Viridos executes agreement with ExxonMobil to help scale algae biofuels
Viridos Inc., previously Synthetic Genomics, a privately held biotechnology company harnessing the power of photosynthesis to create transformative solutions to help mitigate climate change, has signed a joint agreement with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (“ExxonMobil”) with the intent to bring Viridos’ low-carbon intensity biofuels toward commercial levels.
“We’re excited to announce that ExxonMobil is continuing this collaboration with us to bring sustainable algae biofuels technology closer to commercial deployment,” said Viridos’ CEO, Dr. Oliver Fetzer. “The recent productivity advances in Viridos’ technology are an opportunity to turn CO2 into renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuels, providing an essential component for the decarbonization of the heavy-duty transportation industry. In this next phase of the program, we intend to broaden participation and invite others to build the ecosystem required for full-scale deployment.”
Viridos’ continued partnership with ExxonMobil seeks to build out the technology and agronomy to enable the commercial launch of Viridos’ low-carbon intensity algae biofuels. In addition to their use in heavy transport, the algae biofuels could be used for aviation, commercial trucking, and maritime shipping. The terms of the renewed partnership with ExxonMobil should enable other interested parties to access and advance the technology to accelerate the deployment of Viridos’ patented technology in pursuit of lowering global GHG emissions.
“Our research with Viridos is one facet of our approach to help society identify and deploy the biofuels needed to reduce emissions from important sectors of the economy, including heavy duty transportation,” said Vijay Swarup, vice president of Research and Development at ExxonMobil. “ExxonMobil has supported Viridos in the development of advanced bioengineering tools, and we look forward to further advancements in the research that shows potential to help society mitigate the risks of climate change.”
Comments