Algal Biomass Organisation advises Department of Energy on algae-based fuels

13th August 2009

Trade association for the algae industry, the Algal Biomass Organisation (ABO) has encouraged the US Department of Energy’s National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap to utilise and raise awareness of the benefits of algae-based fuels and energy.

This advice follows a year-long process of information gathering from the DOE’s Office of Biomass Program during which the ABO has offered advice.

Mary Rosenthal, executive director of the ABO, said, ‘The DOE Roadmap process is an important first step to identifying both barriers and opportunities for commercialisation of next generation fuels and energy derived from algal-biomass. The ABO and our members hope this feedback will help the DOE more clearly understand not only the tremendous potential of algae, but also the practical steps needed to take to accelerate the fulfilment of that potential.’

The ABO’s three key recommendations for the DOE Roadmap were to provide a clear vision for its plans for algae-based fuels and energy, promote public-private partnerships to accelerate commercialisation, and give algae parity with other feedstocks with regard to tax incentives, regulatory and other federal policies.

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