Algae’s great virtues of higher oil yield, rapid growth rate and less land requirement elevated its status as promising source for biofuel. Energy and industrial giants Shell, Chevron, Boeing and Honeywell have poured in money to start-up algae business units. Its other traits include low volume of freshwater required, it flourishes in saltwater and even wastewater; it contains no sulfur, is non-toxic and highly biodegradable. CMT brings you this comprehensive workshop to give you a head start in algae venture.

Workshop Leader:
Prof. Ami Ben-Amotz has extensive research and industry experience on algae.  He is the Founder of Seambiotic Ltd., a start up company aiming to grow algae on wastes of electric power plants, flue gas and turbine cooling water. In collaboration with Israeli Electric Co., Seambiotic established a pilot plant for algal production ponds of 1,000m2 area in close vicinity to the power plant. Cultivation for the last 36 months showed a few algal species contain high carbohydrates and lipids, efficient for bio-diesel and bio-ethanol production.

He is Emeritus Professor of Marine Phycology at the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) in Israel.  After his post doctorate studies at Brandeis University, USA, on H2 production by algae he returned to Israel and initiated research academic activity at the NIO and at the Weitzman Institute of Science to study Dunaliella.  The fruitful cooperation led the way to establishment of the commercial Dunaliella production plant in Eilat, known today as Nature Beta Technologies (NBT) Ltd., a subsidiary of Nikken Sohonsha Co., Japan. He is currently the Chief Scientist of both NBT Ltd., and of Nikken Sohonsha Co. NBT grows beta-carotene rich algae Dunaliella by the Red Sea and exports dry algae powder to Japan. The beta-carotene Dunaliella powder has been marketed in mass quantity to Asia since 1990 with high market demand and economical potential.