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Biodiesel from microalgae

René H. Wijffels

www.bpe.wur.nl

Contents

� Biofuels� Truth about microalgae� Production methods� Feasibility study� Our microalgae research agenda� Biorefinery of microalgae� Demonstration� Conclusions

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Biofuels

� Botryococcus� Alkanes (C34) � High concentrations (40/70%)

� Other algae� 20/60% lipids

� High productivity� Palm oil: 6,000 l/ha/year� Algae: 20,000/150,000

l/ha/jaar� No competition with food� Salt water

� Investmens in US: US$ 2.4 billion (NYTimes)

Many new companies� A2BE Carbon Capture� Algaelink� Algoil� Aquaflow Binomic Corporation� Aquaflow Bionomics� Aquatic Energy� Aurora Biofuels� Blue Marble Energy� Bionavitas� Circle Biodiesel & Ethanol

Corporation� Enhanced Biofuels &Technologies� GreenFuel Technologies� Greenshift

� Green Star Products� Infinifuel Biodiesel� Inventure Chemical� LiveFuels� OriginOil� PetroAlgae� PetroSun� Seambiotic� Solazyme� Solena Group� Solix Biofuels� Texas Clean Fuels� Valcent Products� Vertical Algae Biofuel Growing

Truth about algae

Lipid content algae is 20-60%

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Ponds Tubular Flat panel Theoreticalmaximum

Bio

mas

s p

rod

uct

ivit

y (t

on

ha

-1 y

r-1)

Eindhoven

Bonaire

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Production methods of algae

� Open systems� Raceway

� Cheap?

� Closed systems� Bubble column

� Tubular reactors

� Flat panels

� Expensive?

Open systems: raceway ponds

� Open

� Mixing via paddle wheels

� System that is used most

� Low investments costs

� Limitation in CO2 supply

� Productivity 20 tonnes. ha/1. year/1

� Biomass concentration <0.5 g/l

� High costs for harvesting

Cyanotech (Hawaii), 75 ha

Bubble column

� Closed

� Mixing via air and CO2

� Productivity 50 tonnes. ha/1. year/1

� Biomass concentration 2 g/l

� Hard to scale up (forest)

ECN, 70 l

Wageningen Univ, 70 l

Mario Tredici, Univ. Florence

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Tubular reactor

� Closed

� Mixing via air and CO2

� Productivity 60 tonnes. ha/1. year/1

� High surface/volume ratio

� Biomass concentration 3 g/l

� Accumulation oxygen

� Scalable

Algatechnology, Israel

Technogrow/LGem, Made

Tubular reactor + dilution of light

� Tubular reactor

� Dilution of light

� 1.2 ha

� Klötze (Germany)

� Productivity 80 tonnes. ha/1. year/1

+ + +

Bioprodukte Prof. Steinberg Produktions/ und Vertriebs GmbH

Flat panel reactor

� Intensive mixing

� Short light/dark periods

� High biomass concentrations (>15 g/l)

� Productivity 100 ton. ha/1. year/1

� Scalable?

Ben/Gurion Universiteit, Israël

Wageningen University

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Feasibility study Delta nv

Horizontal tubes

Raceway ponds

Flat panels

Tubular reactor

Degasser25 %

Headspace

StackgasCO2

Solar collector

Centrifuge

Pump

Harvesttank

Biomass

NutrientInlet

T

pH

DO

Monitor and ControlUnit

Stack gas/CO2

Degasser25 %

Headspace

StackgasCO2

Solar collector

Centrifuge

Pump

Harvesttank

Biomass

NutrientInlet

T

pH

DO

Monitor and ControlUnit

Stack gas/CO2

Biomass production costs horizontal tubular reactor

� 1 ha plant� 10.62 €/

kg biomass

� 100 ha plant� 4.02 €/

kg biomass

� 150 €/GJ

� Present value� 10 €/GJ

Centrifuge w estfalia separator AG Centrifuge Feed Pump Medium Filter Unit

Medium Feed pump Medium preparation tank Harvest broth storage tank

Seaw ater pump station Automatic Weighing Station w ith Silos Culture circulation pump

Installations costs Instrumentation and control Piping

Buildings Polyethylene tubes Photobioreactor Culture medium

Carbon dioxide Media Filters Air f ilters

Pow er Labor Payroll charges

Maintenance General plant overheads

Power 42%

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Sensitivity analysis

-100 -90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0

Culture medium for free

CO2 for free

Both CO2 and medium for free

Dilution rate 10% v/v per day

Photosynthetic Eff iciency 5%

CO2 incentive (15 € / ton CO2)

No centrifugation

PE 5%; CO2 and medium for free, CO2 incentive

Mixing w ith 10* less energy

Mixing 10*, PE 5%, CO2 incentive, mdium and CO2 free

Curacao PE 5%, CO2 Incentive, medium and CO2 free

% Decrease in production cost

Biomass production cost

Centrifuge w estfalia separator AG Centrifuge Feed Pump Medium Filter Unit

Medium Feed pump Medium preparation tank Harvest broth storage tank

Seaw ater pump station Automatic Weighing Station w ith Silos Culture circulation pump

Installations costs Instrumentation and control Piping

Buildings Polyethylene tubes Photobioreactor Culture medium

Carbon dioxide Media Filters Air f ilters

Pow er Labor Payroll charges

Maintenance General plant overheads

4.02 € / kg biomass

10.62 € / kg biomass

0.4 € / kg biomass15 €/GJ

89% decrease

1 ha

100 ha

potential

Labor 28% Power 22%

Power 42%

Comparison of systems (100ha)

Circulationpump 46%

Air blowers24%

Centrifuge15 %

%Main contributor to

biomass production cost

4.024.035.70€ / kg DWBiomass production cost

341938647M€ /haInvestment

2967157692180180m3Culture volume

303010%Daily dilution rate

0.0340.030.2mLight path

351.5%Photosynthetic Efficiency

414163632071ton /yearBiomass Production

Horizontal tubular reactor

Flat panel reactor

Raceway pond

Units

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Research programs

� Photosynthetic Cell Factories (NWO)

� Solar/H and Solar/H2 (EU)

� Sealand Sole (Min. Agriculture, province Sealand, companies)

� IWT: collaboration with University of Ghent

� Proviron

� EOS/LT (Akzo, Ingrepro, Essent)

� Wetsus (13 companies)

WETSUS research project

� Feasibility study as basis� Aim: reduction of production costs� Biofuel is not the only product� Several breakthroughs needed to realize

economical feasibility� Joining forces� Basis for demonstration projects� Technological Top Institute; funding

� 25% university (Wageningen University)� 25% companies� 50% government

� 13 companies� 5 million €

Participating companies� AF&F� Dow Chemicals� Delta� Eneco Energie� Essent� Friesland Foods� Hednesford� Ingrepro� Landustrie� Neste Oil� Nuon� Rosendaal Energy� Syngenta

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Research topics

� Energy for mixing

� Productivity/photosynthetic efficiency

� Lipid productivity

� CO2 fixation

� O2 production

� Make use of residual nutrients

� Harvesting

� Extraction

� Production scenarios

Biorefinery of microalgae

� Assumption: 1,000 kg of microalgae� Production costs: 400 €� Production plant

� CO2 fixation: 1,800 kg: /35 €� Nutrient removal from waste: / 65 €� Use of waste heat: /� Production of pure O2: 1,600 kg 50 €

� Product isolation � Lipids for chemistry: 100 kg 200 €� Lipids for fuel: 300 kg 150 €� Proteins for food: 100 kg 500 €� Proteins for feed: 400 kg 300 €� Polysaccharide fractions: 100 kg 100 €

� Summary� Total costs: 300 €� Total income: 1,300 €

Development plans

� Fundamental research is taking place

� We look for further expansion of that

� We wish to demonstrate feasibility� Production

� Product isolation: protein, lipid and polysaccharide fractions

� Supply of biomass for product isolation

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Objectives of pilot/demo plant phase

� Development of a process chain

� Experience with systems

� Information for design of full scale plants

� Comparison of systems

� Comparison of strains

� Comparison of feeds

(nutrients, CO2, sunlight…)

� Supply of biomass for

further processing

� Further processing

Conclusions

� Production of chemicals and biofuels feasible

� Productivity high and no competition with food production

� Technology not ready

� Join forces

� Combination of applications

www.bpe.wur.nl

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