Chevron and National Renewable Energy Laboratory announce algae research project

Chevron Corp. and the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory announced an algae-based biodiesel research project. The project will focus on development of high-lipid content strains of microalgae.

NREL closed down an 18-year algae research effort in 1996 after concluding that the technology was commercially viable, but increases in oil prices have changed their thinking.

Numerous algae ventures have been in the news lately, with ventures such as PetroSun, Solazyme, Valcent and GreenFuel working on ventures which are primarily located in Arizona and Georgia.

More information emerged regarding the 100,000 gallon per acre projections from Vertigro for its algae-based biodiesel production system developed by Valcent, which developed a system for growing algae on a commercial scale for Vertigro, projects that it can supply the whole of US gasoline consumption off 2,817 square miles of cultivation.

Chevron Technology Ventures has recently partnered with Georgia Tech, C2 Biofuels, the Georgia Research Alliance and one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s new BioEnergy Research Centers to explore the production of biofuels from forest products.

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

South African algae-based biodiesel research effort expanded to laboratory stage

In South Africa, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is expanding its research efforts in the production of algae-based biodiesel. CSIR has invested more than $200,000 in desktop...

Chevron says further investment in Galveston Bay Biodiesel was “throwing good money after bad”

Chevron Technology Ventures said that its decision to withhold further investment in Galveston Bay Biodiesel was in order to stop "throwing good money after bad”, and that the project was badly ...

Chevron, Weyerhaeuser form Catchlight joint venture to develop advanced biofuels, sustainable from “forest to fuel”

In Washington State, timber colossus Weyerhaeuser and Chevron announced a joint venture to explore cellulosic ethanol technologies. The new joint venture, Catchlight, will be based near Seattle at Wey...

Argonne National Laboratory researching production of hydrogen fuel from algae

The Argonne National Laboratory has commenced an investigation into the conversion of algae into hydrogen fuel, Researchers led by senior chemist David Tiede are investigating a new process that focus...

LiveFuels Alliance launches; national US program to advance algae biodiesel research

In California, the LiveFuels Alliance, funded by Menlo Park-based LiveFuels and Sandia National Laboratories, has launched. The alliance will sponsor nationwide research into commercial biodiesel prod...

Xcel Energy funds algae biodiesel research project at the University of Minnesota

In Minnesota, Xcel Energy has pledged $150,000 to assist in funding an algae-to-biodiesel research project sponsored by the University and the Metropolitan Council. Researchers at the Metropolitan Cou...