ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics Algae Biofuels Program Targets 10,000 Barrels Per Day by 2025
March 06 2018 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
- Program advances to outdoor testing in
California of naturally occurring algae strains
- Will inform fundamental engineering
necessary for scaling up technology
- Outdoor testing phase critical step in
determining path toward commercial production
ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics Inc. today announced a new
phase in their joint algae biofuel research program that could lead
to the technical ability to produce 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel
per day by 2025.
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The new phase of research includes an outdoor field study that
will grow naturally occurring algae in several contained ponds in
California. The research will enable ExxonMobil and Synthetic
Genomics to better understand fundamental engineering parameters
including viscosity and flow, which cannot easily be replicated in
a lab. The results of this work are important to understand how to
scale the technology for potential commercial deployment.
Additional work will be required to advance larger-scale
production. Both companies are continuing with fundamental research
on algae biology in their laboratories as the field study advances.
ExxonMobil anticipates that 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel per day
could be produced by 2025 based on research conducted to date and
emerging technical capability.
“Our work with Synthetic Genomics on algae biofuels continues to
be an important part of our broader research into lower-emission
technologies to help reduce the risk of climate change,” said Vijay
Swarup, vice president for research and development at ExxonMobil
Research and Engineering Company. “The new outdoor phase is a
critical next step in determining a path toward large-scale,
commercial production.”
This outdoor research follows the companies’ years of
fundamental biological research into understanding and improving
algae oil production.
“We are excited to take this next significant step as we journey
together toward a renewable, scalable, and low-carbon biofuel,”
said Oliver Fetzer, Ph.D., chief executive officer at Synthetic
Genomics. “The progress we are making in the lab toward engineering
highly efficient algae strains that convert sunlight and CO2 into
renewable high energy density biofuel is exciting and warrants
continued research about how our technology will scale. Our outdoor
algal facility creates a perfect stepping stone from our labs to
the greenhouse and to the outdoors to lay the foundation for a
large scale commercial deployment of our technology in the
future.”
Since 2009, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics have been partners
in researching and developing oil from algae to be used as a
renewable, lower-emission alternative to traditional transportation
fuels.
ExxonMobil is engaged in a wide range of research on advanced
biofuels, partnering with universities, government laboratories,
and other companies.
In 2017, ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics announced
breakthrough research published in Nature Biotechnology that
resulted in a modified algae strain that more than doubled oil
content without significantly inhibiting growth, a key challenge
along the path to commercial scalability.
Global demand for transportation-related energy is projected to
increase by about 25 percent through 2040, and accelerating the
reduction in emissions from the transportation sector will play a
critical role in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
ExxonMobil is also actively researching other emission-reducing
technologies, including carbon capture and sequestration. In 2016,
ExxonMobil announced its partnership with Connecticut-based
FuelCell Energy, Inc. to advance the use of carbonate fuel cells to
economically capture carbon emissions from power plants while
generating hydrogen and additional electricity. Since 2000,
ExxonMobil has spent about $8 billion to develop and deploy
lower-emission energy solutions across its operations.
About ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international energy
company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s
growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading
inventory of resources, is one of the largest refiners and
marketers of petroleum products and its chemical company is one of
the largest in the world. For more information, visit
www.exxonmobil.com or follow us on Twitter
www.twitter.com/exxonmobil.
Cautionary Statement: Statements of
future events or conditions in this release are forward-looking
statements. Actual future results, including the timing, results
and impact of new technologies, could differ significantly
depending on the outcome of further research and testing; the
development and competitiveness of alternative technologies; the
ability to develop and scale pilot projects on a cost-effective
basis; political and regulatory developments; and other factors
discussed in this release and under the heading “Factors Affecting
Future Results” on the Investors page of ExxonMobil’s website at
exxonmobil.com.
About Synthetic Genomics
Synthetic Genomics is programming the operating system of life
to create sustainable solutions for humankind’s most pressing
issues, from the wellbeing of our population to the health of our
planet. With an unmatched understanding of how DNA drives the
function of cells — the basic biological units of all living
organisms — Synthetic Genomics modifies and writes genomes to
enable transformative products in the areas of vaccines, medicines,
and biotechnology research. In addition to designing novel
organisms that overcome fundamental hurdles of scientific research
and medicine, Synthetic Genomics pursues partnerships with
organizations seeking to dramatically improve upon existing
products in health care, energy, and other sectors. Continuing its
legacy of scientific firsts in genomics and synthetic biology,
Synthetic Genomics is harnessing the power of nature to improve
quality of life. More information is available
at www.syntheticgenomics.com.
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