California-based science and technology company Aurora Algae has announced plans to open a new office in Perth and hopes to ramp up its operations in the state's north-west.
California-based science and technology company Aurora Algae has announced plans to open a new office in Perth and hopes to ramp up its operations in the state's north-west.
Aurora Algae produces high-performance, premium algae-based products for the pharmaceutical, nutrition, aquaculture and fuel markets.
The company has developed the industry's first commercial-scale photosynthetic platform for sustainable, algae-based product development.
The Australian managing director and Aurora Algae co-founder Matthew Caspari will run the new office and oversee the construction and operation of Aurora Algae's first commercial-scale facility in the north-west.
"As we searched for the ideal location of our first commercial production facility, we identified a number of key factors that were critical to delivering maximum value from our high-tech farming process," said Mr Caspari.
"The combination of a perfect climate and the right blend of resources -- including abundant seawater, industrial CO2 and skilled labour -- made Northwestern Australia an ideal location for our initial, high-yield commercial facility," he said.
"These elements combined with the outstanding support of the Australian government at all levels, makes Perth a perfect launching point for commercializing our technology."
Aurora Algae employs 13 people in Australia already and intends to more than double its staffing numbers by the end of the year.
See company statement below:
ALAMEDA, Calif. & PERTH, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aurora Algae, a producer of high-performance, premium algae-based products, today announced the company is expanding operations with the opening of a new regional headquarters in Perth, Australia. The new office, to be led by Australian Managing Director and Aurora Algae Co-Founder Matthew Caspari, will oversee the construction and operation of Aurora Algae's first commercial-scale facility in the Northwest region of the country.
The opening of the Perth office and ramp-up of commercial operations in Australia closely follows Aurora Algae's launch of the industry's first photosynthetic platform for the production of sustainable, premium products. In Q3, the company announced an expansion of their product portfolio to include renewable fuels, high concentration Omega-3 fatty acids, high-density proteins and fish feed. The company currently employs 13 people in Australia and intends to more than double that number by year's end.
"As we searched for the ideal location of our first commercial production facility, we identified a number of key factors that were critical to delivering maximum value from our high-tech farming process," said Matt Caspari. "The combination of a perfect climate and the right blend of resources -- including abundant seawater, industrial CO2 and skilled labor -- made Northwestern Australia an ideal location for our initial, high-yield commercial facility. These elements combined with the outstanding support of the Australian government at all levels, makes Perth a perfect launching point for commercializing our technology."
With algae widely recognized as the most productive source of biomass, Aurora Algae has optimized salt-water algae strains that thrive in open ponds, utilizing seawater rather than fresh water to conserve resources. Aurora Algae has also pioneered a unique, energy-efficient method for harvesting, using technology commonly used in the waste-water treatment industry rather than using a traditional centrifuge approach. These process improvements over traditional algae production, harvesting and extraction methods, combined with the company's ability to take excess carbon dioxide from third-party industrial plants, will result in premium, low-cost and carbon-neutral to carbon-negative products.
