Investments in Joint Ventures and Related Party Transactions - Additional Information (Detail)	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			0 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended				1 Months Ended					1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		30 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		1 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2014 USD ($)	May 31, 2011 T	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($) T	Sep. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Jun. 20, 2012 Solazyme Bunge JV USD ($)	Apr. 02, 2012 Solazyme Bunge JV USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2012 Solazyme Bunge JV T	May 31, 2011 Solazyme Bunge JV	Sep. 30, 2014 Solazyme Bunge JV USD ($) l	Sep. 30, 2013 Solazyme Bunge JV USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Solazyme Bunge JV USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Solazyme Bunge JV USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Solazyme Bunge JV USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013 Solazyme Bunge JV Brazilian Development Bank USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013 Solazyme Bunge JV Brazilian Development Bank BRL	Feb. 28, 2013 Solazyme Bunge JV Bank guarantees Brazilian Development Bank	Feb. 28, 2013 Solazyme Bunge JV Corporate Guarantee Brazilian Development Bank	Nov. 30, 2012 Solazyme Bunge JV Brazil T	Jan. 02, 2013 Maximum USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum USD ($)	Nov. 03, 2010 Parent Company Solazyme Roquette Joint Venture	Apr. 02, 2012 Parent Company Solazyme Bunge JV	Jul. 31, 2014 Bunge Global Innovation LLC Solazyme Bunge JV USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Bunge Global Innovation LLC Solazyme Bunge JV USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 Bunge Global Innovation LLC Solazyme Bunge JV USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Bunge Global Innovation LLC Solazyme Bunge JV USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 Bunge Global Innovation LLC Solazyme Bunge JV USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 Warrants Solazyme Bunge JV	Sep. 30, 2013 Joint Venture Dissolution Solazyme Roquette Joint Venture	Jun. 30, 2013 Joint Venture Dissolution Solazyme Roquette Joint Venture	Sep. 30, 2013 Unrecoverable Receivables [Member] Solazyme Roquette Joint Venture USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2013 Unrecoverable Capital Contribution [Member] Solazyme Roquette Joint Venture USD ($)	May 31, 2011 Entered joint venture agreement Solazyme Bunge JV	May 31, 2011 Commencement of construction of the plant Solazyme Bunge JV	May 31, 2011 Oil production goal Solazyme Bunge JV
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Annual production capacity					100,000					100,000											300,000
Fermenters production facility												625,000
Percentage of ownership interest owned									49.90%															50.00%	50.10%
Capital contribution committed amount																						$ 36,300,000	$ 36,300,000
Amount of capital contributed to joint venture					30,550,000	7,431,000																				1,000,000	37,000,000	12,300,000	10,000,000	59,300,000
Payment Of Capital Contribution	6,500,000				6,500,000	0
Decrease in receivable	(6,500,000)
Loss from equity method investments			7,201,000	2,360,000	15,313,000	5,541,000						7,200,000	2,300,000	15,700,000	4,100,000
Company granted Bunge Limited a warrant											1,000,000
Exercise price of the warrant											13.50
Percentage of warrants vested in joint venture agreement																																				25.00%	50.00%	25.00%
Triglyceride oil at the plant reaches		1,000
Warrants expiration date											2021-05-01
Investment in Solazyme Bunge JV									10,400,000
Adjustments to additional paid in capital for vested warrants issued								4,600,000	2,700,000
Warrant liability for the unvested warrant shares			0		0		688,000		7,700,000
Fair value assumptions of the warrant liability, volatility rate																50.00%
Fair value assumptions of the warrant liability, risk-free interest rate																2.45%
Fair value assumptions of the warrant liability, exercise price																$ 13.50
Fair value assumptions of the warrant liability, expected life																7 years 4 months 2 days
Net unrealized gain (loss) related to fair value of the warrant liability			0	(200,000)	(688,000)	425,000						0	(200,000)	(688,000)	400,000
Warrant shares vested, shares																															750,000
Approval for project financing received in the form of loan																	100,800,000	245,700,000
Percentage of loan amount available guaranteed																			14.39%	35.71%
Term of the loan																	8 years	8 years
Average interest rate on loan																	4.00%	4.00%
Joint venture dissolution date																																Jul. 18, 2013	Jul. 18, 2013
Loss from equity method investments					15,677,000	5,541,000																												(700,000)	(700,000)
Company recognized revenue related to research and development arrangements												3,300,000	3,400,000	10,200,000	5,100,000
Revenues												1,300,000	0	2,700,000	0
Receivables from Related Party												4,100,000		4,100,000		6,900,000
Unbilled revenue												$ 5,287,000		$ 5,287,000		$ 1,100,000