BGU joins with California firm on converting algae into fuel

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, a leader in algae production commercialization for three decades, has announced a multiyear, multimillion dollar technology licensing and development agreement with Primafuel, a California-based company that develops renewable fuels.

The collaboration is focused on developing algae bio-refinery technologies for renewable fuels.

Professor Sammy Boussiba. photo/dani machlis/ben-gurion university

“This is an exceptional opportunity,” said Sammy Boussiba, who heads the Landau Family Microalgal Biotechnology Laboratory at BGU’s Sede Boqer campus. “Algae research was once considered the fringe of the fringe, but finally, the world has come to see its incredible potential.”

BGU has successfully commercialized algae production systems for the feed and pharmacological markets, and has also developed one of the world’s largest production photobioreactor systems at Kibbutz Ketura near Eilat. Photobioreactors are large networks of transparent tubes filled with water and algae. The algae grow in sunlight.

“People are surprised that we can cultivate algae in the desert,” explained Boussiba. “But it’s actually a green environment for growing algae. We have a lot of brackish water and sunshine. Plus, land is not expensive, and we’re remote from people and industry so we can avoid pollution.”

Boussiba has been working on the scientific challenges of turning algae into fuel since the mid-1980s.