BioCentric Energy to install algae oil farm in Southern California

April 22, 2010

California company BioCentric Energy Holdings is ready to commercialize its algae biofuels technology, it said yesterday.

The firm based in Santa Ana said it has secured several acres in Southern California to house five of its closed-loop photobioreactors, and should break ground by the summer.

The move comes following completion of due diligence and qualification for “several” clients that BioCentric says are interested in deploying algae farms for mass production of Omega-3 oil.

Breaking ground on our first commercial unit is clearly a very important milestone” - Brian Goodall, Biocentric Energy

BioCentric said each closed-loop module would take up an acre of land, with the five modules to be positioned to share a single Siemens control system as well as harvesting, dewatering and extraction equipment.

Initial site assessments have been carried out, with water and carbon sources identified.

The company said its next step is to identify the strain of algae to grow quickly within its photobioreactors.

Summer 2010

BioCentric Energy’s goal is to begin immediately with the grading and civil engineering of the land, to install its photobioreactors at the site by early summer 2010, it said.

Company CEO Dr Brian Goodall said: “Breaking ground on our first commercial unit is clearly a very important milestone for the company, and an event that demonstrates the enormous strides that the company and our technology has made in recent months.

“I am also inspired by the number of clients interested in working with us to exploit the enormous potential of the market niches that we have identified and developed.”

BioCentric Energy is now in the process of qualifying several other clients interested in purchasing closed-loop photobioreactor systems it said, pursuing projects in California, North America and overseas.

“Our technology uniquely fills a void in the marketplace both in terms of our high-value products, their scale and renewable nature as well our ability to complement and symbiotically enhance other green endeavors. Some of these aspects will be the subject of upcoming announcements,” said Dr Goodall.