Solix Biofuel Demo Plant Shows Promise
Algae biofuel Solix Biofuels has been successfully running a demonstration plant for the past six months in southwestern Colorado.
Fort Collins, Colo.-based Solix Biofuels is producing a steady stream of algae-based biofuel from its six-month old demonstration facility, CEO Doug Henston told the Cleantech Group.
Solix, which developed a process using photo-bioreactors to make algae-based biofuel and chemicals, is sending the biofuel to potential partners for testing, Henston said.
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Solix began algal oil production at its Coyote Gulch Demonstration Facility in July on a two-acre site in southwestern Colorado. The land was provided by Solix’s partner, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
The facility is co-located with an industrial plant, which makes Solix unique among its competition, Henston said. Solix reduces its freshwater requirement by using wastewater generated during the industrial plant’s coal-bed methane production. In addition, Solix captures CO2 produced by the amine plant, redirecting it through its AGS Technology to feed the microalgae.
“There are very few if any facilities that are actually hooked up to industrial sources of CO2,” Henston said.
Regretfully the article doesn’t mention how much it cost Solix to produce the biofuel they have been able to sell or if the methods they have used are economically feasible at scale.
However, the success of this demonstration plant is great news for the algae biofuel industry since this plant has not only grown the algae but also has produced the biofuel as well, even if Solix doesn’t plan on producing the fuel themselves in the future.
The algae biofuel industry will definitely have to follow the success of Solix Biofuels in the future.
