Gerard Izuora
US-based multinational oil and gas Corporation, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics have announced a new phase in their joint algae bio-fuel research program which could enable production of 10,000 barrels of algae bio-fuel per day by 2025.
The new phase of research includes an outdoor field study that will grow naturally occurring algae in several contained ponds in California, the company said in a statement adding the research will enable both the companies to better understand fundamental engineering parameters including viscosity and flow which cannot easily be replicated in a laboratory
“Our work with Synthetic Genomics on algae bio-fuels continues to be an important part of our broader research into lower-emission technologies to help reduce the risk of climate change. The new outdoor phase is a critical next step in determining a path towards large-scale commercial production,” Vijay Swarup Vice President for research and development at ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company said.
Exxonmobil and Synthetic Genomics have been partners in researching and developing oil from algae to be used as a renewable, lower-emission alternative to traditional transportation fuels since 2009.
We are excited to take this next significant step in our journey towards a renewable, scalable and low-carbon bio-fuel. Our outdoor algal facility creates a perfect stepping stone from our labs to the greenhouse and to outdoors to lay the foundation for a large scale commercial deployment of our technology in the future,” Oliver Fetzer, Chief Executive at Synthetic Genomics said.
Both the companies had in 2017 announced a “breakthrough” research published in Nature Bio-technology that resulted in a modified algae strain which more than doubled oil content without significantly inhibiting growth.