Joule to produce renewable transportation fuel without biomass
Massachusetts-based startup Joule Biotechnologies has unveiled a revolutionary new process for converting carbon dioxide and sunlight to transportation fuel without the use of biomass.
The company’s patent-pending so-called Helioculture process utilises genetically-engineered photosynthetic organisms: it requires no agricultural land or fresh water and is capable of producing more than 20,000 gallons of renewable ethanol or hydrocarbons an acre a year. Joule believes it will be competitive with oil at $50 (€35) a barrel.
Joule has produced demonstration quantities of ethanol and aims to be producing it commercially by 2010. It has also produced hydrocarbon fuel in the laboratory and aims to have a demonstration plant up and running by 2011.
The company’s patent-pending so-called Helioculture process utilises genetically-engineered photosynthetic organisms: it requires no agricultural land or fresh water and is capable of producing more than 20,000 gallons of renewable ethanol or hydrocarbons an acre a year. Joule believes it will be competitive with oil at $50 (€35) a barrel.
Joule has produced demonstration quantities of ethanol and aims to be producing it commercially by 2010. It has also produced hydrocarbon fuel in the laboratory and aims to have a demonstration plant up and running by 2011.
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