Innovations
Kuehnle AgroSystems’ staff at the Honolulu demonstration facility
EPA Awards Kuehnle for Innovative Algae Work
August 20, 2012
AlgaeIndustryMagazine.com
uehnle AgroSystems, a Honolulu, Hawaii-based company that develops algae for use in biofuels, is receiving a clean technology award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld has formally recognized Kuehnle AgroSystems for the company’s innovative work in producing algae for use in biofuels as part of the Pacific Southwest region’s environmental awards program.
“EPA is pleased to recognize Kuehnle AgroSystems for its innovative techniques that can turn a tank of algae into a tank of gas,” Blumenfeld said. “This clean-tech company’s work on renewable biofuels will help make Hawaii energy self-sufficient, and it protects the quality of our air, water and land.”
The EPA Pacific Southwest region’s Environmental Awards program acknowledges commitment and significant contributions to the environment in California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, Pacific Islands and tribal lands. Groups and individuals were selected from nominees received this year from businesses, local, government officials, tribes, media, environmental organizations and community activists.
Kuehnle AgroSystems, a Hawaii-based company, has built a system to continuously produce algae for biofuel. Their system pipes carbon dioxide and wastewater from an oil refinery into tanks that accelerate algae growth, and demonstrate emission reductions. In November 2011 their project, constructed at Chevron’s Hawaii oil refinery, successfully achieved the nation’s first connection of industrial CO2 from an oil refinery with a working algae production site.
In addition to demonstrating its technology, developed in partnership with Chevron, the company also has done significant work with the U.S. military to grow algae for biofuels. Kuehnle also works on overseas biofuels operations, aquaculture farms for shrimp and fish, and companies such as General Atomics, which operates a large algae production facility on the island of Kauai using algae sourced from Kuehnle.
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