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Texas pres oct_2008

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Oilgae Oil

There are many challenges to achieving energy production from algae on a commercial scale, including strains, oil yields, cultivation methods, harvesting, and extraction costs. Efforts to address these include developing higher oil yielding and genetically modified algae strains, optimizing open pond and photobioreactor cultivation systems, and exploring lower cost harvesting and extraction methods such as induced flocculation. While scaling up poses difficulties and algae biodiesel quality requires further study, the identification of problems and variety of solutions being pursued indicate the potential for algal energy to become viable.

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Algae Energy - Challenges & Efforts Narasimhan Santhanam, Oilgae Presentation in Oct, 2008, Texas, USA
How difficult is it to achieve the energy Holy Grail?
Contents For each of the various aspects of algal energy Problems present Efforts & solutions
Aspects Considered End products Strains Oil yields GMOs Methods to grow algae Choice of cultivation plant Problems in cultivation Open pond systems Photobioreactors Harvesting Extraction Transesterification Energy input/output Land requirements Scaling up Quality of biodiesel
End Products Biodiesel Ethanol Hydrogen Methane Biomass
Biodiesel Greenfuel - recycled CO2 Solazyme - fermentation Blue Marble - polluted water systems Inventure - algae-jet-fuel Aquaflow - algae in sewage Aurora - GM algae Solix - CO2 from breweries
Biodiesel - continued Seambiotic - CO2 from powerplants Cellena
Ethanol Ethanol from GM cyanobacteria (Univ of Hawaii) Algodyne - algae PBR that can produce multiple end products (fuels), including ethanol Algenol - “algae produce ethanol in the gas form”
Hydrogen Using hydrogenase enzymes (triggered by sulphur deprivation) - biophotolysis Using Cu to block oxygen generation Manipulating genes that control the amount of chlorophyll DIY Algae Hydrogen Kit - Amy Franceschini & Jonathan Meuser - biophotolysis
Methane Methane production by pyrolysis (Wu et al, 1999) - direct pyrolysis of marine nanoplankton
Biomass “ Under favourable conditions, some algae strains have produced over 180 T / ha /yr of biomass” Solena - Uses high temperatures to gasify algae.
Strains NREL’s ASP did not specify any one species as the best, though they concluded diatoms and green algae were promising Microalgae or macroalgae? Blue Marble - wild algae blooms Solazyme - Dunaliella species C. reinhardtii - sulphur deprived to produce hydrogen
Strains Others: Neochloris oleoabundans Scenedesmus dimorphus Euglena gracilis Prymnesium parvum Phaedactylum carterae Tetraselmius chui Tetraselmius suecica Isochrysis galbana Nannochloropsis salina Botryococcus braunii
Oil Yield Increasing oil yield by: Nutrient deprivation - Sulphur & Nitrogen deprivation Silicon depletion ACCase gene placed to increase fatty acid
GMO PetroAlgae - Environmentally-friendly algae Solazyme - Optimizing biochemical pathways for hydrocarbon production
Photosynthesis or Fermentation? Photosynthesis - many companies Fermentation - Solazyme FAO - “direct extraction of lipids appears to be a more efficient method for obtaining energy, than fermentation”
Choice of Plant Single or multi-purpose Multi-purpose Combined with power plants Combined with wastewater treatments and sewage Greenfuel - power plants Aquaflow - sewage Inventure - power plants?
Cultivation Problems Formulation of Medium Calcium, Magnesium can cause precipitation problems Water might require conditioning Montana Micronutrient Booster - GSPI
Cultivation Problems Provision of CO2 CO2 could cover a large part of operating costs Covered area carbonators - bubble covers In-pond carbonation sumps Recycling of non-lipid carbon from extraction residues
Cultivation Problems Water Circulation Paddle wheels Airlift pump Archimedes screw pump Gas lift mixing
Problems in Open Pond Light penetration Circulate algae using paddle wheels Placing the light in the system - submerged into the tank Passive optical system - Bionavitas
Problems in Open Pond Odour related problems Result mainly owing to lack of oxygen Planned cultivation and harvesting should take care of this
Problems in Open Pond Contamination, temperature, pH & salinity fluctations Owing to: Temperature & light variances Infiltration from local algae Evaporation, dust particles, rain. Solution Hybrid algae product system - cross between open and closed pond systems - GSPI Combo of open pond and PBR - Enhanced Biofuels & Technologies
Photobioreactor Problems Choice of PBR Dynamic Biogenics develops low-cost, scalable bioreactors Solix B iofuels - “Massively scalable PBRs” Texas Clean Fuels - optimized for CO2 sequestration and biofuel feedstock production Valcent - vertical bioreactor
Photobioreactor Problems Choice of PBR Origin Oil - Helix bioreactor Academic & Univ Centre in Nove Hrady - Czech Republic - Penthouse PBR using solar concentrators with linear fresnel lenses
Photobioreactor Problems Cost of PBR DEC Simgae system - simple, benefits of both & closed systems
Harvesting Method of Harvesting Besides simple sedimentation, all other methods are expensive The “expensive” methods - straining, filtering, flocculation Cost-effective (?) methods Induced bio-flocculation followed by sedimentation or flotation AlgoDyne Ethanol Energy - new process to harvest biomass from marine algal blooms
Harvesting Long harvesting period GreenFuel - harvests algae daily Advanced Biofuel Technologies - Over-expression of ACCase leads to overproduction of triglycerides
Harvesting Long harvesting period GreenFuel - harvests algae daily Advanced Biofuel Technologies - Over-expression of ACCase leads to overproduction of triglycerides
Harvesting Time of Harvesting Ability to determine the right time to extract oil from feedstock is critical Current methods to determine these are expensive, time consuming and unreliable BioGauge “bio-profiling” technology - from International Energy Inc.
Harvesting Harvesting Cost Aquaflow - developed a scalable method for harvesting algae in the wild
Extraction Choice of extraction Primary Expeller Solvent Extraction Super critical fluid extraction Less well-known Enzymatic extraction Osmotic shock Ultrasonic assisted extraction Soxhlet extraction
Extraction Cost of extraction Numbers quoted are quite high - what are the real numbers? Energy requirements OriginOil’s new method to extract oil without resorting to chemical solvents, using a process called lysing, built on their patented method of “Quantum Fracturing”
Transesterification High FFA could create transesterification problems Basu & Norris (2005) have developed a process to produce esters from feedstock that have a high FFA content using calcium and barium acetate as a catalyst. SRS Biodiesel - FSP-Series Acid Esterification pretreatment system for high-FFA feedstock
Energy Input & Output Best-case - Macro-algae can generate 11000 MJ/dry algae & micro-algae 9500 MJ/T. Solena’s plasma gasification tech consumes less than 1/4 of the energy it produces
Land Requirements Growing algae on solid carriers in ocean - Kansas State Univ. - Jun 2008 Nutrients for algae in sea water - algae grew much faster when supplied with dust from a desert Valcent’s Vertigro uses area above a plot of land. Algae grown in sewage ponds - Aquaflow Bionomic
Scaling Up When transferred to outdoor test facility, growth rate, % oil yield decreased dramatically from those from laboratory results (NREL) (biodiesel produced per acre in OTF was just 10% of that produced in lab)
Algae Biodiesel Quality Not enough data High FFA content Solazyme tests algae biodiesel that has superior performance under cold weather conditions (algae engineered to produce an oil with optimized fatty acid profile) One way of bridging quality gaps is to blend biodiesel from different feedstocks?
Conclusion We are still not yet there, but the clarity about the problems we face and the diversity of solutions being attempted make the goal look more reachable than ever before.
Thank You

More Related Content

Texas pres oct_2008

  • 1. Algae Energy - Challenges & Efforts Narasimhan Santhanam, Oilgae Presentation in Oct, 2008, Texas, USA
  • 2. How difficult is it to achieve the energy Holy Grail?
  • 3. Contents For each of the various aspects of algal energy Problems present Efforts & solutions
  • 4. Aspects Considered End products Strains Oil yields GMOs Methods to grow algae Choice of cultivation plant Problems in cultivation Open pond systems Photobioreactors Harvesting Extraction Transesterification Energy input/output Land requirements Scaling up Quality of biodiesel
  • 5. End Products Biodiesel Ethanol Hydrogen Methane Biomass
  • 6. Biodiesel Greenfuel - recycled CO2 Solazyme - fermentation Blue Marble - polluted water systems Inventure - algae-jet-fuel Aquaflow - algae in sewage Aurora - GM algae Solix - CO2 from breweries
  • 7. Biodiesel - continued Seambiotic - CO2 from powerplants Cellena
  • 8. Ethanol Ethanol from GM cyanobacteria (Univ of Hawaii) Algodyne - algae PBR that can produce multiple end products (fuels), including ethanol Algenol - “algae produce ethanol in the gas form”
  • 9. Hydrogen Using hydrogenase enzymes (triggered by sulphur deprivation) - biophotolysis Using Cu to block oxygen generation Manipulating genes that control the amount of chlorophyll DIY Algae Hydrogen Kit - Amy Franceschini & Jonathan Meuser - biophotolysis
  • 10. Methane Methane production by pyrolysis (Wu et al, 1999) - direct pyrolysis of marine nanoplankton
  • 11. Biomass “ Under favourable conditions, some algae strains have produced over 180 T / ha /yr of biomass” Solena - Uses high temperatures to gasify algae.
  • 12. Strains NREL’s ASP did not specify any one species as the best, though they concluded diatoms and green algae were promising Microalgae or macroalgae? Blue Marble - wild algae blooms Solazyme - Dunaliella species C. reinhardtii - sulphur deprived to produce hydrogen
  • 13. Strains Others: Neochloris oleoabundans Scenedesmus dimorphus Euglena gracilis Prymnesium parvum Phaedactylum carterae Tetraselmius chui Tetraselmius suecica Isochrysis galbana Nannochloropsis salina Botryococcus braunii
  • 14. Oil Yield Increasing oil yield by: Nutrient deprivation - Sulphur & Nitrogen deprivation Silicon depletion ACCase gene placed to increase fatty acid
  • 15. GMO PetroAlgae - Environmentally-friendly algae Solazyme - Optimizing biochemical pathways for hydrocarbon production
  • 16. Photosynthesis or Fermentation? Photosynthesis - many companies Fermentation - Solazyme FAO - “direct extraction of lipids appears to be a more efficient method for obtaining energy, than fermentation”
  • 17. Choice of Plant Single or multi-purpose Multi-purpose Combined with power plants Combined with wastewater treatments and sewage Greenfuel - power plants Aquaflow - sewage Inventure - power plants?
  • 18. Cultivation Problems Formulation of Medium Calcium, Magnesium can cause precipitation problems Water might require conditioning Montana Micronutrient Booster - GSPI
  • 19. Cultivation Problems Provision of CO2 CO2 could cover a large part of operating costs Covered area carbonators - bubble covers In-pond carbonation sumps Recycling of non-lipid carbon from extraction residues
  • 20. Cultivation Problems Water Circulation Paddle wheels Airlift pump Archimedes screw pump Gas lift mixing
  • 21. Problems in Open Pond Light penetration Circulate algae using paddle wheels Placing the light in the system - submerged into the tank Passive optical system - Bionavitas
  • 22. Problems in Open Pond Odour related problems Result mainly owing to lack of oxygen Planned cultivation and harvesting should take care of this
  • 23. Problems in Open Pond Contamination, temperature, pH & salinity fluctations Owing to: Temperature & light variances Infiltration from local algae Evaporation, dust particles, rain. Solution Hybrid algae product system - cross between open and closed pond systems - GSPI Combo of open pond and PBR - Enhanced Biofuels & Technologies
  • 24. Photobioreactor Problems Choice of PBR Dynamic Biogenics develops low-cost, scalable bioreactors Solix B iofuels - “Massively scalable PBRs” Texas Clean Fuels - optimized for CO2 sequestration and biofuel feedstock production Valcent - vertical bioreactor
  • 25. Photobioreactor Problems Choice of PBR Origin Oil - Helix bioreactor Academic & Univ Centre in Nove Hrady - Czech Republic - Penthouse PBR using solar concentrators with linear fresnel lenses
  • 26. Photobioreactor Problems Cost of PBR DEC Simgae system - simple, benefits of both & closed systems
  • 27. Harvesting Method of Harvesting Besides simple sedimentation, all other methods are expensive The “expensive” methods - straining, filtering, flocculation Cost-effective (?) methods Induced bio-flocculation followed by sedimentation or flotation AlgoDyne Ethanol Energy - new process to harvest biomass from marine algal blooms
  • 28. Harvesting Long harvesting period GreenFuel - harvests algae daily Advanced Biofuel Technologies - Over-expression of ACCase leads to overproduction of triglycerides
  • 29. Harvesting Long harvesting period GreenFuel - harvests algae daily Advanced Biofuel Technologies - Over-expression of ACCase leads to overproduction of triglycerides
  • 30. Harvesting Time of Harvesting Ability to determine the right time to extract oil from feedstock is critical Current methods to determine these are expensive, time consuming and unreliable BioGauge “bio-profiling” technology - from International Energy Inc.
  • 31. Harvesting Harvesting Cost Aquaflow - developed a scalable method for harvesting algae in the wild
  • 32. Extraction Choice of extraction Primary Expeller Solvent Extraction Super critical fluid extraction Less well-known Enzymatic extraction Osmotic shock Ultrasonic assisted extraction Soxhlet extraction
  • 33. Extraction Cost of extraction Numbers quoted are quite high - what are the real numbers? Energy requirements OriginOil’s new method to extract oil without resorting to chemical solvents, using a process called lysing, built on their patented method of “Quantum Fracturing”
  • 34. Transesterification High FFA could create transesterification problems Basu & Norris (2005) have developed a process to produce esters from feedstock that have a high FFA content using calcium and barium acetate as a catalyst. SRS Biodiesel - FSP-Series Acid Esterification pretreatment system for high-FFA feedstock
  • 35. Energy Input & Output Best-case - Macro-algae can generate 11000 MJ/dry algae & micro-algae 9500 MJ/T. Solena’s plasma gasification tech consumes less than 1/4 of the energy it produces
  • 36. Land Requirements Growing algae on solid carriers in ocean - Kansas State Univ. - Jun 2008 Nutrients for algae in sea water - algae grew much faster when supplied with dust from a desert Valcent’s Vertigro uses area above a plot of land. Algae grown in sewage ponds - Aquaflow Bionomic
  • 37. Scaling Up When transferred to outdoor test facility, growth rate, % oil yield decreased dramatically from those from laboratory results (NREL) (biodiesel produced per acre in OTF was just 10% of that produced in lab)
  • 38. Algae Biodiesel Quality Not enough data High FFA content Solazyme tests algae biodiesel that has superior performance under cold weather conditions (algae engineered to produce an oil with optimized fatty acid profile) One way of bridging quality gaps is to blend biodiesel from different feedstocks?
  • 39. Conclusion We are still not yet there, but the clarity about the problems we face and the diversity of solutions being attempted make the goal look more reachable than ever before.