New programme to assist algae producers

The National Algae Association (NAA) has announced a new Algae Production Incubator Programme to be located in Texas, US.

The project will be housed across five commercial buildings on 17 acres for new algae production start-up companies that require land, buildings and a source of CO₂ for the first 12 months to grow algae for a range of uses including fuels.

‘After 60 years and $2.5 billion (€1.8 billion) spent on algae research it's time to get into commercial production with the assistance of commercially-minded algae researchers, equipment providers and potential investors,’ a NAA statement reads. ‘The only way algaepreneurs will attract investment to their commercial algae farms is to prove themselves outside the laboratory, while keeping start-up costs down for the first year. We have lowered the CAPEX and up-front risk of getting into the algae production industry through this algae production incubator programme.’

The programme is open to so-called algaepreneurs, college graduates, vets and existing companies that are interested in learning about commercial algae cultivation, harvesting, extraction, economics, markets and new opportunities in the algae production industry.