Algal Biofuel Technologies

24 Pages·2008·1.51 MB·English

Algal Biofuel Technologies
States Biomass/
Clean Cities Web
Conference
November 6, 2008
Al Darzins, Ph.D.
Principal Group Manager
National Bioenergy Center
[email protected]
[phone]
NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC
Advanced Biofuels in 2007 EISA

SSeeccttiioonn 220022 – RRenewabblle FFuells SSttanddardd setts ag gre ssiive vollu mettriic goalls :

To meet these goals, development must
2009 600 million

move beyond biodiesel and ethanol to fuels

22001100 995500 mmiilllliioonn
thha t are iin terchha ngeabblle wiithh traddiitiio nall ffuells
2011 1.35 billion and can be more easily integrated into the
current infrastructure.
2022 21 billion
Energy
2022
Independence
aanndd SSeeccuurriittyy
2015
Act (EISA)
Advanced Biofuels
of 2007 2012 (include cellulosic biofuels other
than starch-based ethanol)
EEPPAAcctt
2012
2005
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Billions of Gallons
Ethanol & Biodiesel Conventional (Starch) Biofuel Biodiesel
Cellulosic Biofuels Other Advanced Biofuels
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Major DOE Biofuels Project Locations
Geographic, Feedstock, and Technology Diversity
RSE Pulp &
Chemical, LLC
BBiiochhe miicall
Regents of the University of
University of Maine Woody Biomass-
Pacific Ethanol BioCcahrgeimll iIcnacl MVainrinoeusso ta Mascoma (Orono, ME) Mill Residues
Biochemical Various (Minneapolis, MN) Biochemical Mascoma (Old Town, ME)
Wheat Straw, Stover, (Minneapolis, MN) Flambeau River Hardwoods Biochemical
Poplar Residues Thermochemical (Upper Peninsula, MI) Various
(Boardman, OR) Montana State University Forest Residues/Wood Waste (Lebanon, NH)
Bozeman, (MT)
(Park Falls, WI)
NewPage Cornell University University of
TThheerrmmoocchheemmiiccaall DDOOEE GGrreeaatt LLaakkeess ((II thha ca, NNYY)) MM assachhu setts – AAmhher st
Woody Biomass – Mill Residues Bioenergy Research Center (Amherst, MA)
(Wisconsin Rapids, WI) (Madison, WI) GE Global Research
Gas Technology Institute (Niskayuna, NY)
DOE Joint Bioenergy Institute (Des PPluarindeuse, UILn)i versity STetecvhennoslo Ingsyt itute of DSM Innovation Center
(Berkeley, CA) Poet UOP, LLC (West Lafayette, IN) (Hoboken NJ) Biochemical
Novozymes Biochemical Thermochemical Univeristy of Various
Biochemical Corn Cob/Corn Fiber (Des Plaines, IL) Toledo (Parsippany, NJ)
(Emmetsburg, IA)
Various EEmmeerryy EEnneerrggyy (( Toldeo,, OH))
(Davis, CA) Thermochemical Iowa State (3) Alltech Dupont
GBieoncehnecmoirc al C(Soarlnt LSatokev eCr ity, UT) LBWiigoonocodhlye mBiicoaml ass-Ag (UAnmiveesr,s IiAty) PB(Wuioercdshut eeLm aUfincaiayvele trtsei,t IyN ) (CBWoioarcnsh hCeinomgbitcsoa/Cnl oCronu Fnibtye, rV(K BiYrlag) cinkisab Tuercgh, VA) BV(Waiorilicmohuiensm

gitcoanl
, DE)
Various Residues

(Palo Alto, CA) (Grand Junction, CO) Abengoa ICM Research Triangle Institute (2)
Biochemica Biochemical DOE Bioenergy Science Thermochemical

BlueFire Ethanol Agricultural Residue Switchgrass, Forage Center Woody Biomass

Ceres, Inc Biochemical (Hugoton, KS) Sorghum, Stover (Oak Ridge, TN) (Research Triang
le Park, NC)
Various Municipal Solid Waste (St. Joseph, MO) University of Georgia

((TThhoouussaanndd OOaakkss , CCAA)) ((MM ecca, CCAA)) ((AAtthhe ns, GGAA))
Southern Research Georgia Tech
Verenium Corp Institute (Atlanta, GA)
Biochemical Thermochemical
Various Various Range Fuels
(San Diego, CA) (Birmingham, AL) Thermochemical
Woody Waste
Nine Small-Scale Biorefinery Projects (Soperton, GA)
Four Commercial-Scale Biorefinery Projects
Verenium Biofuels Corp.
Biochemical Process
Four Improved Enzyme Projects
Energy Cane and Bagasse
(Jennings, LA)
Five Projects for Fermentation Organisms
Five Thermochemical Syngas Projects
Reggional Partnershipps
TThh ree OOffffii ce off SSc ii ence BBii oenergy CCe ntte rs
South Dakota State Univ., Brookings, SD

DOE Joint Solicitation Biomass Projects Cornell University, Ithaca, NY

Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN

Five Thermochemical Bio-Oil Projects Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater, OK

Oregon State Univ., Corvallis, OR
Six University Projects

Modified 10/1/2008
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Biofuel Challenges: Energy Density

Cellulosic ethanol addresses the gasoline market
• U.S. gasoline usage: 140 billion gallons/year

• DDooeessnn ’tt aaddddrreessss nneeeedd ffoorr hhiigghheerr -eenneerrggyy ddeennssiittyy ffuueellss

Energy Densities (Lower Heating Value)
Ethanol Gasoline Biodiesel Diesel/Jet Fuel
76,330 Btu/gal 116,090 Btu/gal 118,170 Btu/gal 128,545/135,000 Btu/gal
• U.S. petroleum diesel: 66 billion gallons/year

•• UU. SS . jjeett ffuueell:: 2255 bbiilllliioonn ggaalllloonnss//yyeeaarr
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Advanced Biofuel Options

• Recent studies highlight the potential of
advanced biofuels other than cellulosic
eetthhaannooll.
• Compared to ethanol, next generation
biofuels will be more similar in chemical
makeup to gasoline and diesel fuels.
• Compatibility with the existing infrastructure
mmaayy eexxppeeddiittee rraappiidd ddiissppllaacceemmeenntt ooff

petroleum (hydrocarbon-based fuels) in

the market.
Green gasoline
Hydrocarbon-Compatible
Cellulosic biobutanol (Infrastructure-Compatible)
AAllggaall --bbaasseedd bbiiooddiieesseell//ggrreeeenn ddiieesseell AAddvvaanncceedd BBiiooffuueellss
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
The Biodiesel Dilemma

Triglycerides (TAGs) from oilseed crops can’t come close to
meeting U.S. diesel demand (60+ billion gal/yr)
– UU. SS . ssooyy ooiill:: 33 BB ggaalllloonnss ppeerr yyeeaarr
– Conversion to biodiesel replaces

only 5% of petroleum diesel usage

– This agricultural productivity can’t

be diverted from the food supply.

– Cost of feedstock increasing
– Input costs high – must compete

with high valued food market

Alternative sources of TAGs are needed!

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Algae: Numerous Bioenergy Routes

DDeffiin iing
Microalgae Macroalgae
a Biofuels
PPoorrttffoolliioo
From
Microalggae
e
t
a
i
d
Lipids or
e HHyyddrrooggeenn CCaarrbboohhyyddrraatteess BBiioommaassss
mm Hydrocarbons
r
e
t
n
I
Syngas Methane
l Alkanes or Alcohols
e
Hydrogen Biodiesel FT Liquids Methane
u
“Green Diesel” (Ethanol)
F
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Why Fuels from Algal Oil?

•• MMiicroallgae hha ve hhiighh-llii piidd conttentt ((6600%%)); rapiidd
growth rates (one doubling/day); produce more lipids
per acre than other terrestrial plants --10x - 100x
• Can use non-arable land; saline/brackish water
• No competition with food or feed
• UUttiilliize llarge wastte CCOO resources ((ii.e., ffllue gases))
2
• Potential to displace significant % U.S. diesel/jet
Images courtesy:
Lee Elliott, CSM
fuel usage

Fluorescence micrograph showing

stained algal oil droplets (green)

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
Comparing Potential Oil Yields

Crop Oil Yield
Gallons/acre
CCoorrnn 1188
Cotton 35
SSooyybbeeaann 4488
Mustard seed 61
SSuunnfflloowweerr 110022
Rapeseed 127
Jatropp ha 202
Oil palm 635
Algg ae ((10gg/m2 /dayy- 15%)) 1200
Algae (50g/m2/day-50%) 10,000*
Images courtesy: Q. Hu, ASU
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future
DOE’s Aquatic Species Program (ASP)

• DOE sponsored research project (1978-1996)
• Goal: Develop renewable transportation fuels

from algae

• Focus: Production of biodiesel from high lipid-

content algae grown in ponds

• Accomplishments:

– AAdd vances ii n appllii edd bbii oll ogy andd dd esii gn off

algae production systems

– 3,000 strains of algae collected and screened
– 1,000 m2 outdoor test facility operated for 12

continuous months in Roswell, New Mexico See the close-out report at:

http://govdocs.aquake.org/cgi/reprint/2004
– Cost estimates for algal lipids $40 - $70 per
/915/9150010.pdf

bbl oil (Benemann and Oswald, 1996)

Termination reasons:
– NREL’s final report is still referenced and used

• Decreasing federal budgets
as information/data source for algae

• Fooccuuss oon cceelluuloossicc eetthaanool
rreesseeaarrcchheerrss aanndd iimmpplleemmeenntteerrss wwoorrllddwwiiddee

• Algal diesel not competitive
with petro diesel at $20/barrel
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future