New algae trade group formed

Algae industry boosters today announced the formation of the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO), a non-profit organization with the mission of accelerating the development and commercial application of algae biomass.

Inspired by an inaugural Algae Biomass Summit in November of last year, the group says it formed because of a “growing need to find viable solutions to reduce carbon emissions.”

The organization intends to help promote algae in fuel solutions, as well as for water and environmental remediation applications and the possible economic benefits of algal industries for developing nations.

ABO is steered by executives from The Boeing Company, Bryne & Company, A2BE Carbon Capture, Benemann Associates, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

“Given the social, economic, and environmental possibilities for algae, and the growing number of companies, technologies and products being developed to address them, it is becoming increasingly important to harness their potential for use across multiple industries now,” said Billy Glover, managing director, Environmental Strategy, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and ABO steering committee co-chair.

In addition to other objectives, the non-profit organization says its mission “is to promote and advocate for the development of commercially-viable transportation and power generation fuels as well as other non-energy applications for algae biomass.”

Membership is open for those interested in algal research, development and potential commercialization. Likely members include algal biomass pioneers such as Solazyme, GreenFuel Technologies, LiveFuels, Green Star and Aquaflow Bionomic, among others.

A next Algae Biomass Summit is slated to be held in Seattle, Wash. on October 23, 2008.