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Centre for Fuel Studies and Research

International Experience- Algae Biofuels
Gujarat Working Group Meeting
7
th
August 2013
By K. N. Naik

K. N. Naik, CFSR
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Let us Exploit what we have in plenty
Gujarat Has plenty of
Sunshine
Brackish water
CO
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Arid Land and Building facades
Which are the only resources required for algae based
biofuels production

There are 2 quintillion tons of atmospheric CO2, 343
sextillion gallons of seawater, and 173 million gigawatts of
solar energy (per year).

K. N. Naik, CFSR
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Algae a versatile resource
Apart from biofuel possibilities to co-produce value added
products like carbohydrates, natural dyes and pigments,
antioxidants and other bio-active compounds which can
all be used in various processes ranging from the
industrial, cosmetics to pharmaceutical sectors.



K. N. Naik, CFSR
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Big Names Are all there
Exxon-Synthetic Genomics $600 million collaborative for
green crude development
Algenol-Dow for bioproducts
BP-Martek for algae fermentation
Shell-HR Biopetroleum for hybrid PBR-pond
development
Chevron-Solazyme for green crude and drop-in fuels and
Dupont-BAL for biobutanol from seaweed.
A Credit Suisse report revealed that Reliance has invested
a total of $116 million (Rs6.2 billion)in algae to fuel
companies
$93.5 million (Rs5.0 billion) in Algenol and
22.5 million (Rs1.2 billion) in Aurora Algae


K. N. Naik, CFSR
The Sahara Forest Project
Qatar

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The Sahara Forest Project is all about taking what we have
enough of, like saltwater, CO2, sunlight, and deserts, to
produce what we need more of: sustainably produced food,
water, and energy.


K. N. Naik, CFSR
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The Sahara Forest Project
Qatar

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An oasis of green technologies: 1. Concentrated Solar Power; 2. Saltwater
greenhouses; 3. Outside vegetation and evaporative hedges; 4. Photovoltaic Solar
Power; 5. Salt production; 6. Halophytes; 7. Algae production

K. N. Naik, CFSR
OriginOil
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Proprietary Algae Screen process it relies on an
electromagnetic pulse. The salvo is powerful enough to kill off
bacteria as well as rotifers and ciliates (these are other kinds of
microscopic organisms. The breakthrough consists in using
Algae Screen during the harvesting process as well as during
the growth period.
OriginOil has proven a system called Single Step Extraction
that is chemical-free, low-energy, high-flow and low-cost. No
other process can meet all these requirements. And Single
Step Extraction does more than dewater: it can rupture tough
algae cell walls (a process called lysing) to free up oils and
other valuable cellular components that downstream processes
can separate out.



K. N. Naik, CFSR
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OriginOil- Algae on a Building
Doing Double Duty
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OriginOil and Ennesys unveiled this pilot project at a
complex which has 37.7 million sq ft of office space
fusing two essential functions : energy generation and
wastewater clean-up.
This system takes wastewater from the building. This water is
then used to grow algae, which is nourished by wastewater.
The Algae Appliance invented by OriginOil scientists,
produces clean water (Grey) and algae to produce methane,
which is then used to power the building.
Importantly, the flat panel bioreactors (where the algae grows)
can be used on vertical surfaces, so skyscrapers are a huge area
of opportunity for this type of energy production.





K. N. Naik, CFSR
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OriginOil- Algae for Treatment of Frack water
for Recycling
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OriginOil's algae harvesting process was able to remove 98%
of hydrocarbons from a sample of West Texas oil well 'frac
flowback' water in the first stage alone.






K. N. Naik, CFSR
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Algae.Tec Ltd.

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The Algae.Tec enclosed modular technology captures carbon
dioxide waste from power stations and manufacturing
facilities, which feeds into the algae growth system.
In Texas, Algae.Tec is working with a large power group
to reduce its emissions, while in Brazil its looking to team
up with a food manufacturer. The Algae.Tec algae photo-
reactors take a carbon dioxide feed from the ethanol
fermenters in Australia into the algae growth system.
The facility is being built in Sri Lanka with the local
subsidiary of industrial giant Holcim where initial 250
modules should produce approximately 31 million litres of
oil for biodiesel production and 31000 tonnes of biomass per
year, whilst capturing 125,000 tonnes of CO2.



K. N. Naik, CFSR
Aurora Algae


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Algae-based biomass production facility at a pilot
demonstration site in Western Australia- Cultivating a
genetically-enhanced strain of common algae in six 1-acre
saltwater ponds, Aurora is consistently producing between
12-15 metric tons of algal biomass per month.
Aurora is actually using carbon dioxide (CO2) as a feedstock
to promote algal growth.
The demonstration algae biomass production facility yields
essential protein and Omega-3 fatty acids for food products,
nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and aquaculture, as well as
fertilizer and biodiesel fuel.
Aurora Algae announced Companys commercial facility in
Western Australia having just secured over 1,500 acres of
land near its demonstration facility





K. N. Naik, CFSR
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Sapphire Energy Inc.



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Green Crude Farm, the first commercial demonstration
algae-to-energy plant, has begun operations. Upon
completion of the facility, it will generate roughly 1.5
million gallons of crude and use 300 acres of algae ponds
and processing units.
Sapphire is now conducting all united operations, including
cultivation, harvest and extraction in a continuous process
By the end of 2014, the Green Crude Farm will produce 100
barrels of Green Crude per day. The commercial
demonstration project is expected to prove commercial
techno-economics, and Sapphires commercial scale Green
Crude facility





K. N. Naik, CFSR
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Algenol


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In Florida, the company confirmed that it had exceeded
production rates 9,000 gallons of ethanol per acre per year
After completing major construction activities at their
integrated pilot scale biorefinery in 2012, it has fully shifted
focus to demonstrating the commercial viability of Direct to
Ethanol technology at its pilot facility and identifying sites
for commercial projects to begin in 2014.
The patented Direct to Ethanol technology enables the
production of ethanol for around $1.00 per gallon using
sunlight, carbon dioxide and saltwater.
One tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) is converted into 160
gallons of ethanol, and 2 gallons of fresh water are produced
for each gallon of ethanol in the Direct to Ethanol process.



K. N. Naik, CFSR
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Aquaflow


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Aquaflow announced that it will be working with UOP on a
project to demonstrate technology that captures carbon
dioxide and cultivates algae for use in biofuels and energy
production.
Aquaflow has been harvesting wild algae from a municipal
waste water site in Blenheim, New Zealand for over 5 years.
Their algae Harvester unit processes 35m3 of algae laden
water per hour
Aquaflow made its first substantial operating revenue in the
year ended March 2011, bringing in $122,669 after expenses
for its algae harvesting projects in the US and New Zealand.







K. N. Naik, CFSR
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Photon8 Inc.


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Announced that it has succeeded in producing drop-in
fuel components from its genetically improved algae.
The process is simpler than those who propose producing
green crude and sending it through an oil refinery
hydrotreating system.
We have already achieved the productivity of 5600
gal/acre/year, and most importantly, within our confines of
under $10/m2, leading to a cost of jet fuel components of less
than $1.50/gallon.
Solventless Extraction and Exact Replicate conversion
processes provide fuels that are the same as fossil fuels (no
mixing required).




K. N. Naik, CFSR
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Joule Unlimited


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has just completed build-out of its SunSprings
demonstration in Texas.
Joules microorganisms go directly to diesel molecule
production rather than using a secondary process.
a small-scale unit which can be replicated almost infinitely,
which provides a medium for an engineered microbe to fix
CO2, and draw in brackish water and other nutrients, use
those ingredients to overproduce a target fuel or chemical,
sweat the fuel which is then separated from the growth
media, and delivered through a channel where it is collected
for distribution.
In the Joule universe, you milk the organism, rather than
slaughter it. Joule makes cows, rather than bulls for the beef
market.





K. N. Naik, CFSR
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Odyssey Oil & Energy, Inc.



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Algae Bio-fuels / Carbon Capture pilot plant at the Boschoek
smelter is running and has successfully completed a variety
of tests. The Algae is growing rapidly and being harvested
on a regular basis thereby meeting the goals of carbon
capture and creating lipids to be converted into bio-fuel.
The current phase is the growing of a selected algae strain in
photo bio-reactors, utilizing the carbon dioxide (CO2) flue
gas coming from the exhausts of the generators






K. N. Naik, CFSR
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Solazyme


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Solazyme has developed a way to use up to 75% percent of dry algae as oil. This
process requires the algae to grow in a dark fermentation vessel and be
fed by carbon substrates within their growth media.
Oil refineries can then take this algal oil and turn it into biodiesel, renewable
diesel or jet fuels.
Maersk Line and the US Navy, placed 30 tons of Soladiesel (RD) algae fuel into
the 98,000-tonne, 300-meter container ship Maersk Kalmar. This fuel was used
at blends from 7% to 100% in an auxiliary engine on a month-long trip from
Bremerhaven, Germany to Pipavav, India in Dec 2011. In Jul 2012, The US
Navy used 700,000 gallons of HRD76 biodiesel in three ships.
Solazyme inked a massive deal with Dow Chemical to ship up to 60 million
gallons of its algae-based oil as an insulating chemical for electric
transformers in 2015.
Solazyme announced the start of a month long pilot program to test consumer
response to the industry's first sale of advanced renewable fuel. "The fuel will
be sold at the same price as conventional diesel fuels..."Nov 14 2012









K. N. Naik, CFSR
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Actual Use of Algae Fuels

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In January 2009, Continental Airlines made history with the first-ever test flight of
a commercial jet in the US with algae-based fuel as part of its biofuel blend.
Continental Boeing 737 flew with a blend of 50 percent biofuels and 50
percent traditional jet fuel in one of its two engines
In June 2011, the US Navy successfully demonstrated a 50-50 blend of
traditional and algae-based jet fuel, produced by Solazyme, in a MH-60S
Seahawk helicopter.
In July 2011, ASTM International, the worlds standards body, announced it had
approved airlines to fly passenger jets using derivatives of up to 50
percent biofuel made from feedstocks such asmeaning that renewable aviation
biofuels were cleared for take-off.
In November, 2011, United Flight 1403 flew from Houston to Chicago, on a 40
percent blend of Solazymes algal jet fuel









K. N. Naik, CFSR
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Some Indian Development

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Indian Oil and the Department of Biotechnology
(DBT) have jointly set up a Centre for Advanced Bio-
Energy Research.
IOC-DBT Centre for Advanced Bio-Energy Research
has signed an agreement with LanzaTech, USA, to
further develop IOC-DBT's micro-algae technology.








K. N. Naik, CFSR
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