Hi there to all,

I have a consulting firm in Bogota, Colombia and am studying the possibility
of cultivating (closed/photobioreactors, not open ponds) micro-algae for biomass
& biodiesel and have been reading all the info I can find online and am skeptical.

Just about everything I read indicates that commecial production is still 2-3 years away,

but I have encountered and seen the Dutch company BioKing's page: www.bioking.nl / www.algaefuels.org & www.algaelink.com (all the same company)
Which claim to be selling 1-100 ton per day photobioreactors

 Naturally, I wanted to know what other people know and think about this.

 And perhaps help me answer this question? Is commercial production/cultivation for biodiesel near?

 THANK YOU SO MUCH for your assistance!!!

A

A,

Many people believe it is possible.  There have been some minor demonstrations.  No one has produced large quantities in an independently verified production run.  Aquaflow did have a bureaucrat drive a car fueled with B5 from algae.

Many of us here are committed to the open sourvce idea.  We will be glad to pass on what we learn.  Please let us know what your results are.

Algalink (also called Bioking) has a lab scale bioreactor for sale.  They have built a prototype in Portugal.  It looks like thay are building a different prototype in the Netherlands.  I assume the large scale units they advertise are vaporware. 

A,

Welcome to the forum.

Algae units currently available, such as Algaelink and Firefox, are priced to reflect the market availablity of bioreactors - nobody else is selling them so lets rip off anyone wanting to buy one. Many other companies are just simply scams, so be cautious.

As Liberty says, nobody has published supportable meaningfull results in sustainable commercial quantities as yet.

You will either have to build your own designed PBR as I, and several others on this forum, are doing, or wait patiently until those of us working in the field can publish supported results.

In the interim I encourage you to get on the web and search - biodiesel, biofuels, algae, oilgae and many many many more sites that have kept me busy and entertained for hours and hours over the last year. Fascinating stuff.

Hey Slippery and Bobby,

 Many thanks for posting... and sorry about the delay replying.

 I´ve been in the process of speaking with Bioking, and although they take a while
to reply sometimes, they´ve been pretty helpful with information.

 The biggest problem i´ve found so far (besides their prices) is the quantity of
nutrients that are required, such as 2.8 tons of Co2 per day for the 10 ton per day PBR...

I´ll keep you guys posted with updates or novelties, and I hope you guys do the same

Thanks and take care

 A

A,

Did you feel that Algaelink"s claims were legitimate. They are very proud! $98,000.00 to test?

Thanks,

DC

Just found a good link with some info on Algaelink http://algaelink-bioking-scam.blogspot.com/

Some interesting stuff!

Well, I should have read this forum earlier.  I am flying from California to Algaelink in Neatherland next week.  Thanks for the update, I will be more sceptical on their information.  I will give an update on what I see.

 Hi DocZee!

 We have bought one pilot plant from AlgaeLink, but we haven´t received yet... I´m not sure if we trust in Algaelink or not, but when we receive and start use their system (if we receive...) I´ll tell the results.

  When you have any news about algaelink, please let us know.

Yes please let us all know when you do get it. I have investors wanting to buy in at there 100 ton a day system

Thank you

Algae link claim on their website that they are building 10 algae farms in spain,that produce 2 ton algae/day each,and the first one must be in production at the end of 2008.We are 2 days away from November,and as far as my calculations go that is very close to the end of 2008.Maybe they can give us a update on their progress......OR ANYONE ELSE.....untill then hang on to your money

Well....I am sitting here in Europe waiting to see spain.....  I saw neatherland but they have some excuse that I can't see spain.

Algae Link Update:

Spoke with Helen currently they have been producing 1.4 Kg/m3 (Unverified according to Helen) per day in Netherland (In a temperature and light controlled green house.  That is also growing tomatoes.  In Spain the open system is producing about 1.2Kg/m3 to 1.4KG/m3.  This translate to about 1 Ton per Hector(according to Helen).  Which is significantly lower than the original algaelink website of 0.8 Tons per acre. 

There are 5 referenceable customer that is up 3 in Australia 1 in China and 1 in India.  However I would love for one of them to Call me. 

Their new investor in Algae link is Hank Carlson www.rig.nl

Right now they make the feeder, the controller, software, project design and installation.  The rest they sub out.

Helen Parker is a very friendly Australian living in Holland she seem pretty reasonable at this point.  Unlike the original salesman Jan Jap that contradicted himself 3 times.  Although some information was withheld especially dealing with the KLM project.  

DocZee,

 Thank you for the update about AlgaeLink. Last time I talked with Helen she told me about this new investor (Actually his name was Hank Keilman... Are they the same person ?!?! Hope yes...) I also asked her about bioking (I will send you the ansewr that she sent me), but I never heard about this others customers, just one from Australia, but I never call him, I don't even know who is he. I'm still waiting the equipament they promissed me, but despite of the delay, Helen hasn't received the actual shipping dates. Anyway when I have any news i'll let you know.

Hey jmm and DocZee.

Im curious what exactly this group is offering you that you cannot pick up with a bit of due diligence and some knowhow? I mean this question in all honesty. What is it about these guys that made you pull the trigger that other opportunities didnt?

Hi Froggy,

 As I already told in other posts, I'm not sure that we can trust in AlgaeLink. As I was hires after the company that i'm working now has already bought the pilot plant from algaelink, so i wasn't able to say anything... And that's also the reason that I'm telling here that should be a good idea to wait the results that I'll heve using the Algaelink's system before thinking about buying one of their products. I'm not telling that you have to wait, but I just don't think they're trustful enough to put my money in their system, but as the manager here has already done it, so I should at least try to use it.

 And now, Talking about the PBR they are selling, It doesn't seem to be a good idea use it to grow algae that would be use to produce Biodiesel... in my opinio'n wouldn't be economical... But if you want use it to grow algae to extract any other product, maybe it would be a good idea.

 So, what I'm trying to say is: If you want to wait a liitle before buying their system, be sure that when i have some results i'll tell here if the system is good or not. I'm also open to work together with you sharing informations, if this help us to get somewhere faster. By now, the only thing i can say about Algaelink is that they don't know when the system i bought will be ready (but they are really late, cause i think they said that it would be ready in 8 weeks, but it's already 5 months and until now...).  

I have been going mad wanting to tell you more... but remember this..

Neither Helen or Jan Jaap will never give you any FACTS.. everything is unverified 1.4Kg/m3 is such bullcrud - so they can't even get their own test plant to make a verified amount a day?!!?!

In reality it is in the region of 200 to 300 grams a day from 1 m3 that is the FACT - now if they tell you that - all goes south and you walk away - this is the crux of it!

(just like http://algaelink-bioking-scam.blogspot.com/ explains)

Don't forget that even if you listen to the crud they spew its still a case of - does the sun shine 24/7? - if not you had better buy 1 hectar's worth of light bulbs squared and pay the electricity bill.

Also don't forget about the amount of CO2 required - thats also a lie.. its more than they quote! Then its a case of you have to pay to get rid of the algae cake - coz nobody needs that much.

I challenge you to get contact details from Helen for those imaginary references! I tried - they don't exist - the china one was suppose to be a 500 ton plant - whatever! it does not exists!

However I did find some guy in India who told me he was trying to sell their stuff but he was pulling out because of all the lies.

KLM does in fact have a test project (verified) with them but its a tiny weeny test plant and its not producing results as they expected. Its not quite like what they explain on the website!

Also are the Australian references relatives of Helen in Austrailia? (didn't bother to go that far)

Almost a year later - hands up who has received there test plants in working order ??

So DOCZEE keep us informed of your progress.. I am all ears! : )

Is there anything you want to know?

Dear jmm

We have ordered an ordinary plant from Bioking.  More or less the same story as you give above.  If you have paid money into any Bioking Account please be sure that you have just lost your money.  Please contact us if so.  We need another complainant to take our case further. 

Dear Annelie,

 As I was hired after the equipament from algaelink has already been bought, so i can´t help you right now about the details of the negociation. As i can see i´m not the only who don´t believe in Algelink, so I think it would be a good idea if we still posting here any information about Algaelink. Yesterday I received a letter from Helen, she told me that the system we bought will be ready in 4 weeks. lets see what´s going to happen.

Bioking is broke, Algaelink is in the hands of new owners Henk Keilman and Peter van den Dorpel.

Annelie i'm sorry to hear that you have ordered an ordinary plant, but be happy that you don't have it because i've heard about exploding reactor tanks and flying mixers.

I can remember an explosion in s-Gravenpolder where  an employee of Splitsolutions( a supplier of centrifuges) almost  got killed/hurt by a Flying mixer and that's quitte a big one!

Try to look for some good stories about bioking products, they are hard to find!

If you recieve your skid check if all the sensors are Atex certified because they shipped non Atex skids to customers while their expecting Atex equipement.

I've worked at Bioking for more than a year and it's one big Piramide game/Scam that's a shame because if they would they could have a repectable company.

But that does'n work if you want everything imediatly, big houses,expensive cars i'm talking about millions of euro's spend on private needs.

In the time i've worked there there where only complaints about delivery and about braking parts, first you have the problem that you won't get your skid,and when you finnaly recieve it, it will not work or there are parts missing.

The same story you can stick on algaelink because it was already bankrupt, but there is an investor with a thick steel plate in front of his head, so the story goes on!

If i was you i would ask my money back from Algaelink because they have a special arrangement for costumes who want their money back.

Ask the curator (mr Platteeuw) van www.mpadvocaten.nl regarding this special arrangement !

Don't bother to visit them because they will hide for you, they will park their car behind the building, and hide in a small corner,as i saw with my own eyes.

If i remeber it well it wasa very big  client who paid everthing but recieved nothing and i'm talking about a nine containers plant  called Kamix ,  the guy from Kamix was gone and Peter van den Dorpel gave clear passage to a former CEO M van de Ven who was hiding

That's the way they do business and the get away with it, that's the strange thing !

http://algaelink-bioking-scam.blogspot.com/

http://biofuelsdigest.com/blog2/2008/10/08/algae-link/

http://biodieselfever.com/?p=4

http://biodieselfever.com/?p=72

http://www.biodieselnow.com/forums/p/18527/158650.aspx

http://www.opgewekt.nu/?p=517

http://cleantech.com/news/node/1073

Dear Jmm

That was exactly the story, 4 weeks, then another 3 weeks etc.  At the end of the day one of the partners went to the Netherlands from SA again.  Bioking showed him the plant etc, with our name on.  Few weeks after that the shipment was "ready", then we paid in our last amount.  On instruction from Bioking paid last money into a different account number.  The end of the story is that our plant is standing there, under administration of the curator -because he can only administer the original account.  Please make sure that they do not catch you in the same way.  The Parker lady was also the woman we dealt with.  We are still trying to get the plant by following criminal procedures and civil procedures.  But at the end of the day it takes time, but we will pursue the issue.  Please stay in contact.

Ruud

Thank you so much for the name, will try to get hold of them.  The problem is that Bioking is a BV with holder company and then other underneath.  Algaelink stand alone, but are they also bankrupt?  We did try the curator route, the problem is half of our money is paid into another account not under his administration.  It is a very complex story, believe me we have tried many ways already.  We will not give up, the problem is that as you say it will just carry on until the government or law stop them.