Algae can churn out oil: Feds dole out over $104 million to put the scum to work
Amy Lou Jenkins
Sapphire Energy can produce direct replacements for today's fuels from CO2 and sunshine. Sapphire Energy, a San Francisco based leader in algae-based fuel technology, recently received a big boost for groundbreaking energy work. They were awarded nearly $104.5 million as part of President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Biorefinery Assistance Program, authorized through the 2008 Farm Bill.
The grant is from the U.S. Dept. of Energy for the $50 million and the loan guarantee from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture for $54.5 million.
Sapphire Energy’s Green Crude from algae is a complete drop-in replacement technology for crude oil. The Green Crude can be refined directly into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. On a lifecycle basis the fuels represent about a 70-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and doesn’t impact arable lands or fresh water. Fuels from Sapphire Energy’s products have already been used in several successful commercial airline test flights, and in a widely acclaimed coast-to-coast car tour.
“Sapphire knows that smarter energy solutions are in the interest of this nation and the world,” explains Sapphire Energy CEO, Dr. Jason Pyle. “The funding comes on top of our scientists’ leading work in algae-based fuel. It allows expansion of our commercial-scale pond system in New Mexico, as well as further development work in our San Diego laboratories.”
