Project Description

Located on 36 acres in Fort Myers, Algenol Biofuels’ advanced Pilot-Scale Integrated Biorefinery is the first center of its kind in Southwest Florida. A prototype facility for the production of sustainable biofuels and green chemicals, the biorefinery will produce approximately 100,000 gallons of fuel-grade ethanol annually when it reaches full capacity.
In addition to the biorefinery, the complex includes a 10,000-square-foot support building, a 4,200-square-foot greenhouse, a 10,000-square-foot water and ethanol processing pavilion and a saltwater well. This is the second facility that GCM has constructed for Algenol. A 40,000-square-foot biofuels research and development center opened on an adjacent site in 2010.
The new biorefinery represents the first large-scale launch of Algenol’s advanced Direct to Ethanol patented technology that produces ethanol directly from carbon dioxide, sunlight and saltwater using blue-green algae in patented photobioreactors (PBRs). With completion of the new biorefinery, Algenol expects to have the most advanced integrated biofuels research and development complex in the world.
Specifications
Project Scope:
Construction of a 36-acre advanced pilot-scale integrated biorefinery that uses patented technology to produce sustainable biofuels and green chemicals.
Major Features:
In addition to the biorefinery, the project includes a 10,000-square-foot support building, a 4,200-square-foot greenhouse, a 10,000-square-foot water and ethanol processing pavilion and a saltwater well.
Additional Features:
GCM also completed 40,000-square feet of research and development labs on the same site in 2010.