Bioenergy-Biodiesel

Agenda Why biodiesel? How to make it? Biodiesel plants Biodiesel story Possible sources Transesterification Biodiesel plants Imperium renewables Biodiesel story Biodiesel/bioethanol discussion

Rudolf Diesel (1893) “The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today,” he argued, “but such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as petroleum and the coal-tar products of the present time."

Energy content Gasoline Ethanol Biodiesel 100% 67% 86%

Biodiesel versus bioethanol (1) ~12 x more (2005) *Europe currently represents 80% of global biodiesel consumption and production

Biodiesel versus bioethanol (2)

Biodiesel Biodiesel is not the same thing as raw vegetable oil. It is produced by a chemical process which removes the glycerol from the oil. Biodiesel Domestic Renewable For diesel engines Derived from oils and fats

Why biodiesel? Biodiesel Biodegradable Non-toxic Lower gas emission that diesel when burned (reduced green house gases emission by at least 68%) Commercially available in Europe and US Low S content High lubricity

Biodiesel production Biodiesel is typically produced by a reaction of a vegetable oil or animal fat with an alcohol such as methanol or ethanol in the presence of a catalyst to yield mono-alkyl esters and glycerol, which is removed.

How? Tranesterification: alcohol + ester → different alcohol + different ester Base of acid as a catalyst The oil is mixed with an alcohol, usually methanol or ethanol, and separated into methyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerol.

Transesterification Methyl esters

Biodiesel technology

Possible sources Vegetable oil (soy, canola, palm, rapeseed, coconut etc.) Non food plants (jatropha) Recycled oil (McDonald’s fryer) Animal fats (fish oil) Algae

Palm oil (1) Palm oil plantations-approximately 11 million hectares (2006) in the world Conversion of tropical forest in Asia into palm oil plantation Habitat destruction and potential extinction of certain endangered species (e.g. the orangutans in Borneo, the Sumatran tigers and Asian rhinoceros)

Palm oil (2) Palm oil is derived from the plant’s fruit A hundred kilograms of oil seeds typically produce 20 kilograms of oil Crude palm oil is extracted from the yellow parts of oil palm fruit

Gallons of oil/acre/year Algae to biodiesel Gallons of oil/acre/year Corn 15 Soybeans 48 Sunflower 102 Rapeseed 127 Palm oil 635 Algae 1850*cost Pond algae Greenfuels bioreactors

What are algae? Primitive plants closely related to fungi No true leaves, stems or root systems Reproduce by means of spores, cell division or fragmentation.   “Live" from excess nutrients in the water and sunlight   Over 17,400 species of algae have been identified and thousands more probably exist Not all of them produce high% of oils

Algae news (March, 2008)-PetroSun March, 2008 PetroSun's, commercial algae farm in Rio Hondo, Texas has begun production of algae for biofuel production. 1,100 acres of saltwater or wastewater ponds 4.4 million gallons of algal oil and 110 million pounds of biomass on an annual basis . Farming system will utilize native microalgae strains, so as to not disrupt local ecosystems. PetroSun has dedicated 20 acres of ponds for a proposed algae derived JP8 jet fuel research and development program. http://www.petrosuninc.com/index.html

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) (1) Resistant to drought and pests Grows on marginal lands India, South Africa, South East Asia Seeds contain up to 40% oil Oil in the seeds for biodiesel Residues for power electricity plants The plant yields more than 4x /ha that of soybean 10x /ha that of corn

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) (2) British Petroleum and D1 oils= D1-BP Fuel Crops Limited ($160 million over the next 5 years) Producing and growing jatropha seedlings 172,000 hectares of existing plantations in India, Southern Africa and South East Asia Imperium Renewables Growing Jatropha curcas in Hawaii as a feedstock for biodiesel production

Imperium Renewables (1) Imperium Renewables has constructed a new biodiesel manufacturing plant at the Port of Grays Harbor. The facility includes 8 main tanks that can hold 2 million gallons each, and 2 smaller tanks that can hold 500,000 gallons each. The rail line that serves the facility passes through the center of this photo. Imperium Renewables=the largest biodiesel facility in US.

Imperium Renewables (2) February 24th, 2008 Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 20% biofuel (coconut)+80% standard fuel (1/4 engine) No modification to the engine Washington ferries Issaquah, March 2008 B5 blend of canola biodiesel

Biodiesel cars The 86% fuel economy compared to 100% gasoline A smoother running engine due to the cleaning and lubricating properties of the fuel.  Other benefits Better smelling exhaust (french fries or a warm waffle iron). Special materials required for fuel lines, hoses, valves, gaskets B10, B20….

Bioethanol versus biodiesel Feedstock (competition with food industry) Major producers Process Yields Production facilities