Aquaflow Ahead of the Curve

A Blenheim-based company could hold the key to the world’s energy crisis, according to a recent Guardian article. Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation has patented a cleansing process known as bio-remediation that extracts biofuel from wild algae. “Wild algae is one of the ubiquitous units of nature,” says Aquaflow partner Nick Gerritsen. “If you leave a bucket of water outside, the water will turn green as it is settled by wild algae. We realised very early that we needed to create a model that took advantage of wild algae feedstocks.” Aquaflow describes its process as cheap, practical and accessible, and its end product as suitable for both domestic use and transport. The rest of the world is already catching on: Shell has announced a joint algae harvesting venture with HR Biopetroleum, the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative is seeking an algae-based biojet fuel, and an “algae summit” held in San Francisco last month drew more than 300 delegates.