Joule expands direct CO2-to-Hydrocarbons patents portfolio

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This is not the first time that I write (in Spanish) about algae as a potential renewable resource for biobased chemicals and energy. In my opinion, they represent one of the most promising areas in the scene of the bioeconomy. In a few weeks, I expect to launch a new section of the blog with information about algal biorefineries. Meanwhile, I would like to report a recent development from one of the companies that is working hard on this field: Joule. This company announced on June 16 the issuance of a patent covers both the cyanobacterium and the process for directly converting CO2 into medium-chain alkanes, which are the molecular basis of diesel, jet fuel and gasoline (US Patent #9,034,629, May 19).

The company’s platform continuously converts waste CO2 directly into renewable fuels such as ethanol or hydrocarbons. In fact, this latest issuance complements Joule’s patent portfolio on the production of long-chain alkanes, ethanol and multiple chemicals. Joule’s system uses engineered photosynthetic bacteria to directly produce and secrete targeted fuel molecules in a continuous, single-step conversion process. I would like to remark that, in the case of the Joule technology, CO2 is the feedstock and the blue-green algae are just the medium where the transformation takes place. Because the process consumes waste CO2 emissions, the resulting fuels can enable a low carbon transportation by supplanting their petroleum-derived counterparts. According to the words of Serge Tchuruk (President and CEO of Joule) in the press release, the company can deliver a truly carbon-neutral solution for the mobility sector.

Joule operates from Bedford (Massachusetts, USA) with production operations in Hobbs (New Mexico, USA). There, it has successfully pilot-tested its platform for over two years. Now, it is starting a staged industrialization of its patented process, including the near-term expansion of its production field in Hobbs. This will lead to the longer-term build-out of a 1,000-acre plant to begin in 2017. You can watch a brief video report (by Blomberg Bussines) about the facilities placed in New Mexico that I have attached below these lines.


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