Reviewer Comments - EERE

2011 Algae Platform Review – Reviewer Comments
Reviewer Comments are direct transcripts of commentary and material provided by the Platform’s
Review Panel. They have not been edited or altered by the Biomass Program.
4. Critical Success Factors
Please evaluate the degree to which:
The project has identified critical factors, (including technical, business, market, regulatory, and legal
factors) that impact the potential technical and commercial success of the project
The project has presented adequate plans to recognize, address, and overcome these factors
The project has the opportunity to advance the state of technology and impact the viability of commercial
algal biomass feedstock supply and conversion, through one or more of the following:
i. Cross-Cutting Analysis (ex. economic analysis, sustainability analysis, resource assessments, risk
assessments)
ii. Feedstock Supply R&D (ex. biology, cultivation, resource use, biomass characteristics,
harvesting/dewatering)
iii. Downstream Refining R&D (ex. extraction, conversion, fuel, products, fuel/product infrastructure and
end-use)
iv. Environmental sustainability (example: water use, GMOs, energy consumption)
Reviewer Comments
Reviewer: 1 Criteria Score: 6
These CSFs have been stated in the presentation. They also are tied to each thrust.
Reviewer: 2 Criteria Score: 6
Genomics' concentration must be demonstrated to be worthwhile at intensity developed.
Disease/competitor problems must be overcome; stochastic events that cause crashes must be modelled
realistically and costed.
Probiotic bacterial angle likely to be significant.
The most important thing now is to show cost-effective production of algal lipids to methane to
bioproducts. Scale concerns must be met.
Reviewer: 3 Criteria Score: 8
The project has systematically identified all possible factors and barriers that need be addressed for a
successful outcome.
Reviewer: 4 Criteria Score: 4
See Overall Impression text.
Reviewer: 5 Criteria Score: 5
Unfortunately, there was not enough detail for evaluation.
Reviewer: 6 Criteria Score: 5
Please evaluate the degree to which: The project has identified critical factors, (including technical,
business, market, regulatory, and legal factors) that impact the potential technical and commercial success
of the project Other than slide 2, not much in this area. The project has presented adequate plans to
recognize, address, and overcome these factors. This was a weakness to the presentation as little
discussion or mechanism by which this would be approached was presented. The project has the
opportunity to advance the state of technology and impact the viability of commercial algal biomass
feedstock supply and conversion, through one or more of the following: i. Cross-Cutting Analysis (ex.
economic analysis, sustainability analysis, resource assessments, risk assessments)
ii. Feedstock Supply R&D (ex. biology, cultivation, resource use, biomass characteristics,
harvesting/dewatering)
iii. Downstream Refining R&D (ex. extraction, conversion, fuel, products, fuel/product infrastructure and
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