Algal Biomass Organization Applauds U.S. Navy's Algae Biofuels Purchase

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Dec 6, 2011) - Today, Mary Rosenthal, Executive Director of the Algal Biomass Organization (ABO), the trade association for the U.S. algae industry, released the following statement regarding the U.S. Navy's plans to purchase 450,000 gallons of drop-in biofuels, with 100,000 of those made from algal oils produced by ABO member Solazyme, Inc.

"On behalf of the U.S. algae industry, I want to recognize both the U.S. Navy and the Department of Agriculture for their continued support for domestic biofuels derived from algae. The purchase announced yesterday represents another milestone in our industry's progress in creating domestically produced, drop-in renewable biofuels.

"This purchase, as part of the Navy's effort to build a 'Great Green Fleet,' is also an important vote of confidence for an industry that is developing drop-in biofuels at a national scale to supply our military with a more secure source of fuel, create jobs across the country, and provide consumers with an alternative to imported oil.

"The algae industry is proud to be playing a role in the development of strategically important and scalable supplies of domestic fuels that don't compete with food production and have a minimized carbon footprint. As an industry we are well positioned to meet those challenges, and provide jobs and economic development across the country as we do it. We look forward to working with the U.S. Navy and Department of Agriculture as they continue to push for the commercial development of advanced biofuels derived from algae."

About ABO
The Algal Biomass Organization (ABO) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the development of viable commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae. Its membership is comprised of people, companies and organizations across the value chain. More information about ABO, including its leadership, membership, costs, benefits and members and their affiliations, is available at the website: www.algalbiomass.org.