Algae oil developer OriginOil signs pact with U.S. DOE

Los Angeles-based OriginOil and the DOE's Idaho National Laboratory will work to validate the company's technology of growing algae for fuel in a "photobioreactor."

Idaho National Lab advisory scientist Thomas H. Ulrich said, "Our primary challenge is cost-effective and scalable industrial processes and our partnership with OriginOil will help us find solutions to this challenge in the promising area of algae-to-oil technology."

OriginOil was founded in 2007. Its bioreactor attempts to speed the growth of algae in a tank by blending light emitted from a rotating shaft with nutrients. The tank can be scaled to the size needed and if developed fully, can be manufactured by outside companies.

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall)