Larry Dressler discovered the enormous energy-creating power of algae four years ago, and he quickly fell in love.
The Cranston native started in the biofuels industry at age 10, when his father put him to work at the family’s vegetable oil refinery, Colfax Inc., in Pawtucket. Derived from spent fryer oil after cooking French fries or chicken fingers, vegetable biodiesel can fuel diesel-powered vehicles and home heating systems.
“My background was in vegetable oil and biofuels from the start,” said Dressler, who started Tomorrow BioFuels LLC in Cranston in 2007.
So when Dressler went to develop his new business, he began searching for a fuel source that was efficient, environmentally friendly and easily converted into biofuel. He considered agricultural products like corn and soybeans but was not satisfied.
“I quickly realized there was more of a need for outside feed stock that wasn’t affected by as many outside variables,” said Dressler.
The market price of agricultural products like soy or corn fluctuates greatly, depending on uncontrollable factors like international supply, trade agreements and weather patterns.
“There are so many variables that affect the price of soy beans,” he said. “I didn’t want to get into that.”
Algae, on the other hand, are isolated from those outside variables, because they are grown in-house.
“It provides a high oil yield. It doesn’t need farmland. The water is reusable, and you get a crop in 24 hours,” said Dressler.
At the end of August, Dressler and his partner, Tomorrow BioFuels Executive Vice President Alexander Chirkov, broke ground on a 5,200-square-foot greenhouse, where they will grow the first crop of algae for a pilot power plant on a 32,000-square-foot property in Cranston. There, the two green-energy enthusiasts plan to show Rhode Island they can generate biofuel and biomass in a process that is actually carbon-negative.
Tomorrow BioFuels’ business is based on a cyclical model. First, the company captures environmentally harmful carbon dioxide emissions from power-generating companies in the area. Then, algae are fed the concentrated carbon dioxide and recycled water. Once the algae grow, they can be separated into oil to make biofuel and vitamin-rich vegetation for biomass and organic fertilizer. Finally, the biofuel and biomass are sold as biodiesel or converted back to energy and sold to the grid as green power.
Dressler said he expects his pilot plant to be operational by the end of 2010. He would ideally like to begin building a 1-to-5 megawatt commercial facility in 2011. The larger factory would employ an estimated 25 to 40 employees within three years. First, he needs to generate interest from future clients and investors, but Dressler does not seem overly concerned.
“Everywhere I go I’ve sparked a lot of interest,” he said. “Everyone asks, ‘When are you going to be ready?’ I think that’s a good sign.”
The concept of converting algae into biofuel – sometimes referred to as algaeoleum – is not new. The U.S. Department of Energy began investing in algal-fuel research in the late 1970s. Expectations have been high about the tiny green vegetation ever since. Dressler said it is estimated that one acre of soy beans can generate 50 gallons of biofuel, while the same acre of algae can produce 4,000 gallons. The actual figures are still yet to be determined, although the Energy Department estimates that algae creates 30 times more energy than soybeans.
“It’s just [dramatic] what it can do,” said Dressler. “It’s really game-changing.”
The constant challenge with converting algae into biofuel revolves around keeping energy consumption down. Some systems require an estimated 50 percent of the power that they produce. Algae needs water and carbon dioxide to grow, but the process of providing that can take tremendous amounts of energy.
The secret to Tomorrow BioFuels is in their own, patented technology called FALCON, or Feed, Algae, CO2, Nutrients (Dressler credits his 14-year-old son for making up the acronym two years ago.) FALCON is a chemically inactive, nontoxic and nonwater-soluble substance that acts like a “liquid sponge.” When placed inside the scrubber of a power plant’s chimney, it can absorb harmful carbon dioxide emissions. Once captured, the carbon dioxide-rich FALCON is transported back to Tomorrow BioFuels’ plant in a standard tank wagon and mixed with the algae.
Dressler said his FALCON technology is significantly more energy-efficient at capturing carbon dioxide emissions than trying to compress the gas and containing it in pressurized tanks, an idea tried in the past by others. Plus, power plants that work with Tomorrow BioFuels can reduce their emission percentages, a large incentive for joining forces.
“We have a symbiotic relationship,” said Dressler. “It’s been exciting to put my hands around this whole business model. There are so many pieces, and at first, I didn’t know how to fit it all in.”
Tomorrow BioFuels is already in discussion with two universities in the region that will take excess algae vegetation, or biomass, and use it as organic animal fertilizer.
“There are a lot of nutriceutical and pharmaceutical benefits to the biomass,” said Dressler. “Or, it could simply be burned for more electricity.”
Dressler is also testing his product to be used as feed at fish farms and other aquaculture systems in the area. Beneficial omega-3 found in some fish is also in algae and could be used as a health supplement.
“We could process our algae and take out the omega-3,” said Dressler. “It’s like a wonder product.”
A businessman, Dressler said every company strives to achieve a “triple bottom line” in creating economic, lasting social and environmental benefits.
“We’ve definitely done that,” he said. “And it’s great.” •
