特許の方を見ると、色々と詳しい事が書かれています。 重油を生成するボトリオコッカス・ブラウニの話も(Botryococcus braunii) Metzger and Largeau, Botryococcus braunii: a rich source for hydrocarbons and related ether lipids, Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol 66 (2005)
K. Bullis. A Biofuel Process to Replace All Fossil Fuels. Technology Review. 7/27/09
E. Waltz. Biotech’s Green Gold? Nature Biotechnology. January 2009
E. Waltz. Algae Trailblazer Shuts. Nature Biotechnology. July 2009.
T. Hamilton. Dow to Test Algae Ethanol. Technology Review. 7/16/09
D. E. Duncan. Big Oil Turns to Algae. Technology Review. 7/22/09
K. Bullis. A Biofuel Process to Replace All Fossil Fuels. Technology Review. 7/27/09
米国の藻の研究は、1970年代の石油ショックにさかのぼる。DOEは「アクアティック・スピーシーズ・プログラム(Aquatic Species Program)」として投資を続けてきた。90年代も、大規模な試験を進めた。2004年以降の原油価格の高騰が実用化熱に火をつけた。今や創業間もないベンチャーから、年間1兆円規模を稼ぎ出す石油メジャーまでが開発競争に参戦している。
OriginOil To Develop Sophisticated Algae Production Models
- Global analytics partnership will provide firm basis for industry planning -
Los Angeles, CA January 26, 2010 – OriginOil, Inc. (OOIL), the developer of a breakthrough technology to transform algae, the most promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum, today announced its partnership with StrategicFit, a London-based strategy consulting firm with world-class analytical capabilities. The starting point for the project is the lifecycle model that OriginOil presented to the National Algae Association Quarterly Conference last September, which showed for the first time that a properly sited industrial algae production system could be both profitable and beneficial.
“A recent study by researchers at the University of Virginia’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering supported our finding that algae cultivated in a standalone agricultural environment cannot be viable,” said Riggs Eckelberry, OriginOil CEO. “This project will help our industry and its sponsors understand and prove what works.”
StrategicFit Co-Founder and Partner Duncan John said: “We have carefully explored the algae space and believe that there is real promise, but there can also be hype. Fact needs to be separated from fiction in order for the sector to build its credibility with investors, and we applaud OriginOil for taking the lead in driving for industry clarity and transparency."
StrategicFit’s people bring a wealth of knowledge to this partnership, drawing on past work with energy companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, BP, and Statoil; and technology companies such as Philips Electronics and Abbott Laboratories. This diverse experience, with a focus on the energy-sector, will help OriginOil identify key opportunities and challenges involved in commercializing its technology platform. The goal is to simplify strategic decision making through a rigorous quantitative analysis of the variables involved in algae production.”
The partnership will focus on increasing the robustness of the core Algae Productivity Model by refining underlying assumptions and process logic. The team has already upgraded the model from a complex Excel worksheet to Analytica, a sophisticated platform with a modular format and an accessible user interface. Time sensitivity will now be added to the model, with a 20-year horizon that includes discounted cash flow variables, time for R&D and scale-up, and ROI estimates based on a waterfall analysis.
Moving forward, the model will address synergistic applications for algae production, including wastewater treatment, natural gas fired kilns, biodiesel refining, and ethanol distillation. The final model will be broken down into web-based analytical modules and will also available by application to the OriginOil Partner Network.
OriginOil CEO Riggs Eckelberry concluded: “We look forward to working with StrategicFit to further refine the Algae Productivity Model. As we continue to develop our technology and prepare for commercial transition, it is critical that we have a viable tool for our partner network to use in strategic decision making. StrategicFit will help us identify and evaluate options to increase value, and improve our business case.”
2010年1月13日、米国エネルギー省(DOE:United States Department of Energy)が発表したプロジェクト「National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts(略称:NAABB)」では4,400万ドル(約40億円)を藻類生産とそれを活用した製品の開発に助成する計画である。この事業はアメリカ復興・再投資法に基づくもので、この事業以外にも企業育成の観点から様々な予算が配分されている。また、投資銀行における藻類ビジネスへの投資についても盛んに検討がなされており、代表的な企業ではエクソンモービル社が藻類の研究開発に対して6億ドル(約540億円)を超える投資計画を発表している。
Toyota may be well established as the hybrid car leader but it hasn’t turned its attention away from other alternative fuels.
According to a report in The Nikkei, Toyota will team up with Chuo University and Japan’s Agriculture Ministry to begin a research project with the aim to produce biofuel from the algae Pseudochoricystis. One of Toyota’s suppliers – Denso – has actually been working on biofuels derived from this form of algae for several years. The hope is to commercialise the product as a substitute for petrol and diesel by 2020.
As part of the research, attempts will be made to extract oil produced by the algae. It is hoped that mass production technology can be developed within 10 years that will allow it to be used for both car and jet fuel. If successful, it is estimated that the algae based biofuel could meet 10-20 per cent of domestic demand for diesel.
According to The Nikkei, the Agriculture Ministry had previously talked to Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation about the project. Other participants will include Microalgae Corporation and Kyoto University.