Blatant Reality

I recently wrote an article for Celsias.com about OriginOil’s one step extraction process. Here is excerpt:

OriginOil recently announced a big breakthrough that could potentially advance the entire algae biofuel field. In April, they announced that they had developed an extraction process that separates oil and water from the algae biomass in one step without heavy machinery or chemicals.

 

Up until this point, creating a process that efficiently extracted oil from algae had been one of the major challenges that remained for researchers. They could already extract the oil from algae but the process involved many steps that were both time consuming, involved the use of some hazardous chemicals, and was very energy intensive.

 

The development of OriginOil’s “Single-Step Extraction” process eliminated many of the previous hurdles researchers faced. For example, this process does not need all of the chemicals previously used to separate the oil from the algae biomass. The only compound used in OriginOil’s process is CO2 which helps to increase the pH content of the algae/water mixture. They have also reduced the energy required to separate the oil from algae. With their “Single-Step Extraction” process, the energy costs are now 90% lower than the other processes currently used.

The article has some great illustrations on how the process works as well as a time lapse video showing the extraction in process. Check it out.

I really don’t understand why people are so pessimistic about algae technologies taking 5-10 years until it can be produced in large quantities. I mean, I’ve seen two articles (here and here) just in the past day that mentioned the time it will take before algae technology will “mature.”

Now, I know that 5 to 10 years seems like a long time and thus a negative, but can you honestly say that is a long time in the grand scheme of things? Do you think hydrogen or even ethanol would be any faster? I don’t think so.

Everyone has to remember that algae oil, once produced in large enough quantities, will easily fit into the current fuel infrastructure. This means that we won’t have to change the cars we drive or the planes we fly; the oil from algae can be made compatible with current engines. This in itself will save yeas if not decades from having to completely alter the fuel structure like a hydrogen economy would demand.

So the next time you read an article that mentions that it will still take 5-10 years before algae becomes a major player int he fuel market, remember that their will be no quick fixes. Any solution to our energy independence problems is going to take years to develop and implement.

Therefore, while algae may take a decade to fully commercialize, the benefits it offers far outweigh the little time we are forced to wait.

So take heart, advances in the algae field are happening every day.

Basically, BlueFire creates the sugar that feeds Solazyme’s algae in their unique process that doesn’t utilize sunlight to grow the algae. Unlike other algae biofuel companies, Solazyme believes that growing algae through a fermentation process that grows algae in the dark will prove the best growth method. With Solazyme’s process, sugar is the main feedstock and this partnership will help Solazyme successfully commercialize its product.

 “Our technologies are a great fit for each other,” stated Arnold Klann, CEO of BlueFire Ethanol Fuels, Inc. “Our patented acid hydrolysis process allows BlueFire Ethanol to utilize a variety of non-food feedstocks to produce sugars that can be used to make a variety of different types of fuels and chemicals. Supplying these low cost sugars to Solazyme’s technology provides them with the option of creating a variety of oils for the renewable energy industry and beyond.”

 

The venture capitalists behind Solazyme have been critical of its sugar-based process because it adds feedstock costs. However, the company has tried growing algae with sunlight and found that it does not make economic sense. In fact, GreenFuel Technologies, one of its key competitors using sunlight, went under after receiving some $70 million in VC funds. Solazyme is hoping that BlueFire’s low cost feedstocks will help improve its commercial viability.

I caught this on Drudge Report today. Seems like C-SPAN’s political analyst Steve Scully confused using ‘deficit’ and ‘debt’ in his interview with President Obama. Take a look of this screen shot off Drudge:

Here is the quote from Scully:

SCULLY: Yet, it all takes money. You know the numbers, $1.7 trillion debt, a national deficit of $11 trillion. At what point do we run out of money?

 

OBAMA: Well, we are out of money now. We are operating in deep deficits, not caused by any decisions we’ve made on health care so far. This is a consequence of the crisis that we’ve seen and in fact our failure to make some good decisions on health care over the last several decades.

In this quote, Scully says ‘$1.7 trillion debt’ and ‘deficit of $11 trillion.’ However, we all know that this is wrong. We have a  $1.7 trillion deficit for this year and a national debt of $11 trillion.

Is this mix-up significant? Probably not in the grand scheme of things. However, it does highlight the fact that a lot of people, even those that are well-informed, get ‘debt’ and ‘deficit’ confused and while Scully most likely knows the difference between the two, the sad fact is I doubt the majority of Americans do.

To see the entire transcript of the C-SPAN interview, click here.

A day before the election, I decided to download every single Fact Sheet I could find on Barack Obama’s campaign website to have a record of the billions of campaign promises made that he won’t be able to fulfill. I never uploaded them here because all of the promises were still up and easily accessible on BarackObama.com for a while after the election.

Now, however, I discovered that they aren’t easily accessible on his site so below is the complete lists every.pdf Fact Sheet that was on his website a day before the election.

You may notice that some Fact Sheets have seemingly two copies below. I purposely did this because those PDF’s appeared in two separate places on BarackObama.com with two separate file names.

Overall Promises

Obama’s Blueprint for Change.pdf

Business/Tax

Tax Plan Fact Sheet.pdf

Small Business Fact Sheet.pdf

Tax Plan Fact Sheet.pdf

Domestic Issues

Urban Fact Sheet.pdf

The Impact of the Obama Economic Plan for America’s Working Women.pdf

Tackling Domestic Hunger.pdf

Rural Plan Fact Sheet.pdf

Immigration Fact Sheet (PDF)

Transportation Fact Sheet.pdf

Poverty Fact Sheet.pdf

Economy

Obama’s Fiscal Policy.pdf

Mortgage Fact Sheet.pdf

A RESCUE PLAN FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS.pdf

Education

Pre K-12 Education Fact Sheet.pdf

National Service Plan Fact Sheet.pdf

Making College Affordable for Everyone.pdf

Education Reform Fact Sheet.pdf

Environment/Energy

Energy Fact Sheet.pdf

Wildfire Fact Sheet.pdf

Environment Fact Sheet.pdf

Government

Taking Back our Government Fact Sheet.pdf

Health

Supporting Americans with Autism Spectrum Disorders.pdf

Healthcare FAQ.pdf

Healthcare Full Plan.pdf

AIDS Fact Sheet.pdf

Cancer Fact Sheet.pdf

Disability Plan Fact Sheet.pdf

Science and Technology

Science Fact Sheet.pdf

Innovation and Technology Fact Sheet.pdf

War/Defense

Obama’s Plan to Defeat Terrorism Worldwide (PDF)

Keeping Promises to our Nation’s Veterans & Building a 21st Century VA (PDF)

Homeland Security Fact Sheet.pdf

Defense Fact Sheet (1).pdf

21st Century Threats.pdf

Defense Fact Sheet (2).pdf

World

Israel Fact Sheet.pdf

China Fact Sheet.pdf

Latin America Fact Sheet.pdf

Foreign Policy Democratization and Development Fact Sheet.pdf

Europe Fact Sheet.pdf

Other

Obama on Faith.pdf

Katrina Fact Sheet.pdf

Arts Fact Sheet.pdf

Child Advocacy Fact Sheet.pdf

CREATING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.pdf

With the recent flip-flopping in the administration’s policy, it shouldn’t take you too long to discover other campaign promises listed in these documents that has been flipped on as well. Good Luck.

Algae biofuel company, OriginOil, was recently mentioned in a Senate testimony as one of the leading corporations in the field by ‘rival’ Sapphire Energy.

During the session, which was entitled “Business Opportunities and Climate Policy,” Cynthia Warner, President of Sapphire Energy, commented on the many benefits of utilizing algae as the foundation for a new generation of renewable and low carbon transportation fuels. “Algae is one of nature’s most prolific and efficient photosynthetic organisms,” she explained. “Growing algae, and converting it into plastics, fuels, and or secondary feedstocks, could significantly help mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, reduce energy price shocks, reclaim wastewater, conserve fresh water (in some scenarios), lower food prices, reduce the transfer of U.S. wealth to other nations, and spur regional economic development.”

 

Her testimony also named OriginOil as one of the prominent algae-based fuel companies to develop “fascinating algae-based biological carbon capture and beneficial reuse applications.” She closed her testimony by highlighting the “transformative business opportunity that has been presented by climate policy, declaring that these companies can “produce a new generation of transportation fuels for the world that are low-carbon, produced right here in the United States, and that generate renewed economic growth and new green-collar jobs.”

 

“We are honored that Ms. Warner included us in her testimony and could not agree more that our government must embrace the use of algae in helping to create jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign petroleum,” said Riggs Eckelberry, CEO of OriginOil. “There is no doubt that algae is the future, and we are looking forward to what lies ahead for the industry upon receiving full government support for research and development efforts.”

Why is this mention significant? First, this recognition is well deserved since this company is a definite leader in the field. Second, and possibly more importantly, they were talking about algae biofuels in the Senate, even if it was only a Senate subcommittee. You catch that? That’s the U.S. Senate, arguably the most prestigious and powerful legislative bodies in the world. If algae gains support there, it will be able to gain support everywhere.

Looks like algae is really moving up in the world.

If algae wasn’t cool enough already, now there are cartoons about it. This cartoon strip from World Changing illustrates the basics on how algae is grown and what it can be used for:

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a book review about Mark Edward’s book “Green Algae Strategy” which deals with algae and how it can end our dependence on foreign oil and create a sustainable food and fuel source. My article was originally published on Celsias.com and can be viewed here

Sadly, one of the first algae biofuel companies, GreenFuel Technologies, has folded because of the credit crisis.

GreenFuel Technologies, one of the earliest, best funded and most publicized algae companies, is shutting its doors, a victim of the credit crunch.

 

“We are closing doors. We are a victim of the economy,” said Duncan McIntyre at Polaris Venture Partners, which invested in Greenfuel.

 

Although it has raised millions of dollars and landed a high-profile deal with Auranta in Spain to erect test facilities, it could not get money to complete the project. In January, it laid off 19 people, or half of the staff.

 

The company has also been chronically saddled with delays and technical problems. The company’s plan was to pump carbon dioxide from smokestacks into bioreactors – i.e., sealed plastic bags filled with algae and water. The algae would grow fat on the carbon dioxide and later be harvested by GreenFuel to be turned into oil for biodiesel. Protein and other matter from the algae would also be sold to pet food manufacturers.

Before you view this as a sign of the times, remember that many other algae biofuel companies have been reporting breakthrough after breakthrough. Just in the past month, for example, OriginOil reported that it has created a process to extract the oil in algae without heavy machinery, a major breakthrough.

Plus, you must remember that algae biofuels are still in the R&D phase so companies will rise and fall. If you don’t have a successful technology, you’re not going to be able survive and attract the needed investors. So while this one company may have failed, it’s failure shouldn’t be viewed a signal that the whole industry is going down. For as we learned yesterday, algae is “still the best source of biofuels on the planet.”

NASA is taking a look at algae as a potential bioremediator and source of fuels and other products. However, they are not researching algae for off world voyages, but for the antithesis of their existence: terra firma (aka the earth). Take a look at what their plans are:

 The process is amazingly simple. It starts with algae being placed in sewage-filled plastic bags, which in true NASA style have a nifty acronym, OMEGA, for “offshore membrane enclosures for growing algae.”

 

The OMEGA bags are semipermeable membranes that NASA developed to recycle astronauts’ wastewater on long space missions. In this case, the membranes let freshwater exit but prevent saltwater from moving in.

 

Then the algae in the bag feast on nutrients in the sewage. The plants clean up the water and produce lipids — fat-soluble molecules — that will be used later as fuel.

 

Just as in algae biofuel production on land, the floating OMEGA bags use water, solar energy and carbon dioxide — which in this case is absorbed through the plastic membrane — to produce sugar that algae metabolize into lipids.

 

Oxygen and fresh, cleansed water are then released through the membrane to the ocean.

 

“It’s energy-free,” Trent said. “It doesn’t cost us anything. Osmosis works by itself.”

You catch that last part? No energy is needed. If I am reading this right, this process could potentially combine the benefits of open pond algae growth (no energy input requires) and closed algae growth systems (help keep contaminants out). Pretty good deal.

Read the rest of the article. This process looks very interesting and would eliminate the need for any land being used for algae growth thus eliminating the need for algae to take up even marginal lands.

Also, be sure to note that this article was published in The New York Times. I might have missed it but it seems that this might be the first time a whole article has been devoted to algae. Things seem to be looking up for algae.