High-tech Biofuels companies nominated as Technology Pioneers 2008

World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum has selected 39 visionary companies as “Technology Pioneers 2008”. For the first time, two biofuel companies werde among the laureates: California-based Primafuel and the Renewable Petroleum Company LS9. Other companies include To be selected as a Technology Pioneer, a company must be involved in the development of life-changing technology innovation and have the potential for long-term impact on business and society. In addition, it must demonstrate visionary leadership, show all the signs of being a long-standing market leader – and its technology must be proven.

The Technology Pioneers 2008 were nominated by the world’s leading technology experts, including venture capitalists, technology companies, academics and media. The final selection from 273 nominees was made by a panel of leading technology experts appointed by the World Economic Forum.

“This year the World Economic Forum received a record number of applications from companies around the world to become a Technology Pioneer. From a highly competitive field, we are extremely pleased to have a community that is using innovation and technology to dramatically affect the way society and business operate and doing so in a markedly collaborative manner. We are excited to welcome the Technology Pioneers Class of 2008 to the larger community of the World Economic Forum and we are looking forward to the fruits that their collaboration will bring,” said Peter Torreele, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum. The Technology Pioneers programme is run by the World Economic Forum with guidance from Accel Partners, BT and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

Primafuel: “Perspective of the entire fuel supply-chain”
Primafuel was named a 2008 Technology Pioneer for its innovative approach to biofuels production and distribution infrastructure. Primafuel was founded upon a unique business objective: the pursuit of zero-carbon fuels. To that end, the company is developing innovative technologies and large-scale infrastructure projects to meet the changing needs of the energy industry. Primafuel is active in globally strategic markets in the US, Europe and Asia.

The World Economic Forum recognized Primafuel’s next-generation biofuels technologies, including aquaculture feedstock and appropriate-scale processing equipment. One of Primafuel’s immediate goals is to improve the economic and environmental performance of today’s biofuels. The company’s patent-pending technology platforms enable a quicker transition to multi-product bio-refineries.

“What makes Primafuel different is our perspective of the entire fuel supply-chain,” says Primafuel CEO Richard Woods. “We’ve developed a portfolio of solutions to improve the sustainability of today’s ethanol and biodiesel industries, while at the same time innovating revolutionary feedstock technologies and next generation processing equipment.”

Specific Primafuel innovations include waste-recycling techniques, scalable and modular refineries, carbon-monitoring smart infrastructure and the production and processing of next-generation feedstocks. Primafuel is a privately-held corporation with technology development facilities in California and Europe, financial headquarters in New York and business development offices in Asia.

LS9: Hydrocarbon fuels made from diverse renewable feedstocks
LS9 is a pioneer in the commercial development of hydrocarbon fuels made from diverse renewable feedstocks. These DesignerBiofuelsTM products are designed to closely resemble petroleum fuels and to fit into existing distribution and consumer infrastructure, but are specially engineered to be clean, renewable, domestically produced and cost competitive with crude oil. While the company’s initial focus is on producing these biofuels through industrial applications of synthetic biology, LS9 will also develop sustainable industrial biochemicals for specialty applications. LS9 products have been proven in the lab and are now in the midst of rapid commercialization, with a pilot facility next year leading to market availability in the next three or four years.

“Our Renewable PetroleumTM technology can dramatically change global carbon flow, empower an agriculturally based fuel economy, decrease the political tensions posed by scarce fossil reserves, and accelerate the widespread adoption of renewable transportation fuels,” said company president, Robert Walsh. “We are honoured to have our game-changing technology recognized by such a distinguished, worldwide body of scientists and technology leaders.”

Further Information

(Cf. news of 2007-08-24 and 2006-04-13.)

Source

Press releases: Primafuel, 2007-12-03, World Economic Forum and LS9, 2007-11-29.

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