Grant boost to US Navy algal biofuel project

August 27, 2010

Biodiesel Industries, the company developing a remotely-operated algae biofuel production facility at a US Navy base in California, has won an $886,815 grant to support its efforts.

The grant was awarded by the California Energy Commission to support its Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program.

It is still subject to approval at a Commission meeting in Sacramento.

Biodiesel Industries is working with aerospace technology firm Aerojet on the project to develop the so-called ARIES technology (Automated Real-time, Remote Integrated Energy System) at the Naval Base Ventura County, at Port Hueneme, California.

The technology offers a highly automated and transportable biodiesel production unit that can be controlled remotely from an operations center along with many other units out in the field.

Its developers suggest one operations center could manage enough production units to produce billions of gallons of biodiesel each year.

The prototype unit was delivered to the Naval Base back in April (see this BrighterEnergy.org story).

The Energy Commission grant will allow the system to be adapted to integrate algae systems with anaerobic digestion of waste products and self-generated combined heat and power.

Russell Teall, president and founder of Biodiesel Industries explained: “The Integrated Energy System incorporated into ARIES will eventually allow us to generate our own heat and power, and to feed the surplus into a local micro-grid. These Energy Islands will support the local community with renewable and sustainable fuel, electricity and heat.”