PetroSun's algae-to-biofuels plant to commence operations

PetroSun's initial commercial algae-to-biofuels farm is scheduled to commence operations on April 1, 2008, the company announced last week. The farm, an 1,100 acre salt water open pond system, is located on the Texas Gulf Coast near Harlingen, Texas.

The site currently has 94 five-acre and 63 ten-acre ponds on the 1,831 acres contained within the algae farm operation. The company will extract the algal oil on-site and transport the raw product via barge, rail or truck to company owned or joint ventured biodiesel refineries. The residual algae biomass will be converted into ethanol or other products.

PetroSun says it will conduct algae-to-jet fuel and algae-to-bioplastics research and development projects supported by a supply of algal oil produced from this operation.