Sunset Ridge produces, tests “bioleum”, bio-crude made from algae

In Texas, Sunrise Ridge Algae announced today that it has produced and tested a one liter sample of crude bio-oil from algae.  The company is working with a large refiner and refining technology licensor for further testing, and is developing plans to scale up to commercial size. Sunrise Ridge Algae uses a catalytic thermolysis process for converting low-lipid algae to crude oil with high yields.

The process starts with algae containing only 4% lipid – typical of most algae grown at large scale or in open ponds.  In the process, the whole algae biomass was converted to crude oil using moderate temperatures and a specialized catalyst.  The bio-oil yield was approximately 25% of the original algae. The company has dubbed the product “bioleum”, and samples have been delivered to refiners and to a refining technology licensor for testing.

The product is a heavy crude oil, similar to vacuum gas oil, and is similar to heavy Venezuelan crude oil except for a sulfur content of 0.22 percent compared to 2-4 percent for Venezuelan crude.  The heating value of Sunrise Ridge Algae’s bioleum is 38 MJ/kg, which is similar to diesel fuel (42 MJ/kg), and almost double the value for wood pyrolysis oil which is typically around 20 MJ/kg.

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