Good overview on ALGAE technologies advances and future, by prof Rene Wijffels at WUR

1. 10/29/2008
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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2. 10/29/2008
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 Green Star Products
Algaelink Infinifuel Biodiesel
Algoil Inventure Chemical
Aquaflow Binomic Corporation LiveFuels
Aquaflow Bionomics OriginOil
Aquatic Energy PetroAlgae
Aurora Biofuels PetroSun
Blue Marble Energy Seambiotic
Bionavitas Solazyme
Circle Biodiesel & Ethanol Solena Group
Corporation Solix Biofuels
Enhanced Biofuels &Technologies Texas Clean Fuels
GreenFuel Technologies Valcent Products
Greenshift Vertical Algae Biofuel Growing
Truth about algae
300
Biomass productivity (ton ha -1 yr -1)
250 Eindhoven
Bonaire
200
150
100
50
0
Ponds Tubular Flat panel Theoretical
maximum
Lipid content algae is 20-60%
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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
Cyanotech (Hawaii), 75 ha
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
Wageningen Univ, 70 l
Bubble column
ECN, 70 l
Closed
Mixing via air and CO2
Productivity 50 tonnes. ha 1. year 1
Biomass concentration 2 g/l
Hard to scale up (forest)
Mario Tredici, Univ. Florence
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Tubular reactor
Closed
Mixing via air and CO2
Productivity 60 tonnes. ha 1.
Algatechnology, Israel
year 1
High surface/volume ratio
Biomass concentration 3 g/l
Accumulation oxygen
Scalable
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.
Wageningen University
year 1
Scalable?
Ben Gurion Universiteit, Israël
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Feasibility study Delta nv
Raceway ponds
Horizontal tubes
Flat panels
Tubular reactor
Monitor and Control
Unit
Centrifuge
Harvest Nutrient
tank Inlet
DO
Biomass Stack pH
gas Degasser
CO2 25 % T
Pump Headspace
Solar collector Stack gas
/CO2
Biomass production costs horizontal tubular reactor
1 ha plant
10.62 /
kg biomass Power 42%
100 ha plant
4.02 / Centrifuge w estfalia separator AG Centrifuge Feed Pump Medium Filter Unit
kg biomass
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
150 /GJ Buildings
Carbon dioxide
Polyethylene tubes Photobioreactor
Media Filters
Culture medium
Air filters
Pow er Labor Payroll charges
Present value Maintenance General plant overheads
10 /GJ
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6. 10/29/2008
Sensitivity analysis
Curacao PE 5%, CO2 Incentive, medium and CO2 free
Mixing 10*, PE 5%, CO2 incentive, mdium and CO2 free
Mixing w ith 10* less energy
PE 5%; CO2 and medium for free, CO2 incentive
No centrifugation
CO2 incentive (15 € / ton CO2)
Photosynthetic Efficiency 5%
Dilution rate 10% v/v per day
Both CO2 and medium for free
CO2 for free
Culture medium for free
-100 -90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0
% Decrease in production cost
Biomass production cost
1 ha 10.62 € / kg biomass
Labor 28% Power 22%
100 ha
Power 42%
4.02 € / kg biomass
Centrif uge w estf alia separator AG Centrif uge Feed Pump Medium Filter Unit
Medium Feed pump Medium preparation tank Harvest broth storage tank 89% decrease
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
potential Maintenance General plant overheads
0.4 € / kg biomass
15 €/GJ
Comparison of systems (100ha)
Units Raceway Flat panel Horizontal
pond reactor tubular
reactor
Biomass Production ton /year 2071 6363 4141
Photosynthetic Efficiency % 1.5 5 3
Light path m 0.2 0.03 0.034
Daily dilution rate % 10 30 30
Culture volume m3 180180 57692 29671
Investment M€ /ha 647 938 341
Biomass production cost € / kg DW 5.70 4.03 4.02
Main contributor to
Centrifuge Air blowers Circulation
biomass production %
15 % 24% pump 46%
cost
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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
AFF
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
© Wageningen UR
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