ALGAE TO ETHANOL:

Using algae fermentation to produce ethanol

Why Algae?
Fast growers relative to other plants and animals
can double their weight every day

High carbohydrate/low lignin content Gallons of oil per acre per year
corn soybeans sunflower rapeseed oil palm micro algae 18 48 102 127 635 5 000 - 15 000

Processing Steps Algae to Ethanol

Processing Steps
sunlight CO2

O2

Algae

Processing Steps
sunlight CO2 oxygen

Algae
dilute slurry liquid

Concentration

Processing Steps
sunlight
CO2

oxygen

Algae
dilute slurry liquid

Concentration
acid concentrated slurry

Hydrolysis
heat

Processing Steps
sunlight
CO
2

oxygen

Algae
dlute slurry liquid

Concentration
acid concentrate d slurry alkali

Hydrolysis
heat yeast

Fermentation
cooling

Processing Steps
sunligh t
CO
2

oxygen

Algae
dlute slurry liquid ethanol

Concentration
acid concentrate d slurry alkali

Distillation
beer

Hydrolysis
heat yeast

Fermentation
cooling

Processing Steps
sunligh t
CO
2

oxygen

Algae
dlute slurry liquid

Digestion
stillage ethanol

Concentration
acid concentrate d slurry alkali

Distillation
beer

Hydrolysis
heat yeast

Fermentation
cooling

Processing Steps
sunligh t CO
2

oxygen

liquid digestate

biogas

Algae
dlute slurry liquid

Digestion
stillage

solid digestat e

ethanol

Concentration
acid concentrate d slurry alkali

Distillation
beer

Hydrolysis
heat yeast

Fermentation
cooling

Processing Steps
sunligh t CO
2

oxygen

biogas liquid digestate

Algae
dlute slurry liquid

Digestion
stillage

solid digestat e

ethanol

Concentration
acid concentrate d slurry

CO
alkali
2

Distillation
beer

Hydrolysis
heat yeast

Fermentation
cooling

Processing Steps
sunligh t CO
2

oxygen

biogas liquid digestate

Algae
dlute slurry liquid

Digestion
stillage

solid digestat e

Concentration
acid concentrate d slurry

CO
2 2

ethanol

CO
CO
2

Distillation
beer

alkali

Hydrolysis
heat

Fermentation
yeast cooling

Processing Steps
CO
2

CHP

~
solid digestat e

sunligh t

CO
2

oxygen

biogas liquid digestate

Algae
dilute slurry liquid

Digestion
stillage

Concentration
acid concentrate d slurry

CO
2 2

ethanol

CO
CO
2

Distillation
beer

alkali

Hydrolysis
heat

Fermentation
yeast cooling

Pilot Plant

Pilot Plant
Components
20m2 raceway with 0.55 kW paddle drive solar panels to supply heat to the digester

Pilot Plant

Pilot Plant

Pilot Plant

Pilot Plant
Components
20m2 raceway with 0.55 kW paddle drive solar panels to supply heat to the digester digester

Pilot Plant

Pilot Plant
Components
20m2 raceway with 0.55 kW paddle drive solar panels to supply heat to the digester digester compost tea maker

Pilot Plant

Pilot Plant
Components
20m2 raceway with 0.55 kW paddle drive solar panels to supply heat to the digester digester compost tea maker DAF container to make white water

Pilot Plant

Pilot Plant

Pilot Plant

Pilot Plant
Components
20m2 raceway with 0.55 kW paddle drive solar panels to supply heat to the digester digester compost tea maker DAF container to make white water stainless steel pressure cooker

Pilot Plant

Pilot Plant
Components
20m2 raceway with 0.55 kW paddle drive solar panels to supply heat to the digester digester compost tea maker DAF container to make white water stainless steel pressure cooker plastic fermenter

Pilot Plant

Pilot Plant
Components
20m2 raceway with 0.55 kW paddle drive solar panels to supply heat to the digester digester compost tea maker DAF container to make white water stainless steel pressure cooker plastic fermenter electrically operated stainless steel batch still

Pilot Plant

Pilot Plant
Components
20m2 raceway with 0.55 kW paddle drive solar panels to supply heat to the digester digester compost tea maker DAF container to make white water stainless steel pressure cooker plastic fermenter electrically operated stainless steel batch still various tanks, pumps, drums and buckets

Pilot Plant

Pilot Plant Results

Main Production Results
algae density growth oil recovery ethanol production 4 gram/litre 140 g/m2/day negligible 50 - 70 ml ethanol/m2/day

Moving Toward Commercialisation

Production Plant Projection

Item Pond area Installed power Capital cost Variable cost Fixed costs Selling price Sales Gross profit Units ha kW $ $/litre $/year $/litre $ $ 500 l/day 1.0 30 600k 0.05 17.5k 0.50 85k 59k 5000 l/day

Production Plant Projection

Item Pond area Installed power Capital cost Variable cost Fixed costs Selling price Sales Gross profit Units ha kW $ $/litre $/year $/litre $ $ 500 l/day 1.0 30 600k 0.05 17.5k 0.50 85k 59k 5000 l/day 10 150 2.75m 0.1 35k 0.50 850k 645k

Commercial Production
Physical requirements
relatively level site

Commercial Size Site

Commercial Size Site

Commercial Size Site

Commercial Production
Physical requirements
relatively level site water power to drive paddles

Potential deployment for emerging farmers

can be deployed to tribal areas relatively low cost for ponds ~ R75/m2 centralized conversion plant:
can use a tanker for moving algae nutrient and concentrate to and from algae ponds to centralized plant better economy of scale for larger plant better process and inventory control

Challenges to Commercialization
Oil price stability High capital cost Limited markets at small volumes Theft of product Challenges to tribal area deployment
Power for paddles: solar? Theft and vandalism cables, tanks and pumps are vulnerable

Summary
Production of algae to produce ethanol is economically viable Wild algae production does not require a lot of attention Can be rolled out for emerging farmers Conversion plant operation requires semi-skilled expertise

Growing algae in the snow!

Growing algae in the snow!

Growing algae in the snow!