Solazyme Awarded California Energy Commission Grant to Develop Clean Fuel from Local Cellulosic Feedstocks
04 August 2009
Solazyme, Inc., a renewable oil production and algal biotechnology company, was awarded a $789,697 Biosynthetic Transportation Fuel Production grant from the California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program. The award will further Solazyme’s research and development of a clean, renewable fuel from cellulosic feedstocks with associated economic benefits and local employment opportunities.
The PIER Program Opportunity Notice (PON) announced that up to $1.65 million was available for PIER project funding. Nearly half of those funds were awarded to Solazyme.
Solazyme has already produced laboratory scale quantities of oil from multiple cellulosic feedstocks, including switchgrass, miscanthus, sugar beet pulp, corn stover and sugarcane bagasse, and has identified a number of algae strains that grow on these types of feedstocks. The grant supports the company’s ongoing efforts to:
- Evaluate and procure local cellulosic sugars
- Identify and optimize algal strains for oil production from cellulosic sources
- Convert algal biomass to oil
- Develop a commercialization plan and roadmap for Soladiesel
Stimulating ideas and pilot programmes from companies like this is as good an expenditure as was the WPA. Hopefully these investments will return funds in profits to the General Account.
Posted by: sulleny | 04 August 2009 at 03:51 PM
No mention of rice husks, the burning of which was a source of air polution in the central valley.
Posted by: danm | 04 August 2009 at 04:17 PM
Terrific multiple objectives but with very little funds.
May be just enough resources to write a limited report about how it could be done....
Posted by: HarveyD | 05 August 2009 at 03:14 AM
The rice straw in the central valley of California could be cellulose biofuel feedstock. They could gasify it and produce power and fuel. There is a lot of silica in rice straw, but they can deal with that.
Posted by: SJC | 05 August 2009 at 08:56 AM