Crossing the 3K threshold: The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Sapphire Energy’s algae biofuels productivity

Back in 2014, Sapphire Energy and the US Department of Energy embarked on a project to advance Sapphire’s (then) biomass production technologies across three priority areas to meet a target of 2,500 gallons of oil per acre per year by 2018.

Productivity is directly related to the economics of algal biofuels production. By improving average productivity, cost of fuel production is greatly decreased.  The three priority areas were: improving Algal Biomass Productivity; improving Pre-Processing Technologies; and integration of Algal Biomass Unit Operations. 

The project outcome was very positive. Sapphire indeed achieved annual average productivity of 12 g/m2/day, producing equivalent of 3031 gal/acre/year of HTT product, over one year in 127m2 raceways in Las Cruces, NM.

Sapphire Energy’s Craig Behnke gave these illuminating slides on the Sapphire/DOE project at the DOE Project Peer Review meetings in Washington, DC.