Aug 21 2010
Based on its recent analysis of the algae biofuels market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Algasol Renewables with the 2010 Global Algae Biofuels Green Excellence in Technology Innovation of the Year Award.
Algae biofuels offer a possible solution to two crucial issues plaguing consumers – rising crude oil prices and climate change.However, large-scale commercial production of algae biofuels needs a cost-effective technology that assures a sustainable production pathway with optimized resource usage.
Algasol Renewables provides a critical and innovative method for micro algae biomass production. Its modular floating bag technology, a new variation of photobioreactors (PBRs), provides a low-cost design coupled with industrial scalability, optimal light exposure, high biomass concentration, low energy consumption, and efficient system control. A key aspect of the technology is its entirely flexible structure utilizing only an integrated density management system to control the position of the PBR in the water.
Algasol Renewables is able to reduce energy and water use by taking advantage of an internal aeration system, high biomass concentration and free stirring from waves as well as through a natural temperature buffer provided by the surrounding sea. In addition, the company's commercial unit-size PBR is capable of holding up to 500 m3 of algae culture in modular sub-units and only needs 3 m3 of low-cost polymer material, thereby evidencing a clear commitment to optimal resource management.
Furthermore, Algasol Renewables has developed an adverse weather protection system, which enables its PBRs to submerge for protecting the algae culture as well as the PBR. This means that the floating PBR technology of Algasol Renewables can be deployed both in ponds on land or in the ocean, thereby providing maximum flexibility in terms of where to locate large-scale micro algae production facilities.
"Algasol Renewables' approach is expected to be the pioneer to achieve an economically and environmentally sustainable large-scale algae biofuels production," says Frost & Sullivan Global Program Manager, Transportation Chemicals, Robert Outram. "The company has shown an astonishing entrepreneurial dexterity in introducing a new environment-friendly production system, which could eventually be rolled out across the world."
Large-scale production of algae biofuels requires huge amounts of energy, water, nutrients, and non-degradable inputs. This is likely to raise concern about its supposedly beneficial environmental contribution. Achieving this goal is expected to significantly ease the world's fossil fuel dependency. Hence, CO2 emissions, which contribute to climate change, are likely to be reduced.
Algasol Renewables' technology reduces the need for intensive use of resources not only by reducing cost, but also by leaving a positive footprint on the planet. Being a modular "plug and play" system that can be rolled out easily and locally, Algasol Renewables' technology avoids the carbon footprint associated with constructing and installing more complex production systems and with transportation of fossil fuels. Its innovative approach is expected to have a significant beneficial effect on the environment, if it allows a massive adoption of algae biofuels. Thus, the amount of fossil fuels consumed is expected to be reduced. In the long term, the company expects to adopt biodegradable plastic materials for its floating bags, thereby increasing its commitment to the environment.
For these achievements, Algasol Renewables is the worthy recipient of the 2010 Global Algae Biofuels Green Excellence in Technology Innovation of the Year Award. Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has developed a service platform characterized by long-term sustainability, the ability to optimize resource usage, and the adaptability to changing environmental needs. The award recognizes entrepreneurial dexterity in incorporating conservation into the business concept and the industry's acknowledgement of the green initiative in question, by way of financial support, strategic support, and recognition as a pioneering venture. The recipient has shown environmental accountability and provided a service with inherent features that enhance adoption/participation rates and creates collective accountability toward reducing the impact of climate change, dependency on finite resources, and ecological footprint.