Joule Biotechnologies Inc has reported that it has achieved “… direct microbial conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into hydrocarbons via engineered organisms, powered by solar energy.”
More from a Release dated November 9, sourced from Joule Biotechnologies Inc:
Joule Reports Breakthrough in Renewable Diesel Production | Business Wire
HONOLULU–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Joule Biotechnologies, Inc. today announced a major step forward in its
development of renewable fuels, achieving direct microbial conversion of
carbon dioxide (CO2) into hydrocarbons via engineered
organisms, powered by solar energy.Joule is advancing a new, photosynthesis-driven approach to producing
renewable fuels, avoiding the economic and environmental burden of
multi-step, cellulosic or algal biomass-derived methods. The company
employs a novel SolarConverter™ system, together with proprietary,
product-specific organisms and state-of-the-art process design, to
harness the power of sunlight while consuming waste CO2. Its
pioneering technology platform has already been proven out with the
conversion of CO2 into ethanol at high productivities, a
process that enters pilot development in early 2010. With this latest
feat of genome engineering, Joule is now capable of directly producing
hydrocarbons – setting the stage for delivery of
infrastructure-compatible diesel fuel without the need for raw material
feedstocks or complex refining.The breakthrough was made possible by the discovery of unique genes
coding for enzymatic mechanisms that enable the direct synthesis of both
alkane and olefin molecules – the chemical composition of diesel.
Production was achieved at lab scale, with pilot development slated for
early 2011.“This achievement marks a critical step towards making renewable diesel
fuel a reality at high volumes and competitive costs,” said Bill Sims,
President and CEO, Joule Biotechnologies. “We are accelerating the pace
to create a direct replacement for petroleum-based diesel that can use
today’s storage and distribution methods, with a very high net energy
balance, and without the depletion of natural resources incurred by
biomass-to-liquid approaches. It won’t happen overnight, but this latest
milestone opens the door to an industry-changing technology.”According to OPEC’s 2009 World Outlook, world demand for middle
distillate fuel, chiefly diesel, will grow faster than any other refined
oil product to 34.2 million barrels per day by 2030. The U.S. currently
consumes approximately 19 million barrels of fuel per day, with diesel
accounting for three million of that amount.Joule is directly targeting this opportunity with a production process
that requires only CO2 as opposed to raw material feedstocks,
removing a costly component that can be subject to significant
fluctuations in price and availability. Because its organisms are being
engineered to directly secrete hydrocarbon molecules, Joule will avoid
costly steps such as large-scale biomass collection, energy-intensive
degradation, or other downstream refinement. In addition, Joule’s
process requires just marginal, non-arable land, no crops and no fresh
water.…
About Joule Biotechnologies
Joule Biotechnologies, Inc. is tackling the global energy crisis with a
game-changing, renewable alternative to transportation fuels. Its
patent-pending Helioculture™ technology surpasses the
limitations of biomass-derived fuel approaches by using sunlight to
convert CO2 directly into Joule™ liquid
energy. This direct-to-fuel conversion requires no fresh water and
minimal non-agricultural land, avoids costly intermediaries and
processing, and finally enables the scale, unlimited quantities and
pricing required for energy independence. Founded in 2007 by Flagship
Ventures, Joule is privately held and headquartered in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. Additional information is available at www.joulebio.com.…
