AlgaeBiofuelSummit.com

PRESS RELEASE

Event : 2nd Algae Biofuel Summit 2009

Tuesday, September 8, 2009 - 06:29

Conducted by:

Growdiesel Climate Care Council

After the success of Energy Farming Summit 2009 & Algae Biofuel Summit 2008, Growdiesel Climate Care Council is pleased to invite you to the next version of  International Summit on Algae Biofuels to be held on the 8th , 9th & 10th of September 2009 in India. The Summit is focused on next generation of Biofuels using Algae as the main feedstock. The summit offers an excellent opportunity for investors, entrepreneurs, Biofuel companies, renewable fuel experts, their associates and academia to share their valuable experiences and knowledge.

The main objective of the Summit is to provide an up-to-date understanding of the next generation feedstocks and technologies in the Algae Biofuel Industry. The Summit will be an excellent platform to disseminate information regarding recent research and development activities in the fields of phycology, algae mass production systems, photobioreactor technologies and other important areas of Algae Biofuel Industry. Biofuels are emerging as a trillion dollar futuristic industry, and this summit offers many value added opportunities for investors, entrepreneurs and Biofuel companies as well as industry experts. The summit's technical & financial topics will encompass the entire Algae Biofuel Industry.

Biofuels Plant in Hawaii Is First to Be Certified as Sustainable

By Diane Cardwell | www.nytimes.com
May 13, 2016

A worker checking how much biodiesel has been fed into a tanker at the company’s Kea’au biodiesel refinery.CreditCreditKent Nishimura for The New York Times

KEAAU, Hawaii — The trucks roll in and out of the plant at a business park nestled near papaya farms and a forest preserve on the Big Island here, an operation that transforms waste cooking oils, animal fats, fruit and seeds into biodiesel fuel, nearly 13,000 gallons a day.

Owned by Pacific Biodiesel, an industry pioneer, the plant was designed with an eye toward conserving water and energy and avoiding environmental harm.

But after about $20 million and four years of operation, a central question about the plant, and the industry as a whole, has persisted: Do biofuels ultimately reduce carbon emissions?

“We’re worried that the efforts to ramp up our use of biofuels are actually doing a lot of damage and digging the climate hole deeper,” said Jonathan Lewis, a lawyer focused on climate change at the Clean Air Task Force.

Now, the biodiesel industry’s backers say they have an answer, at least for this modest plant. The Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance, a nonprofit industry group, commissioned an audit of the plant’s sustainability by an independent company, and the result was yes. It was the first United States-based certification of sustainability granted for a biodiesel plant, according to the alliance.

The certification is intended to help clean fuel producers distinguish themselves to customers seeking green products — a kind of Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for the environmentally conscious.

For biofuels, the environmental benefits of which have fallen under increasing scrutiny in recent years, that differentiation is ever more important, executives and advocates say.

 

A control room at Pacific Biodiesel’s Kea’au biodiesel refinery.CreditKent Nishimura for The New York Times

“There are lots of different ways of making biodiesel — lots of different feedstocks — and some have been more sustainable than others,” said Jeff Plowman, chairman of the alliance’s certification committee. “Much like the organic labeling or non-G.M.O. labeling, it gives consumers some information to make a choice,” a reference to nongenetically modified organisms.

A decade or so ago, biofuels seemed to have great potential to help wean the country off fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Plants absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, making them essentially carbon-neutral if used for fuel, the thinking went.

Starting in 2005, the federal government approved requiring biofuels to be blended into the gasoline supply at increasing volumes, a move that, with generous grants and subsidies, helped spur their production.

But much of that was ethanol from food crops like corn and sugar cane, which led to criticisms. Using those crops for fuel can drive up the price of food and animal feed and release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as farmers clear land, including rain forests, to grow more of those crops to meet the increasing demand. And although biodiesel differs from ethanol — it derives from oils rather than sugars and works in conventional diesel engines — it, too, can fall into a similar cycle.

“It’s a bunch of small economic steps, but if the end result is deforestation of a tropical forest, there’s a massive carbon pulse when you do that,” Mr. Lewis, the Clean Air Task Force lawyer, said.

As a result, producers have been migrating toward so-called advanced biofuels, which are generally made from plant or animal feedstocks that do not compete with food uses, but they have proved difficult and expensive to produce, and because petroleum prices are so low, they have become less attractive.

In addition, climate change specialists say, there may simply not be enough agricultural waste to produce significant quantities of biofuel without causing other environmental problems, and it is important to account for what would have happened to the waste material had it not been funneled into fuel.

“You can’t just automatically make assumptions that, say, waste-based fuel is O.K.,” said John M. DeCicco, a research professor at the University of Michigan Energy Institute. “If you have a waste that was otherwise not going to decay, then that carbon is already being kept out of the air with respect to the atmosphere, and at that point you’re as ahead of the game as you’re ever going to be.”

Oil from macadamia nuts is used in many of the company’s “Maiden Hawaii Naturals” brand products.CreditKent Nishimura for The New York Times

At the same time, debate over the usefulness of biofuels, especially corn ethanol, in reducing greenhouse gas emissions has intensified, with studies drawing conflicting conclusions.

But here in Hawaii, where leaders have pushed aggressively to embrace renewable energy sources, the Pacific Biodiesel plant avoids many of these problems, climate specialists say.

The company makes its fuel from local waste products, including restaurant cooking oils and grease and agricultural products like macadamia nuts — turned into oil — considered unsuitable for market.

Here at the refinery, the oils move through a series of stainless steel tanks and columns as they are processed and distilled into fuel. Methanol, a chemical used in the refining, is recycled, and the company is trying to develop local markets for byproducts like glycerin and potassium salts, which can be used as fertilizer.

As for the biodiesel itself, it does not travel very far: The company sells almost all of it to customers in Hawaii, rather than shipping it long distances.

The company is working to develop new feedstocks, and it is experimenting with safflower, sunflower and jatropha plants. But it also focuses on materials that can have nonenergy uses, such as its project that grows algae from waste papayas for use as fertilizer or feed for fish farms, or the cattle operations that sprawl across the Big Island’s center.

“As we’re growing energy crops, we’re bringing the cattle industry with us because we need them to take all of this protein meal,” said Robert King, who founded the company, which has headquarters in Maui, in 1995 with his wife, Kelly. She, along with Willie Nelson and his wife, Annie, and Daryl Hannah, are co-founders of the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance.

“It’s a complicated puzzle, and you have to have all the pieces, but it does all fit together,” Mr. King added. “In order to reinvent agriculture in Hawaii, which we have to, this is how we’re going to get it done.”

More Background On AlgaeBiofuelSummit.com

 

AlgaeBiofuelSummit.com emerged during one of the most optimistic periods in the global renewable energy movement, when governments, scientists, entrepreneurs, and investors were urgently searching for alternatives to fossil fuels. The website served as the digital home for the “2nd Algae Biofuel Summit 2009,” an international conference held in India that focused on algae as a next-generation biofuel source.

The archived website reflected a moment when algae biofuels were widely viewed as a potentially revolutionary technology capable of transforming transportation, agriculture, environmental management, and industrial carbon mitigation. The summit gathered scientists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, renewable energy advocates, and agricultural experts from around the world to discuss the commercial viability of algae-derived fuels.

Unlike many corporate conference websites that disappear entirely after an event concludes, AlgaeBiofuelSummit.com was later preserved as part of a digital archival effort because of its historical significance in documenting the early global enthusiasm surrounding renewable energy innovation and alternative fuels.

The Global Energy Climate Behind the Summit

To understand the significance of AlgaeBiofuelSummit.com, it is important to revisit the global energy landscape of the late 2000s.

During this period, oil prices had experienced dramatic spikes, climate change discussions were intensifying, and governments worldwide were exploring ways to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Biofuels had become one of the most heavily promoted renewable energy sectors.

First-generation biofuels — including ethanol from corn and biodiesel from soybean or palm oil — had already attracted massive investments. However, these fuels quickly became controversial because they competed with food crops and consumed enormous amounts of land and freshwater.

This controversy created demand for second-generation and third-generation biofuels, especially those that could avoid the “food versus fuel” debate. Algae rapidly emerged as one of the most exciting candidates because researchers believed it offered extraordinary advantages:

• Very high oil yields per acre
• Ability to grow on non-arable land
• Compatibility with saltwater and wastewater
• Fast growth cycles
• Potential carbon capture capabilities
• Use of industrial CO2 emissions
• Opportunities for integrated environmental management

These possibilities generated enormous excitement among investors, environmentalists, governments, and entrepreneurs.

AlgaeBiofuelSummit.com was created directly within this environment of optimism and technological experimentation.

Growdiesel Climate Care Council and the Summit Organizers

The summit was organized by the Growdiesel Climate Care Council, an India-based organization focused on renewable energy, biodiesel production, climate mitigation, and sustainable agricultural technologies.

Growdiesel had already organized previous renewable energy conferences before launching the second algae-focused summit. Earlier events included:

• Algae Biofuel Summit 2008
• Energy Farming Summit 2009

According to conference materials, these events attracted delegates from more than 21 countries, including scientists, academics, renewable fuel experts, investors, and corporate executives.

The organizers positioned India as an emerging global center for renewable fuel innovation. India’s growing energy demands, agricultural scale, tropical climate, and large rural population made it an ideal location for experimental biofuel initiatives.

The summit website strongly emphasized practical business opportunities alongside scientific research. It was not merely an academic conference; it was designed as a networking and investment platform for commercial algae fuel development.

The 2nd Algae Biofuel Summit 2009

The 2nd Algae Biofuel Summit took place on September 8–10, 2009, in India. Contemporary references associated the event with New Delhi, though some archived materials contained alternate spellings or formatting inconsistencies common in early web publications.

The conference marketed itself as an “International Summit on Algae Biofuels” and promoted algae as the “next generation” of renewable fuels.

The website described the summit as an opportunity for:

• Investors
• Renewable energy companies
• Scientists
• Entrepreneurs
• Researchers
• Environmental consultants
• Agricultural specialists
• Government representatives
• Academia

to exchange knowledge and explore commercial opportunities.

A central theme throughout the conference materials was the idea that algae represented a trillion-dollar future industry capable of reshaping global energy systems.

The summit’s slogan captured the futuristic optimism of the era:

“Discover the art & science of converting Sun’s energy to Biofuels Using CO2, water & Algae.”

Why Algae Generated So Much Excitement

At the time, algae-based fuels were frequently described as one of the most promising renewable energy technologies ever proposed.

Unlike corn or soybeans, algae could theoretically produce much larger quantities of oil in far smaller physical areas. Many advocates claimed algae could generate between 10 and 100 times more oil per hectare than traditional biofuel crops.

The summit materials repeatedly highlighted several perceived advantages:

High Productivity

Algae grow extremely quickly compared to conventional crops. Some species can double their biomass in hours under ideal conditions.

The summit promoted the idea that algae farms could produce continuous oil yields year-round rather than seasonal harvests.

Non-Food Feedstock

One of the biggest political criticisms of first-generation biofuels involved using food crops for fuel production. Algae appeared to solve this problem because it did not compete directly with human food systems.

Use of Wastewater

Conference presentations emphasized the possibility of cultivating algae using wastewater streams, reducing freshwater demands while simultaneously assisting in waste treatment.

Carbon Capture

The summit strongly promoted algae’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide emissions from industrial facilities. Organizers envisioned algae farms connected directly to power plants, factories, and industrial smokestacks.

Multi-Product Potential

Algae were not promoted solely for biodiesel production. The biomass could also potentially produce:

• Animal feed
• Fertilizer
• Nutritional supplements
• Biogas
• Methane
• Cosmetics
• Industrial chemicals

This “full biomass utilization” concept became one of the most important economic arguments supporting algae fuels.

Major Topics Covered at the Summit

The summit agenda reflected both scientific ambition and commercial enthusiasm.

Key subjects reportedly included:

Photobioreactor Technologies

Researchers explored enclosed algae growing systems designed to maximize productivity and control environmental conditions.

Photobioreactors became one of the most discussed technologies because they promised higher efficiency than open pond systems, though they were also far more expensive.

Open Pond vs. Closed Systems

One of the major technical debates involved whether algae should be cultivated in open ponds or enclosed reactor systems.

Open ponds were cheaper but more vulnerable to contamination and evaporation.

Closed systems offered greater control but required enormous infrastructure investments.

Strain Selection

Different algae strains contain different oil contents, growth rates, and environmental tolerances.

Scientists discussed methods for selecting and engineering strains capable of maximizing fuel production.

CO2 Mitigation

The summit emphasized the potential for algae farms to recycle industrial emissions into usable energy products.

This carbon recycling narrative was especially attractive to utilities and heavy industries facing increasing environmental scrutiny.

Rural Entrepreneurship

The conference also framed algae biofuel development as a rural economic opportunity.

Organizers promoted decentralized bioenergy systems that could create employment and new revenue streams for rural communities.

Financial Modeling

The summit recognized that technical feasibility alone was insufficient. Financial modeling sessions addressed commercialization challenges, investment structures, scalability, and risk assessment.

India’s Role in the Biofuel Conversation

India occupied a unique position within the global renewable energy movement during the late 2000s.

The country faced:

• Rapidly growing energy demands
• Heavy oil import dependence
• Large agricultural sectors
• Significant rural poverty
• Environmental degradation concerns

As a result, Indian policymakers and entrepreneurs were actively exploring alternative fuels and sustainable agriculture systems.

Algae biofuel projects appeared especially attractive because they could theoretically operate on marginal land unsuitable for traditional agriculture.

India’s climate also offered favorable sunlight conditions for year-round algae cultivation.

The summit helped position India as an active participant in the international biofuel industry rather than merely a consumer of foreign technology.

Audience and International Participation

The summit marketed itself globally.

Delegates reportedly came from over 21 countries and represented a broad range of sectors, including:

• Renewable energy companies
• Universities
• Research institutes
• Agricultural organizations
• Investment firms
• Environmental NGOs
• Government agencies

The conference attempted to bridge the gap between science and commercialization.

Unlike purely academic conferences, the event heavily emphasized investment opportunities and practical implementation strategies.

This mix of audiences reflected the speculative investment climate surrounding clean technology during the late 2000s.

Press Coverage and Media Attention

Although algae biofuels never achieved the massive commercial breakthroughs once predicted, media coverage during the period was extremely enthusiastic.

Major newspapers, scientific publications, environmental magazines, and television programs frequently portrayed algae as a potential energy revolution.

The broader biofuel sector received enormous media attention after rising oil prices and increasing climate concerns pushed renewable energy into mainstream political discussions.

AlgaeBiofuelSummit.com benefited from this environment.

Industry conferences focused on algae attracted attention because they combined several compelling narratives:

• Green technology
• Climate mitigation
• Energy independence
• Scientific innovation
• Venture capital investment
• Sustainable agriculture

The summit website itself functioned partly as a media and promotional platform, presenting algae biofuels as both scientifically credible and commercially inevitable.

Scientific Challenges Facing Algae Biofuels

Despite the optimism, algae biofuel commercialization faced serious obstacles.

Many challenges discussed during and after the summit remain unresolved even today.

Production Costs

Growing algae at commercial scale proved far more expensive than early projections suggested.

Harvesting Difficulties

Extracting algae from water efficiently required energy-intensive processes.

Infrastructure Requirements

Large-scale photobioreactors demanded massive capital investments.

Energy Balance Problems

Critics questioned whether algae fuel production consumed nearly as much energy as it produced.

Contamination Risks

Open pond systems often suffered contamination from unwanted organisms.

Scalability

Small experimental systems worked better than massive industrial operations.

As the 2010s progressed, many investors began retreating from algae fuel startups because profitability remained elusive.

The Relationship Between Algae and Carbon Capture

One of the most important themes associated with the summit involved carbon recycling.

The conference promoted the idea that algae farms could absorb CO2 emissions directly from industrial plants.

This concept appealed strongly to industries facing pressure to reduce emissions.

Researchers proposed systems where:

• Power plants emit CO2
• Algae absorb the emissions
• Biomass converts into fuel
• Fuel partially offsets fossil fuel consumption

Although technically promising, these systems proved difficult to scale economically.

Nevertheless, the summit reflected an important transitional period in environmental thinking when carbon capture and circular energy systems were beginning to gain mainstream attention.

Educational and Cultural Significance

Today, AlgaeBiofuelSummit.com functions less as a commercial conference site and more as a historical document.

It captures a specific moment in renewable energy history characterized by extraordinary technological optimism.

The archived content provides valuable insights into:

• Early clean technology investment culture
• International climate policy discussions
• Renewable energy marketing strategies
• Biofuel commercialization efforts
• Global sustainability narratives
• Scientific expectations of the late 2000s

For educators and researchers, the site illustrates how emerging technologies are often framed during periods of rapid innovation and public enthusiasm.

It also demonstrates the intersection of science, business, environmentalism, and public policy.

The Pacific Biodiesel Connection

Later archival additions associated with the site referenced Pacific Biodiesel in Hawaii, one of the longest-operating biodiesel producers in the United States.

Pacific Biodiesel became notable for producing fuel from waste oils and agricultural byproducts while emphasizing sustainability certification and local energy systems.

The inclusion of Pacific Biodiesel material helped connect the summit’s earlier ambitions to real-world biofuel implementation efforts that continued into the 2010s.

The company’s work demonstrated both the possibilities and limitations of sustainable biofuel systems.

Rather than replacing global fossil fuel infrastructure entirely, projects like Pacific Biodiesel illustrated how biofuels could become part of broader regional renewable energy strategies.

The Decline of the Algae Biofuel Hype Cycle

By the mid-2010s, enthusiasm surrounding algae biofuels had cooled considerably.

Several factors contributed to this decline:

• Falling oil prices
• High commercialization costs
• Slow technological progress
• Investor fatigue
• Competing renewable technologies
• Rapid improvements in battery technology and solar energy

Many startups failed or pivoted toward higher-value specialty products instead of fuel production.

Some companies shifted from biodiesel to:

• Nutritional supplements
• Cosmetics
• Animal feed
• Pharmaceuticals
• Industrial chemicals

While algae remain scientifically important, they never fully achieved the dramatic fuel revolution predicted during the summit era.

Digital Preservation and Web Archiving

One of the most interesting aspects of AlgaeBiofuelSummit.com today is its preservation.

Many early renewable energy conference websites vanished completely after their events ended. Archived versions of this site survive because of efforts to preserve historically significant web content.

Digital archiving projects play an increasingly important role in documenting technological history.

Websites like AlgaeBiofuelSummit.com capture:

• Industry language
• Marketing strategies
• Scientific priorities
• Economic expectations
• Cultural attitudes
• Policy discussions

that might otherwise disappear entirely.

The preserved materials now serve as a digital time capsule from an era when algae appeared poised to transform the global energy system.

Legacy of the Summit

Although algae biofuels did not revolutionize transportation in the way some advocates predicted, the summit remains historically meaningful.

The event reflected broader trends that continue today:

• Search for renewable energy alternatives
• Interest in carbon recycling technologies
• Integration of environmental sustainability with industry
• International collaboration on climate issues
• Development of circular economic models

Many concepts promoted during the summit — including carbon capture, wastewater reuse, sustainable fuels, and integrated environmental systems — remain active areas of research.

The summit also demonstrated how scientific innovation conferences function as networking ecosystems where research, investment, policy, and media narratives intersect.

 

AlgaeBiofuelSummit.com stands as an important archival artifact from a transformative period in renewable energy history.

The website documented a time when algae biofuels were viewed as one of the most promising solutions to climate change, fossil fuel dependence, and sustainable development challenges.

The 2nd Algae Biofuel Summit 2009 brought together international experts, entrepreneurs, investors, scientists, and policymakers to explore whether algae could become the foundation of a new energy economy.

While many of the industry’s early commercial expectations proved overly optimistic, the summit captured the ambitious spirit of clean technology innovation during the late 2000s.

Today, the preserved website offers valuable historical insight into the evolution of renewable energy thinking, the rise and fall of biofuel hype cycles, and the continuing global search for sustainable energy systems.

AlgaeBiofuelSummit.com