Maintaining the Thai DSM Initiative During Electric Industry Privatization

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International Network on Biofixation of CO2
and Greenhouse Gas Abatement with
Microalgae

EPRI
Rio Tinto
Arizona Public Services
ExxonMobil
Gas Technology Institute
ENEL Produzione Ricerca
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AN R D ROADMAP FOR MICROALGAE BIOFIXATION

• Background
• Microalgae, by nature, require sunlight for
  cultivation
• Only a few species currently being mass
  cultured in outdoor ponds
• High-value food supplements/specialty animal
  feeds main products
• Microalgae ponds used in wastewater treatment
  (but not unialgal)
• Microalgae proposed for greenhouse gas
  abatement
• Both open ponds and closed photobioreactors
  being proposed
• Major RD programs in US (1980 -1995) and Japan
  (1990 -2000)
• International Network on Biofixation of CO2 and
  Greenhouse gas Abatement with Microalgae
  started operation in June 2002.

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AN R D ROADMAP FOR MICROALGAE BIOFIXATION

• Background
• Microalgae, by nature, require sunlight for
  cultivation
• Only a few species currently being mass
  cultured in outdoor ponds
• High-value food supplements/specialty animal
  feeds main products
• Microalgae ponds used in wastewater treatment
  (but not unialgal)
• Microalgae proposed for greenhouse gas
  abatement
• For larger volume products major RD advances are
  required
• Maintain specific algal strains against
  invaders and grazers
• Achieve high productivities of biomass and
  higher value products
• Develop low-cost and reliable harvesting
  technologies
• Must process the biomass for multiple products
  / services.

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• RD PROCESSES AND PRODUCTS

PROCESSES
PRODUCTS
CO2 INPUTS

• APPLICATIONS
• for mitigating GHGs /
• replacing fossil fuels
• Stand-alone Systems
• Waste treatment
• Co-products

• RENEWABLE FUELS AND
• GHG MITIATION
• Biofuels (CH4, ethanol,
• biodiesel, H2, etc.)
• Fertilizers, biopolymers
• Clean water

• CONCENTRATED
• CO2 SOURCES
• Power Plants
• Industries
• Others

• ENGINEERING/ COST
• ASSESSMENTS
• Engineering Designs
• Cost Estimates
• GHG Accounting
• Markets and Products

• ALGAL STRAINS
• Genetics
• Metabolism
• Physiology
• Ecology

• MICROALGAE MASS
• CULTURE SYSTEMS
• Open Ponds
• Photobioreactors
• Harvesting/
• Processing

SCIENCE
TECHNOLOGIES ANALYSIS
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R D TARGETS FOR THE NETWORK

• Isolate/select algal strains useful for mass
  culture
• Manage ponds for algal species and culture
  stability
• Maximize overall algal biomass productivity
• Maximize C-storage products and co-products
• Demonstrate large-scale, low cost algal
  cultivation
• Develop low cost harvesting technologies
• Processing for biofuels and higher value
  co-products.
• Demonstrate waste treatment - nutrient recovery

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MICROALGAE BIOFIXATION PATHWAYS

• . Municipal wastewater treatment with CO2
  utilization reduce energy use, biofuels, recycle
  nutrients, etc.
• Agricultural / aquacultural / industrial waste
  treatment with CO2 utilization, biofuels and
  feed co-products.
• Nitrogen fixation and nutrient recycling for
  agricultural fertilizer applications.
• . Co-production of biofuels and large volume /
  higher value by- products (biopolymers, feeds,
  etc.)

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POWER PLANT CO2 CAPTURE (CYANOTECH)
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Botryococcus braunii