Aquatic Biofuels

New Options for Bioenergy

Tony Piccolo
Fish Utilization and Marketing Service (FIIU)

Thesis Topic (MBA - University of Malta – Rome Campus)

•What are aquatic biofuels
•Why produce aquatic biofuels
•Conversion systems
•Growth and harvesting
•Potential for developing countries
•Challenges and Opportunities
WHAT ARE AQUATICBIOFUELS?
Why ALGAE?

• Does not compete with agriculture

• High yield per acre

•Contains no sulphur therefore no SO2 emissions

•Non toxic and highly biodegradable

•Does not require soil for growth

•Uses as little as 30cm of water per year per hectare (open pond system)

•Adaptable anywhere even at great distances from water

•Abatement of CO2 – carbon neutral

 Oil yield per hectare of microalgae significantly exceeds other
common oil sources such as soya and rapeseed

33 times Oil yield from algae compared to soya and rapeseed 88 times
more than more than
rapeseed 40000 soya
35000
Litres of oil produced per hectare

30000 39 500
25000
39 500
20000 PBR*
15000

10000

5000 1190
1 190
446
448
0
Soya Rapessed (oil) Micro Algae

*PBR – Photo Bio-Reactor

 Photo Bio-Reactors?

•Using Photo Bio-Reactors is expensive

but it is a State of the Art Technology, it
produces higher yields than other
systems.

•However, Development and Processing

costs are still quite high and perhaps
not suited yet for developing countries.
Microalgae Biofixation Process – with wastewater
Open pond wastewater has demonstrated productivities of 100 tonne/ha/yr
tonne per hecatre per year.
 Costs and key performance parameters for Open Pond biofixation
systems for GHG abatement are:

• Land capital, cost of ponds, harvesting, processing, water supply,

infrastructure + operating costs (around US$120/tonne)

• Raceway mixed ponds capital costs of about US$100,000 per hectare

• Availability or transport of flue gas and/or waste water to the ponds

• Algal productivity / harvestability / processing

• Product values: biofuels, GHG abatement, reclaimed water, fertilisers, other

co products.

Caution – With present technology fuel only algal systems are not
plausible on their own - they require additional revenues.
Adaptability to developing countries – other key factor requirements

Algae production with Photo Bio-Reactors (PBR)

More suitable for Higher Income Countries
(due to higher start-up costs)

Algae production with MBP (Microalgae Biofixation Process)

More suitable for Lower Income Countries
(due to lower start-up costs)
AVIATION INDUSTRY
 FISH WASTE – From Aquaculture Farms

•Press the fish waste

•Oil is extracted through a water separation process at 90o C

•Manganese (Mn), methanol (9%) and caustic soda is added.

•The by-product glycerine is sold to the cosmetic industry and the

residues are made into fishmeal.

•1kg of fish waste can produce just over 1lt of bio-diesel.

Aquafinca - Honduras Agifish – Viet Nam
Fish Waste - Key points and feasibility for developing countries

•Technology is adaptable and transferable in many developing regions.

• It can provide livelihoods through the production of fish, and produce local
energy free from GHG emissions.

• Relatively little investment required.

• Fish waste could also promote more efficient utilization of aquatic living resources and
generate additional income for fishers' and fish farmers' communities.

• Adaptable on large fishing trawlers.

• Fishing Ports
 Aquatic Biofuels – Challenges, Opportunities and Gains

Algae

• Cost intensive especially for Photo Bio-Reactors may be suitable for

Higher Income Countries.

• Open pond systems are much more viable although real costs are still not
available, by-products can however make the process completely viable.

• Abatement of CO2 Mitigation from the conversion of the algal biomass to

renewable fuels – directly substituting fossil fuels – coal and gas

• Each tonne of microalgae biomass produced = about a tonne of CO2 abated

Both algal to bio-fuel technologies are therefore completely

Carbon Neutral
Fish waste

• The oil produced for bio-diesel is already marketable as fish oil, more fish oil
would have to be produced to cater for the demand in bio-diesel this may
disrupt fish oil markets.

• The technology is in place and is transferable to other developing countries

as pilot project studies.
PROJECT PROPOSAL

WORKING GROUP
tony.piccolo@fao.org
alessandro.flammini@fao.org
Thank you.
Questions?