Joule Biotech squeezes liquid fuel out of sunlight

Joule Biotechnologies burst out of stealth today with a recipe for a new alternative fuel source — a recipe calling for greenhouse gases and sunlight. Dubbed “helioculture,” the process actually centers on microorganisms. It turns out that adding CO2 and sun causes its special photosynthetic creatures to secrete a chemical almost identical to ethanol — perfect for powering cars, the company says.
Based in Cambridge, Mass., Joule has plans to cultivate this reaction in large flat panels it calls SolarConverters. If all goes well, it will start construction on a manufacturing plant at the beginning of 2010. And it’s already looking ahead to a commercial-scale operation capable of producing 20,000 gallons of fuel per acre per year. That’s slated for 2011, the company says.

In scouting locations for these facilities, Joule says it is looking for sunny spots close to rich sources of greenhouse gases, including coal-fired power plants. It’s narrowed its focus to sites in Texas, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico, according to the New York Times.
Helioculture could represent a major breakthrough in the alternative fuels market. Not only is it inexpensive and scalable, according to the company, but it could help reduce waste in other areas, particularly water. The microorganisms the company has cultivated grow in salt water and waste water. The resulting fuel would also cost less than gasoline, at about $50 a barrel. That’s pretty good, considering that prices for oil were approaching $70 last week.
Joule’s announcement could have significant policy ramifications, as well. On the plus side, it could help the country meet its Renewable Fuel Standard, the measure requiring that 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels be mixed into the gasoline supply by 2022. So far, focus has been on cellulosic ethanol and algae-based operations to meet this expectation, but neither sector has been able to produce fuel on a viable commercial scale.
While the company has taken funding from Flagship Ventures — and has applied for a grant under the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research projects Agency-Energy program — it will probably still need an infusion to carry out its ambitious vision. The Climate Bill, currently pending approval in the Senate could give it the boost it needs. The legislation would cap greenhouse gas emissions at 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 percent by 2050. If Joule can prove its ability to effectively recycle these emissions, it could become very big very fast.