From ALPHA to OMEGA

http://blog.planetos.com/nasa-omega-project-the-ocean-as-a-platform-for-biofuel/
 Offshore Membrane Enclosures
for Growing Algae (OMEGA)

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/research/OMEGA/#.VQ1FSPmUc9Q
 Agricultural runoff
● Excess fertiliser use for crops and
excess manure from livestock

● In Germany, agricultural nitrogen

surpluses are regionally different
○ high livestock density are
particularly problematic i.e.
north-western Germany

● Agricultural runoff leads to polluted

groundwater and surface waters →
eutrophication → biodiversity loss
in water based ecosystems

(Souce:
https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/sites/default/files/medien/421/
publikationen/
180608_uba_fl_umwelt_und_landwirtschaft_engl_bf_neu.pdf)
Biofuels – the green alternative
• Derived form biological materials through biomass conversion
• Renewable
• Production requires more effort and resources
• Can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Release CO2 when burning
• Biofuel production consumes it back
• Types:
• Ethanol
• Biodiesel
• Bio gasoline
• Bio butanol
• Methane
• Jet fuel
Integrated concept of seaweeds grown in wastewater for crude bio-oil production and wastewater treatment
(A) and pathways of thermochemical conversion of seaweeds to bio-oil using on-site thermal decomposition
(B), dotted lines represent heat recovery
 Evolution of Biofuel Production

http://www.responsiblebusiness.eu/display/rebwp7/Technology
1st Generation vs. 2nd Generation
1st Generation:
• Produced mainly from agricultural
crops traditionally grown for food
and animal purposes
• Wheat, sugar cane and oily seeds
• Contribute to higher food prices,
carbon stores & land use
• Net energy negative
2nd Generation:
• Produced from non-edible crops
grown on non-arable land
• Lignocellulosic biomass or woody
crops, agricultural residues or
organic waste
• Harder to extract the required fuel
• Potential to be net energy positive
Agenda
• Introduction to Biofuels
• Why Algae Biofuel?
• Production Process
• Production Costs
• Rates of Improvement
• Entrepreneurial Opportunities
• Conclusion
Algal Basics
• Algae are simple plants that range from microalgae to large
seaweeds, such as giant kelp
• Algae can be grown using brackish-, sea-, and wastewater
unsuitable for cultivating agricultural crops
• Most microalgae grow through photosynthesis by
converting sunlight, CO2, and a few nutrients, including
nitrogen and phosphorous, into biomass
• Other algae can grow in the dark using sugar or starch
 Why Algae Biofuel?
• Can be grown on marginal lands useless for ordinary crops
• High yield per acre – have a harvesting cycle of 1–10 days
• Can be grown with minimal impact on fresh water resources
• Can be grown using flue gas from power plants as
a CO2 source
• Can convert a much higher fraction of biomass to oil than
conventional crops, e.g. 60% versus 2-3% for soybean

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algae_fuel
Comparison of Oil Yields
• Algae yield is multiple times higher than
other biofuel crops
Algae Biofuel vs. Other Biofuels
• Algae biofuel production also fares better than others in
greenhouse gas emissions and resources needed for fuel
manufacturing, except energy
 Biofuel Energy Density Comparison
• Algae oil energy density is comparable to currently used
biofuels

60
Energy Density (MJ/kg)

50

40

30

20

10

Biofuels
http://biofuel.org.uk/types-of-biofuels.html
Agenda
• Introduction to Biofuels
• Why Algae Biofuel?
• Production Process
• Production Costs
• Rates of Improvement
• Entrepreneurial Opportunities
• Conclusion
Algae Biofuel Production Process
Energy and mass balance for economic evaluation
 Overview of Algae Production

Pyrolysis

Source: Biofuels from algae: challenges and potential, Michael Hannon et al.
 Algae Oil Production Process

Source: T.J. Lundquist et al: A Realistic Technology and Engineering Assessment of Algae Biofuel Production
 Algae Species
• Microalgae preferred:
• Highest-yielding algae in the wild – Aquatic unicellular
green algae (Chlorophyceae)
• High growth rates & population densities
Microalgal species Oil
• Can double its biomass in < 24 hours content(%)
Ankistrodesmus TR-87 28-40
• Harvesting cycle: 1-10 days
Botryococcus braunii 29-75
• Less complex structure Chlorella sp. 29
Chlorella 15-55
• Higher oil content protothecoides(autotrophic/ he
terothrophic)
• Produces oil, protein & sugars Cyclotella DI- 35 42
Dunaliella tertiolecta 36-42
• Areas of improvements Hantzschia DI-160 66
• Polycultures Nannochloris
Nannochloropsis
31(6-63)
46(31-68)
• Genetic engineering: Nitzschia TR-114
Phaeodactylum tricornutum
28-50
31
• Improve traits – tolerant to harsh conditions
Scenedesmus TR-84 45
& enhanced growth & yield Stichococcus 33(9-59)
• Biosafety issue –may facilitate survival and growth of Tetraselmis suecica
Thalassiosira pseudonana
15-32
(21-31)
GE algae in unmanaged ecosystems, detrimental to Crpthecodinium cohnii 20

natural environment Neochloris oleoabundans 35-54

Schiochytrium 50-77

http://www.oilgae.com/algae/oil/yield/yield.html#sthash.f2Udun8U.dpuf
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10811-010-9644-1
Algae Growth Methods
 Dominant Growth Method
• Open pond is likely to become dominant:
• Lower capital investment
• Easy to scale up
• No cleaning required
• Yield improvement because of genetic engineering and polycultures
• Contamination risk can be reduced by genetic engineering and
polycultures

ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/011/ak333e/ak333e00.pdf
 Current Oil Extraction Process

http://sjvceonews.blogspot.sg/2010_10_01_archive.html
 Future Oil Extraction Process

http://sjvceonews.blogspot.sg/2010_10_01_archive.html
 Future Oil Extraction Process

http://sjvceonews.blogspot.sg/2010_10_01_archive.html
 Biomass Processing – Cost Improvement

Source: http://www.energytrendsinsider.com/2012/05/07/current-and-projected-costs-for-biofuels-from-algae-and-pyrolysis/
 Impact of Improvements on Future
Algae Cost

Source: http://www.energytrendsinsider.com/2012/05/07/current-and-projected-costs-for-biofuels-from-algae-and-pyrolysis/
Agenda
• Introduction to Biofuels
• Why Algae Biofuel?
• Production Process
• Production Costs
• Rates of Improvement
• Entrepreneurial Opportunities
• Conclusion
 Biofuels vs. Fossil Fuels

http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/prices.html
 Biofuel Production

Source: http://antaresgroupinc.com/algae-biofuels/
Agenda
• Introduction to Biofuels
• Why Algae Biofuel?
• Production Process
• Production Costs
• Rates of Improvement
• Entrepreneurial Opportunities
• Conclusion
Summary of where Improvements Occur
• Improvement in production methods. For example:
• Using flue gas
• Using waste water
• Using genetically engineered algae to increase oil yield
• Improvement in harvesting methods. For example:
• Liquefaction
• Hydrogenation
• Pyrolysis
• Improvement in technology  Conversion of algae to
different form of fuel. For example:
• Bio-ethanol; Bio-methane;
• Bio-hydrogen; Bio-butanol;
• Bio-Diesel; bio-gasoline;
• Jet fuel
 Timeline for Algal Fuel

Source: Algae 2020 study, Emerging Markets Online Consulting Services

 Biofuel Demand in Transport Sector by
Region

ExaJoules (EJ) = 10^18 Joules

Major part of this demand is expected to be fulfilled by algae biofuel since

it has high potential in terms of technology and yield.
Source: https://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/Biofuels_Roadmap_WEB.pdf
 Global Energy Use in the Transport
Sector in 2050

Global energy use in the transport sector (left) and use of biofuels in
different transport modes (right) in 2050
Source: https://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/Biofuels_Roadmap_WEB.pdf
 How Government Policy Affects Biofuel
Use

Source: Battle for the Barrel, Robert F. Service

 Inhibiting Factors
• Algaculture is performed mainly to produce high added value
compounds used in food and cosmetics
Product Type Unique Product Price/Kg
Healthfood Spirulina ~S$ 12
Food for aquatic organisms Nannochloropsis ~S$ 725
Vitamin A precursor ß-carotene ~S$ 1,450
Anti-oxidant Astaaxanthin ~S$ 15,000
Fatty acids 13C labelled fatty acids ~S$ 51 M
Algal Biofuel ~S$ 9
• Biggest inhibiting factors are capital, harvesting and fuel extraction costs
• New methods of energy-efficient extraction of fuel is needed e.g.
hydrolysis
Source: Energy-efficient extraction of fuel and chemical feedstocks from algae, Rodrigo E. Teixeira
Algae-based Biofuels: A Review of Challenges and Opportunities for Developing Countries
Agenda
• Introduction to Biofuels
• Why Algae Biofuel?
• Production Process
• Production Costs
• Rates of Improvement
• Entrepreneurial Opportunities
• Conclusion
Commercial Uses of Algae

Biogas Bioethanol

Cosmetics Nutraceuticals
Pharmaceuticals
Vitamins
Biodiesel Biobutanol
Biofuel

Food

Bioplastics

Feedstock Animal feed Fertilizer/nutrients

 Algal Products

http://solazyme.com/innovation/
 Building Powered by Algae
• Building in Hamburg with a facade of bioreactors
• Bioreactors contain algae which generate biomass and heat sustainably
• System provides thermal and sound insulation
• Algae biomass can be harvested and converted to biogas, or used in
pharmaceutical and food products

SolarLeaf – bioreactor façade

http://syndebio.com/biq-algae-house-splitterwerk/
 Algae Architecture

http://www.lyxia.com/algal-architecture-and-automobile-design/
What Changes might enable Algae
Farming in buildings?
Glass Production Technology
• Ultra-strong glass with thinner walls
• Increased light penetration and larger volumes
• Mechanical stability allows continuous in-line cleaning
Efficient use of Lightings
• Redirect sunlight into building interior
• Use of existing LED lightings at night for continuous algae production
Genetic Modification of Algae
• Significantly higher concentration in terms of mass per litre
• Grow in the dark algae strains created through genetic modification
Policies enabling the use of empty spaces
• External walls, rooftops & walls of stairwells
Cost per kilowatt hour needs to become lower
• Current estimates: cost per kilowatt-hour produced by algae bioreactors would be 7
times as much as solar power and 14 times as much as crude oil
Agenda
• Introduction to Biofuels
• Why Algae Biofuel?
• Production Process
• Production Costs
• Rates of Improvement
• Entrepreneurial Opportunities
• Conclusion
Conclusion
Algae Biofuel is a very promising candidate to replace fossil fuels
• Algae’s cultivation does not require that it compete with food crops
• Ability for algae to be cultivated on non-arable land, using saltwater,
greatly reduces its impact on the environment
• Produces over 20 times the oil production of any food crop - an acre of
algae can produce almost 5,000 gallons of biodiesel
• Production can reach 60 billion gallons/year that could replace all diesel in
the U.S.
• However, current economic climate makes development of algal programs
quite costly
• For algae to be truly competitive, it should receive its own share of the
subsidies currently only allocated to feedstock
• A highly feasible way to continue biofuel development while remaining
commercially competitive is to produce algal fuel as a co-product to more
lucrative products such as animal feed and nutraceuticals product
Thank You!
Any Questions?