Two New Zealand algae biofuel companies, Solray Energy and Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation, have joined forces to turn algae into biofuels. Considering the challenges faced by algae biofuel companies to produce biofuels at a commercial scale, the two are determined to make ways to achieve success. Their combined efforts aim to target global demand for clean water trim down nitrogen and phosphates, which leave the aquatic ecosystem in a corrupted state, and renewable biofuels from waste.
Role of the companies in the production of biofuel:
Both the companies have their share to perform in order to produce algae biofuels commercially. Marlborough-based Aquaflow, which foresees growing algae in open ponds using the effluent in wastewater from sources like sewage plants, food processing facilities and dairy farms, could help lower costs. To meet terms with their goal, Aquaflow has developed cost-efficient, low energy commercial technologies to yield and store significant amount of micro algae on a daily basis.
Solray Energy has come up with a technique to convert all of the algae into “algae crude” oil that can be processed into transportation fuel. The company has developed a reactor and extraction to detoxify algae and produce crude oil, which is capable of being refined as biofuel.
Other important associations of the companies:
Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation has already been associated with Honeywell company UOP, which has been delivering cutting-edge technology to the petroleum refining, gas processing, petrochemical production and major manufacturing industries for over 90 years to work on bio jet fuel. The venture has made Aquaflow one of the many algae biofuel developers working with aviation industry partners, such as Sapphire Energy, Solazyme, Inventure Chemical, PetroSun and Chevron.
Solary Energy last year joined hands with two New Zealand companies named Solvent Rescue and Rayners to commission a larger-scale plant last year. Solvent Rescue is a company that reconstitutes used solvents, while Rayners makes high-pressure vessels and HVAC equipment.