Title: Innovative Biofuel Technologies: Microalgae Analysis
1Innovative Biofuel Technologies Microalgae
Analysis
Institutions, Efficiency and Evolving Energy
Technologies
- Lauro André Ribeiro
- Faculty of Science and Technology, University of
Coimbralauroribeiro_at_terra.com.br - Patrícia Pereira da Silva Faculty of Economics,
University of Coimbra and INESCCpatsilva_at_fe.uc.pt
-
- Stockholm, June 19 - 23, 2011
2Summary
- Introduction
- Pros and Cons
- Comparisons
- Opportunities
- Threats
3Introduction
- Dependent on crude oil
- Mostly for transportation
4Introduction
- Import from unstable regions
5Introduction
- Combustion of fossil fuels GHG
6Introduction
- Effects on human health and habitat
7Introduction
- Where could this
- fuel come from?
8What is an algae?
- Simple plant
- Most live in water
- Photosynthetic Organisms
- Capture light
- Convert inorganic to organic
- matter
- Use lipids and oils to float on water
- Range from small, single-celled to complex and
multicellular.
Figure 1 Alage Cell
9Why Algae?
- Produce large amounts of oil
- When compared to terrestrial crops for the same
purpose - Contain between 2 - 60 of lipids/oils by weight
(TAG) - High growth rate
- Can be produced in non-fertile terrains and under
several climatic conditions - Uses a wide variety of water sources
- No food-for-fuel problems
- Can use waste CO2 and heat as inputs
- Production of biofuels and other valuable
coproducts
10Algal biomass possibilities
Figure 2 Algal biomass product streams. (Pienkos
and Darzins, 2009)
11Issues
- Immature technology
- Large-scale/commercial production just starting
lack of data - Uncertainties
- More than 150 new companies have been formed
(mostly in the past 3 years)
12Solix plant, EUA Inauguration July/2009 In 2010
over 11.000 liters of oil per hectare
13Fuel Crops Comparison
Crop Oil Yield (L/ha) Land area needed (M ha) a
Corn 172 1540
Soybean 446 594
Canola 1190 223
Jatropha 1892 140
Coconut 2689 99
Palm Oil 5950 45
Microalgae b 136.900 2
Microalgae c 58.700 4.5
Microalgae Solix 11.000 25
- a. For meeting 50 of all transport fuel needs
of the United States.b. 70 oil (by weight) in
biomass.c. 30 oil (by weight) in
biomass. Data adapted from Chisti, 1997.
14Opportunities
- Production of other products
- Biorefinery model?
- New policies and subsidies
15Threats
- Future demand for biofuels
- Acceptance still unclear
- If genetically modified, could generate
limitations - Diffusion difficulties
16 The relevant question is not whether biofuels
from algae are possible, but rather whether they
can be made economically and at a scale
sufficient to help contribute to fuel
demand. (Pienkos and Darzins, 2009)
17Thank you!
- E-mail lauroribeiro_at_terra.com.br
18Attachments
19www.seattlepi.com/dayart/20080503/biofuels_compare
.gif
20Cultivation Open System
- Low capital
- Low efficiency
- Low selectivity (native species will dominate)
- Less environmental control
Solix plant
21Cultivation Closed System
- Higher capital
- Smaller footprint
- Controlled environment
- Extended growing season
Valcent Products, Inc.
22Some comparisons
Soybean Algae
Productivity Low Medium High
10g/m2/day 25g/m2/day 50g/m2/day
15 TAG 25 TAG 50 TAG
Liter/ha/year 73 962 4032 16667
Total ha 157 millions 157 millions 62 millions 15 millions
Liters/year 11,4 billions 151 billions 250 billions 250 Billions
Petrodiesel 4,5 61 100 100
Table 1 Production comparisons for soybeans and
algae (Pienkos and Darzins, 2009)
23Can we make it economical?
- Processing improvements
- Large-scale cultivation techniques
- Harvesting equipment/techniques
- Extraction techniques
- Fixed (heterogeneous) catalysts
- Other products development
- CO2 capture
- Animal feed (human feed?)
- Additional alternative fuels (e.g., ethanol,
methane, hydrogen) - Wastewater treatment
24Oil Yield
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