City of San Diego partners with UCSD, San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology to accelerate algal fuel development

In California, the city of San Diego took another step towards establishing itself as national center for advanced biofuels development with the announcement of an algal fuel partnership between the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology, the city of San Diego and the University of California, San Diego. UCSD Chancellor Marye Anne Fox told 10 News: “This consortium will strengthen our ability to obtain grants and attract resources to the area. Algal biofuels will allow us to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and other economies and will provide opportunities for a new economy and workforce.”

The San Diego Association of Governments estimated that algal biofuels is a $63 million industry in San Diego and employs 513 people. The San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology is backed by Cleantech San Diego, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, The Scripps Research Institute, and UC San Diego.

Two San Diego companies, General Atomics and SAIC, were named as the lead contractors earlier this year for algae fuel research efforts funded by the Defense Advances Research Projects Administration (DARPA). SAIC’s project received a $14.9 million contract, while General Atomics project received $19..9 million.

A total of 17 companies bid on the projects. San Diego is also home to Sapphire Energy, Synthetic Genomics,. Genomatics, HR Biopetroleum, Earthrise Farms, and Carbon Capture.

Free Subscription to the Daily Biofuels Digest e-newsletter

Related Stories

San Diego aims to establish hub for algae-based biofuels research

In California, a group of San Diego-based researchers have commenced lobbying to establish a multimillion dollar hub for algae-based biofuels research, the San Diego Center for Algae-based Biofuels (S...

LA Times profiles San Diego algae bloom – $16 million in new payroll from algae-related jobs

In California, the LA Times published an extensive feature on the explosion of algal fuel research in San Diego, concluding that "the firms and organizations conducting algae research employ nearly 30...

Algae blooms in St. Louis, San Diego, Seattle and Silicon Valley, but which is the King of Algae? READER POLL

[caption id="attachment_13486" align="alignright" width="130" caption="St. Louis, San Diego, Seattle or Silicon Valley - which is the King of Algae?"][/caption] Bloom times for four cities, but...

San Diego, CARB officials kick off 2009 Algal Biomass Summit

In California, San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and CleanTECH San Diego CEO Lisa Bicker participated in the kick-off of the Algae Biomas...

Algae is green gold, but “San Diego soda” too?

In California, the Voice of Sandiego profiled the rise of the algae-based industry - "green gold, San Diego soda" in the extreme south of the state, based around efforts at General Atomics, SAIC, the ...

Prize Capital announces $10 million prize for algae-related biofuels development

In California, Prize Capital announced that it will offer a $10 million Algae Prize to spur development  of new ideas in the production of algal fuels. The San Diego-based firm said that the prize is...