OriginOil joins algae project in Mexico

OriginOil, a developer of breakthrough technology to transform algae, has agreed to participate in a pilot-scale algae project to be funded by the Mexican government.

The project will demonstrate industrial algae production, paving the way for substantial investment by the Mexican government in large-scale jet fuels production.

'We are excited to support Mexico's 'Manhattan Project' to produce 1% of the nation's jet fuel from algae in less than five years,' says Riggs Eckelberry, OriginOil CEO.

"By the end of this decade, the project must produce nearly twenty times that amount, propelling Mexico to the front rank of biofuel producing nations. We pledge the full dedication of our resources to help make this happen."

The project operator, Genesis Ventures of Ensenada, Baja California, has received a first Economy Ministry grant through The National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT) for its first site. Genesis will develop the site as a model for numerous additional projects to be co-located with large CO2 sources.

Ensenada's Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education (CICESE) will operate the Genesis site. The facility offers a team of world-class researchers, sophisticated laboratory equipment, and bench-scale algae cultivation infrastructure. Genesis will also invite University of Baja California (UABC) algae researchers to collaborate in the project. Ensenada is a perfect environment for algae growth, with abundant sunlight and access to seawater.