USA, Inc. Algenol also is partnered withLee County,Florida and theU.S. Department of Energyalong with Universities includingFlorida Gulf Coast University,Georgia Tech,andHumboldt University of Berlin.[15]

Grants awarded[edit]

In December 2009, Algenol received a $25 millionUnited States Department of Energygrant to help build the Integrated Biorefinery Direct to Ethanol project inLee County, Florida.[16]Algenol also received a $10M grant from Lee County to employ people in Lee County and also build the Integrated Biorefinery Direct to Ethanol project. [17]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Algenol Biofuels Inc. | Company profile from Hoover's".Hoovers.Retrieved2010-08-24.
  2. ^Sandru, Ovidiu (14 February 2013)."Algenol Mexico Factory to Produce Ethanol from Algae by 2009".The Green Optimistic.Romania.Retrieved13 September2023.
  3. ^"Algenol CEO exits; staff cut by 25%, investors re-up for two years, new direction tipped: Biofuels Digest".
  4. ^[1]ArchivedJanuary 15, 2010, at theWayback Machine
  5. ^"Direct to Ethanol | Algenol Biofuels".Archived fromthe originalon 2014-07-08.Retrieved2014-04-14.
  6. ^"Environmental Benefits | Algenol Biofuels".Archived fromthe originalon 2014-03-29.Retrieved2014-04-18.
  7. ^"Algenol to change SW Fla., the world".[permanent dead link]
  8. ^"Impending verdict on Algenol's biofuel production utility".Biofuels International, February 2, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon March 5, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 8,2010.
  9. ^"Algenol Partners With Lee County as Commission Votes to Approve Incentive Funding for Florida-Based".PR-CANADA.net. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-24.Retrieved2010-02-08.
  10. ^ab"Facilities/Locations | Algenol Biofuels".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-09-18.Retrieved2014-04-18.
  11. ^"Project Development Activities | Algenol Biofuels".Archived fromthe originalon 2014-05-05.Retrieved2014-04-18.
  12. ^"Algae farm in Mexico to produce ethanol in '09".
  13. ^"Algenol Enters The Algae Biofuel Race With Process Economics Advantage".
  14. ^ab"Commercialization | Algenol Biofuels".Archived fromthe originalon 2014-02-07.Retrieved2014-04-18.
  15. ^"Our Supporters | Algenol Biofuels".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-09-18.Retrieved2014-04-18.
  16. ^"Federal money set to flow to renewable fuel projects".5 December 2009.
  17. ^"US Names Biofuel Projects".CNN.[permanent dead link]

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Algenol&oldid=1205200079"