Blue Marble Energy: “Green Dow Chemical” Dreams, Dow Jones Potential.
Blue Marble Energy realizes that we won’t realistically kick our petro habit until we develop sustainable replacement chemicals for society to build with. In response, they have developed a carbon-neutral process that converts biomass into renewable biochemicals and clean-burning natural gas. Their innovative AGATE technology leverages strains of bacteria to convert feedstock into esters, amides, anhydrous ammonia, and biogas.
Oil’s role in society extends far beyond the gas we put in our tanks. It also serves as the chemical foundation on which society is built. As Seattle-based Blue Marble Energy’s CEO Kelly Ogilvie puts it “oil is an important component of almost everything we eat, drink, manufacture, and wear.”
All in all, we rely on three million barrels of oil a day to produce the chemicals that create the material world. To put things in perspective, this accounts for 25% of global energy use. With grave climate danger looming on the horizon, it is critical that we overcome this oil addiction.
BME realizes that we won’t realistically kick our petro habit until we develop sustainable replacement chemicals for society to build with. In response, they have developed a carbon-neutral process that converts biomass into renewable biochemicals and clean-burning natural gas. Their innovative AGATE technology leverages strains of bacteria to convert feedstock into esters, amides, anhydrous ammonia, and biogas.
All of these chemical by-products have potential for commercial use. For example, esters can be made into flavorings and fragrances, as solvents and fuels, and as plastics and synthetic textiles such as polyester. BME is especially interested in applying their biochemicals towards food and fragrances.
This approach has tremendous potential for commercial use. Imagine the marketing tour-de-force spearmint gum going truly green would create.
Blue Marble is also excited about the potential “green” andhydrous ammonia has for agricultural use. Ammonia is a key ingredient in most fertilizers. If farmers replace traditional ammonia with its green counterpart, they can achieve the same productivity and still certify their food as organic. This obviously has significant marketing upside while reducing emissions.
The AGATE process is compatible with a diverse range of biomass feedstocks. BME recently announced that Redmond based Bionavitas will supply the company with algae for biochemical production. Kelly said that “there is no question that algae are a key component of the solution” to climate change when the partnership was made public in October 2009.
BME was recently awarded two million dollars, in a private/public partnership with the Odessa Public Development Authority (OPDA), by WA’s government to open its first commercial facility in Lincoln County, WA. The site is scheduled for completion by November 2010. The company projects that it will process 1,000 tons of organic biomass per month, producing 858 metric tons of biochemicals and 700 metric tons of green ammonia per annum.
The facility is expected to create 30-50 full time green collar jobs and 50-70 construction and consultation jobs. Blue Marble plans to use waste biomass from the region as feedstock, and to compost the residue onsite. Cradle-to-cradle design like this is as essential piece of climate salvation, and all signs indicate that Blue Marble is creating a blueprint for clean tech success as well.
