REG WALTERS

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REG WALTERS

• Board Member Managing Director
• SQC Pty Ltd

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The Fuel Crisis And Renewable Hydrocarbon Fuels

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The Status of Oil Supply And Demand Worldwide

• Total world oil reserves known except
  Antarctica
• World consumption (Fuel and Feedstock)
  10 million Tonnes/Day
• Upward price trend nudging US70 barrel
• Petrol price predicted A2 per L by 2010
• Serious shortage of liquid fuels by 2045-2050

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Upward Trend of Oil PricesReasons

• Oil is a Finite Resource
• Political Instability of some oil producing
  Countries
• Artificial price maintenance by OPEC
• Cost and Acceptability of Alternate Sources of
  Oil and/or Alternate Energy
• Global Warming and Climate Change

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Oil Supply and Transport

• Transport Sector will Feel Effects of Reduced
  Fossil Fuel Supply First
• How Viable are Alternatives to Fossil Fuels?
  Hybrid cars, H2 Power, Fuel Cell
• Dwindling Supply Previously Uneconomic Sources
  of Fossil Fuels Viable

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Oil Pumping Derricks-Los Angelis
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After Campbell
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Annual Oil Production- 1930-2050
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Major Oil Reserves
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World Oil Reserves
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After Campbell
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Short Term Alternatives to Fossil Fuel

• Ethanol for Addition
• Biodiesel From Recyclables such as restaurant
  wastes, Tallow, Plastic Wastes (bags) etc
• Biodiesel - From Renewable Sources such as
• Canola and other plant materials
• Algae

Australia uses 14 billion litres of diesel per
annum
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Algae as Producers of Renewable Hydrocarbons

• Algae are chlorophyll containing plants
• Harness the suns energy using photosynthesis
• Use CO2 for cellular materials and Growth and
  Reproduction - releasing O2
• Some Also Deposit Hydrocarbons in the cell
• Botryococcus - widespread in freshwater

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Darwin Reservoir NT - 1976
After Hillen
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After Hillen
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Botryococcus
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Botryococcus
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Botryococcus
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Taxonomy

• Phylum Chlorophyta (green algae)
• Class Chlorophyceae
• Order Tetrasporales
• Family Dictyosphaeriaceae
• Genus Botryococcus
• Species braunii

Referred to as Botryococcus braunii or Bb
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Morphology of Bb
B cell arrangementC single cell and colonyD
net shaped colony E single cell F single cell
G funnel shaped cup harbours oilH
single cell and colony sheetsI a view of
cross cut
After Qin
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Electron micrograph of Bb
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Biology of Bb

• Hydrocarbon content 30-86 dry weight - General
  Formula CnH2n-10
• Biomass doubling time 3.5 d

After Qin
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Physiology of Bb

• Young algae green (less oil)Producing straight
  chain olefin hydrocarbon (C23 C31)
• Old algae brown or red (more oil)Producing both
  straight and branched chain olefin hydrocarbon
• (C30 C37)

After Qin
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Ecology

• Occurs in freshwater lakes (Wake Hillen, 1981)
  ? Tarago Reservoir, (2.1 km2 - Vic) ? Green
  Lake (1 km2 - Vic) ? Darwin River Reservoir,
  (4000 ha - NT)
• Production in Darwin River Reservoir 500 kg/ha
  (Wake Hillen,1980)

Wake Hillen 1980,1981
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Green Lake, Vic
After Hillen
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Devilbend Reservoir
After Hillen
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Shoreline Accumulation NT
After Hillen
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After Hillen
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After Hillen
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Problems in Water Supplies
After Hillen
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Dessiccated Coorangite
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RIRDC Research Grant 2003/4
The impacts of temperature, light and salinity on
the growth of oil-rich green alga Botryococcus
braunii
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Research Objectives
Objectives

• To Understand and Determine the
• Environmental Tolerance
• To Demonstrate a Successful Culture
  Method
• To Examine the Link Between Oil Content and
  Dominant Environmental Factors

Botryococcus braunii
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Strains of B. braunii for research.
China 1 strain
China 2 strain
CCAP 1 strain
CCAP 2 strain
NIES strain
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AusIndustry REDI Grant 2006-08

• Scale up and Trial the Production of
  Biohydrocarbons from Botryococcus braunii for
  Commercialisation

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Benefits of Renewable Biodiesel from Bb

• A Renewable, Sustainable Fuel
• Economic Gain for Australia Through
• Import Replacement
• Carbon Credits
• A profitable business with high product demand

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Thank you for having me!
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