Exxon Mobile and Viridos
Exxon Mobil and Viridos invest heavily in their joint biofuels research program on the production of oil rich algeal biomass — requiring salt water, sunlight and atmospheric CO2. The energy dense oils can be converted into 3rd generation biodiesel and SAF. In 2018, a Viridos outdoor pilot facility was established in the Imperial Desert, California, supported by Exxon Mobil. It serves strain development and process optimisation for pending large-scale deployment. By 2025, a production volume of 10,000 barrels of algae biofuels per day is supposed to be achieved.