Algae and Biodiesel: Patenting energized as green goes commercial

Abstract

In the twenty-fi rst century, predominant dependence on fossil fuels as energy resources will not be sustainable. Developing and commercializing green energy innovations will be an essential component of the transition to a more diversifi ed energy economy. Algal biodiesel is one of the most promising green fuels because of its potential as a renewable and sustainable fuel source without displacing food crops. Algal biodiesel research and development are necessary early steps towards a transition to a green energy economy. The strategic use of strong patent portfolios will drive this by attracting investment, incentivizing innovation and accelerating commercialization. Whereas algal biodiesel research and development is largely still early stage, this will rapidly change as aggressive investments and government subsidies facilitate economically competitive algal biodiesel to enter the energy market. Algal domestication, improvement and industrial utilization for biodiesel production will therefore inevitably create value, leading to increased assertion of property rights, of which intellectual property rights in the form of patents are fundamental. This article provides a summary of representative patents and patent applications in the algal biodiesel technology space and their commercial applications.

Assessing the commercialization potential of algal jet fuel using a lifecycle assessment approach

“…Similarly, the US Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) and its Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) derivative mandates consumption of at least 36 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2022 while capping the production of 1 st generation fuels (mostly corn bioethanol) at 15 billion gallons (Ng, 2010). Additionally, to incentivize innovation in newer biofuel technologies, the EISA calls for at least 21 billion gallons of the 36 billion gallons to come from advanced biofuels (Preiss, 2010). Algae biofuels are an advanced technology candidate.…”

“…Algae can capture 95% of exposed light and covert up to 1--8% of the solar energy to biomass, compared to 1% in most terrestrial crops. Algae productivity, depending on the oil content (20--80%), can range between 15--300 times the productivity of 1 st generation feedstocks like corn and soybean on a per hectare per year basis (Packer, 2009); it is estimated that between 2--6% of the total US cropping area would be sufficient to produce enough algal oil to entirely satisfy its transportation fuel needs (Preiss, 2010).…”

Intellectual property indicators and renewable energy trends

“…Renewable energy sources hold the key potential to mitigate climate change by displacing greenhouse gas emissions, being an important remedy for energy substitution (reduction of mining, processing, and combustion of fossil fuels -coal, oil, and gas) (Mannan 2010;Preiss and Kowalski 2010;Edenhofer et al 2011;Simin and Pejanović 2011). Since renewable energy supplies are mostly obtained from free ongoing sources of energy in our surroundings, they are less likely to unfavorably affect food security, nor threaten biodiversity.…”

“…Intellectual property law is seen as an obstacle to the diffusion and commercialization of Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology (Pearce et al 2013). The use of patent portfolios is seen as a facilitator for attracting investment and the diffusion of Algal biodiesel technologies (Preiss and Kowalski 2010). Zhao et al (2014) point to the impact of intellectual property flexibility on the development of the wind power industry.…”

Simple, Rapid and Cost-Effective Method for High Quality Nucleic Acids Extraction from Different Strains of Botryococcus braunii

“…Botryococcus braunii is a freshwater colonial green microalgae that produces hydrocarbons up to 86% of its dry weight [2] . Its ability to produce relatively high quantity of hydrocarbons has resulted in the organism being proposed as a future renewable resource [3] , [4] . Recently, algal biofuels has been one of the most widely researched areas [5] .…”