Iowa-based Renewable Energy Group has announced it has the technology to produce biodiesel from algae on a commercial scale.

This article from Biodiesel Magazine says while the biodiesel maker isn’t producing algae itself, it is providing the crucial elusive step for some companies that are producing the slimy feedstock:

REG has adapted it multi-feedstock technology to refine oil from a variety of algae strains and produce biodiesel exceeding ASTM standards. The results indicate the process can be commercialized when sufficient quantities of algae oil become available. At this time, REG is working with algae companies to develop their process. “We have worked with a variety of algae companies that we think will become producers,” said Daniel Oh, chief operating officer of REG. “We can work with algae companies who are trying to define what they are trying to do from a strain selection perspective to the smartest way to scale up to a commercial scale.”

REG officials believe companies will be able to provide them with algae oil on a commercial scale in the next three to five years.