Solazyme, Inc. announced on July 18 in San Francisco, CA, that it has delivered 1,500 gallons of 100% algae-based jet fuel for the U.S. Navy's testing and certification program. The U.S. Navy has previously announced the objective to operate at least 50% of its fleet on clean, renewable fuel by 2020, and the delivery fulfills a contract awarded to Solazyme by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in September 2009.
Solazyme, a renewable oil and green bioproducts company, manufactured 100% algal-based jet fuel through its proprietary fermentation process in collaboration with renewable jet fuel processing technology from Honeywell's UOP. Solazyme's renewable Solajet HRJ-5 is designed to meet all of the requirements for naval renewable aviation fuel. In preliminary tests, it also meets the fuel requirements of the U.S. Air Force and meets the standards for commercial jet fuel.
Solazyme's algal fuel technology will help the DoD reduce its carbon footprint, minimize reliance on foreign oil, combat global climate change and pioneer the development of clean and renewable energy sources for national energy security.
Verified through external lifecycle analyses, Solazyme's fuels provide an 85% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional fossil fuels. Prior to delivery to the Navy, the fuel was tested by an independent testing laboratory, and met all of the Navy's 19 rigorous requirements for renewable hydrotreated jet fuel. In addition, the fuel meets the proposed ASTM D 7566 specification for Aviation Turbine Fuels containing synthesized hydrocarbons, which is a critical milestone for providing fuels not only for the military, but also for the civilian market.
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Comment by U.Bonne: Growth of algae requires large land areas, as solar PV or thermal installations do. To compare the area needed for algae-based fuel vs. electricity from solar PVs we need to know algae yield and solar PV “yield” per acre per year. According to some sources, an acre of algae could yield 5,000 to 10,000 gallons of oil a year, making algae far more productive than soy (50 gallons per acre), rapeseed (110 to 145 gallons), mustard (140 gallons), jatropha (175 gallons). palm (650 gallons) or cellulosic ethanol from poplars (2,700 gallons). A more realistic values, according to Dr. John Benemann may be about 2,000 gallons of algal oil per acre per year, valued as ~3 x 2000 = $6000.
If we take “oil” or jet fuel at its lower heating value of 18,000 Btu/lb and 6.5 lbs/gal, we get 65.8 MWh/year/acre. A 11 MW solar PV farm built by GE for 75 M$ in Portugal on 150 acres, and assuming a 18% capacity factor and no down-time, would deliver 115 MWh/year/acre, valued also as ~$6000 if the electric rate is near 60 $/MWh. In Hawaii County, the values would be closer to $8000 and ~$18,000, respectively, with 180 $/kWh or even $36,000 with 360 $/MWh.
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