MACRO: Mixed Algae Conversion Research Opportunity

MACRO: Mixed Algae Conversion Research Opportunity is sponsored by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM). This funding opportunity announcement (FOA) from DOE addresses R&D challenges in converting algae, including seaweeds, to biofuels and bioproducts.

Funding Selections: MACRO - Mixed Algae Conversion Research Opportunity to Advance Development of Mixed Algae for Biofuels and Bioproducts | Department of Energy Funding Selections: MACRO - Mixed Algae Conversion Research Opportunity to Advance Development of Mixed Algae for Biofuels and Bioproducts Light Text on a Dark Overlay (Default) Offices: Bioenergy Technologies Office and Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management FOA number: DE-FOA-0003274 FOA amount: $20.

2 million The U.S. Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) and Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) today announced $20. 2 million in funding for 10 university and industry projects to advance mixed algae development for low-carbon biofuels and bioproducts.

Located in 7 states, these selected projects will address high-impact research and development (R&D) focused on converting algae, such as seaweeds and other wet waste feedstocks, to low-carbon fuels, chemicals and agricultural products that can lower emissions in domestic transportation and industry. These types of feedstocks represent an emerging resource and are critical to the development of biofuels and bioproducts.

However, they are underutilized and difficult to convert due to their variability, unique chemical make-up, and storage instability. These research projects will help overcome feedstock conversion challenges and support building biomass supply chains, and ultimately, improve carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) conversion to algae and enable greater volumes of sustainable aviation fuel .

With this funding, DOE is also helping to meet the government-wide targets of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge , the Executive Order on Advancing Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation , and the Clean Fuels & Products Shot™ .

Aligning with BETO’s and FECM’s strategic program goals, the selected projects will address bioenergy needs through two topic areas: Conversion of seaweeds to low carbon fuels and bioproducts will focus on laboratory scale R&D on conversion of seaweeds and seaweed blends with other wet wastes to renewable fuels and bioproducts to enable these readily available feedstocks to access new markets.

Conversion of algal biomass for low carbon agricultural bioproducts will focus on near or completely integrated technologies that utilize CO 2 emissions streams from industrial facilities or power plants to grow algae for source material and create value-added bioproducts. Of particular interest is the conversion and processing of bioproducts for use in agriculture and animal feed.

The following projects were selected: Project Title & Description Federal Cost Share Topic Area 1: Conversion of Seaweeds to Low-Carbon Fuels and Bioproducts Kona Carbon, Inc. Seattle, Washington Valorization of Sargassum via Hyrdrothemal Carbonization In partnership with HydroGeoLogic, Inc. Algae Research Supply, LLC and Environmental Mapping Consultants of Puerto Rico, Kona Carbon will develop a modular hydrothermal carbonization system capable of converting sargassum and other wet wastes into hydrochar, activated carbon and liquid fertilizer.

The system will be developed to operate self-sufficiently to further improve energy use to meet the objective of the funding opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by greater than 50%.

The project will develop a modular system to be deployed in Puerto Rico near local sources of nuisance sargassum creating sustainable products, economic stimulus and job opportunities for local communities $1,495,810 Macro Oceans, Inc. San Francisco, California Transforming Kelp Waste Streams into Low-Carbon Ethanol for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) Macro Oceans, in partnership with National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), will develop a kelp-waste-to-ethanol process for further upgrading to SAF.

Macro Oceans currently produces a high-value bioactive compound from seaweed, in this project the kelp waste will be diverted from landfill to use in a novel, high-yielding, bioconversion process that can meet the objective of the funding opportunity to achieve greater than 50% GHG reductions compared to corn-based ethanol.

$1,405,736 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City, South Dakota Continuous Catalytic Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Saccharina Latissima for High Energy Density Biocrude In partnership with Idaho National Laboratory, Cold Current Kelp, LLC, GE Vernova and Rutgers University, the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology project team will develop a continuous catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction (CHTL) process to convert seaweed into a high energy density biocrude suitable for upgrading to Sustainable Aviation Fuel that meets a greater than 60% reduction in GHG emissions compared to fossil derived jet fuel.

The project will address current knowledge gaps in hydrothermal conversion of seaweeds by developing storage and pretreatment methods that reduce ash and salt content, incorporating a low-cost coating to address corrosion issues in the CHTL reactor and developing a novel core-shell zeolite catalyst that maximizes yield to biocrude in the continuous CHTL system.

$1,500,000 Umaro Foods, Inc. Berkeley, California Improvement of Drop-In Bioplastic Films with Alginate-Rich Process Streams Umaro Foods, in collaboration with Sway Innovation Co.

, will enhance the performance, production cost and sustainability of bioplastics by incorporating waste alginate from Umaro’s protein production process into Sway’s portfolio of compostable bioplastic products and exceed the funding opportunity objective of 50% GHG reduction as compared to fossil derived plastics.

$1,500,000 University of California San Diego La Jolla, California Microbiome-informed Prioritization of Functionalized Sugar Building Blocks Release from Seaweed Polysaccharides University of California, San Diego, in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and BASF Corporation will develop a salt tolerant microbial process that produces functional sugars as intermediates to chemicals, to be further modified and tested in surfactant formulations that can meet the funding opportunity objectives of reducing GHG emissions greater than 50% compared to petrochemical equivalents.

$1,500,000 University of Connecticut Storrs, Connecticut Preservation and Arrested Anaerobic Digestion of Sustainable Seaweeds into Sustainable Aviation Fuel The University of Connecticut, in partnership with Idaho National Laboratory, will develop Arrested Anaerobic Digestion (AAD) of locally farmed seaweeds for on-site SAF production to meet the funding opportunity objective to reduce GHG emissions by greater than 50%.

Using two species of near-shore farmed seaweeds, preservation approaches will be explored for year-round operation to be used in a controlled AAD system that generates volatile fatty acid intermediates that will be separated using a novel in-situ membrane approach that will improve selectivity and energy use compared to food waste AD systems.

$1,500,000 Topic Area 2: Conversion of Algal Biomass for Low-Carbon Agricultural Bioproducts Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona Advancing Algae for Animal Feed Arizona State University, in partnership with Colorado State University, Kansas State University, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), will use carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from natural gas combustion and fermentation to cultivate algae to generate an animal feed additive that has a beneficial omega-3 fatty acid profile targeted at improving animal health and reducing enteric CH 4 emissions.

The project will evaluate the inclusion rates of algae needed to target a net GHG emissions reduction of 15%.

2,999,999 Auburn University Auburn, Alabama Intensified and Energy Efficient Cultivation, Processing, and Conversion of Flue Gas Produced Algal Biomass to Aquafeed In collaboration with Tuskegee University, NREL, DVO Inc., and Packaging Corporation of America, Auburn University will develop an intensified “dry” biofilm-based microalgae cultivation technology to convert pulp and paper flue gas that has approximately 20% concentration of carbon dioxide and aquaculture wastewater into single cell protein based aquafeed.

$2,523,496 Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc. Boston, Massachusetts CARBON-CAB: Cultivating Agriculture with Revolutionary Bio-Optimized Naturals – Cyanobacteria and Algae for a Brighter Future Gingko Bioworks, in partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory and New Mexico State University, will develop a live microalgal bioproduct using biofertilizer strains with high carbon utilization to deliver a low carbon intensity product that can improve agricultural efficiency.

In addition to demonstrating agricultural benefits across soil and crop types, the project aims to reduce overall GHG intensity by at least 20% in addition to increasing corn biomass by 5%.

$2,991,022 Washington State University Pullman, Washington Advancing Efficient Flue Gas CO 2 Capture and Conversion (EC3) for Extremophile Algae to Produce Cattle Feed and Biodegradable Mulch for Low-Carbon Agriculture In collaboration with PNNL and Integrated Lipid Biofuels, LLC, Washington State University will capture CO 2 from flue gas and convert it into algal biomass which will then be used to produce cattle feed and bio-degradable mulch.

A sequential hydrothermal liquefaction (SEQHTL) process will be used to extract other valuable components including bio-oil from algae biomass. The process will aim to reduce life-cycle emission (GHG footprint) by greater than 25%. $2,883,756 More Information Learn more about the original MACRO funding opportunity notice .