Algenol LLC (Ft. Myers, Fla.; www.algenol.com) and Reliance Industries Ltd. have successfully deployed India’s first Algenol algae production platform. The demonstration module is located near the Reliance Jamnagar Refinery.
“The project is designed to demonstrate how robust the Algenol system is in India, and how the two companies will more broadly integrate refinery operations with Algenol’s platform in the future,” says Paul Woods, founder and CEO of Algenol.
“The deployment of our technology in India is a critical milestone,”adds Woods.
Algenol’s technology recycles carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuels through its direct-to-ethanol process, which results in not only ethanol but also gasoline diesel and jet fuel.
The demonstration has completed several production cycles of Algenol’s wildtype host algae, but ultimately could demonstrate the fuels-production capabilities of Algenol’s advanced fuel-producing algae and systems. The Algenol fuel-production process is designed to convert 1 metric ton of CO2 into 144 gallons of fuel while recycling CO2 from industrial processes and converting 85% of the CO2 used into ethanol, gasoline, diesel and jet fuels.
The advanced fuel-producing algae technology is successfully operating at Algenol’s Fort Myers, Florida headquarters.
“The initial project start-up and smooth transition begins to prove the viability of our technology in varying environments across the globe and the ability of partners to operate our production systems without Algenol’s day-to-day involvement,” explains Woods.
Construction of the system was completed in November of 2014 by Algenol and Reliance engineers and biologists. Runs and systems tests have been completed and several successful batches of algae have been grown. At this time, day-to-day operations of the project are managed solely by Reliance Industries Ltd., after Algenol provided training and operational support. The effort is proof that Algenol’s technology can be co-located with and successfully managed by a partner.