News Coverage
Biotech’s green gold?
Emily Waltz, Nature BiotechnologyAlgae have long been touted as a rich and ubiquitous source of renewable fuel but thus far have failed to be economically competitive with other sources of energy. Could new advances change that? Emily Waltz investigates.
First Biofuel-powered Flight by a U.S. Carrier
KUHF-FM Houston Public RadioContinental Airlines takes to the air in a jet using biofuel. The demonstration by the Houston-based carrier is the first flight to be conducted by a U.S. commercial airliner. The special fuel blend is made partly from algae. Pat Hernandez has the story.
Continental Flight Powered By Biofuel
KPRC TV Houston TexasContinental Airlines on Wednesday became the first U.S. commercial carrier to do a demonstration flight powered in part by alternative fuels. Continental used a Boeing 737-800 that left from Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport. The flight took about 1 hour, 45 minutes. No passengers were on board.
Houston-based Continental CEO Larry Kellner said the goal was to analyze technical aspects of using biofuels, including effects on the plane’s mechanical systems.
In this case, the alternative fuel was derived from algae and jatropha plants and used in only one of the plane’s two engines.
Commercial Airline Takes First Flight using Algae Fuel
BC News (KGTV San Diego)Local company promotes algae as next fuel source.
Flying on Vegetables
Matthew L. Wald, The New York TimesThe scheduled flight on Wednesday of a Continental Airlines 737 fueled in part by biofuels made from jatropha and algae was experimental. But if the fuel can be certified by international standards agencies, it could become as common as, say, ethanol added to gasoline.
Green Crude
David Ewing Duncan, PortfolioNever mind falling oil prices. Bill Gates and the Rockefellers think they know a better way to fill up your gas tank: algae (Yes, we mean pond scum).
Coskata, Sapphire Energy and Virent head the “50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy” rankings
Jim Lane, Biofuels DigestCellulosic ethanol pioneer Coskata took the #1 spot in the “50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy” rankings for 2008-09, published today by Biofuels Digest. Algae-to-energy start-up Sapphire Energy took the #2 position.
Most Successful U.S. Startups 2008
John Tozzi, Stacy Perman and Nick Leiber , Businessweek.com, December 18, 2008 16:27 PSTBusinessWeek sets out to find the hottest new businesses across the United States
TIME’S Best Inventions of 2008
TIMEIf it weren’t for that pesky climate-change problem, petroleum would remain a great source of power… Start-ups like Sapphire Energy in San Diego are vying to bring the fuel to market — and give oil back its good name.
