Algae Cultures to Biofuels Heather Sommers Molluscan Aquaculture April 25 th, 2007

Overview What is Algae Basics Types Importance Making algae into a fuel source Biodiesel History Hydrogen History Biomass How to Culture

What is Algae? Algae Simple plant Most live in water Photosynthetic Capture light energy Convert inorganic to organic matter Nonvascular Use lipids and oils to help float in water Range from small, single-celled species to complex multicellular species, such as the giant kelps

Types Red Algae Benthic Macro Green Algae Chlorophyll a and b Plants Freshwater Brown Algae Benthic Macro Kelp Marine Diatoms Single celled Silica cell wall Blue Green Algae Vertical migration Fix N 2 from air Freshwater Dinoflagellates Toxic; suck out O 2 Cause red tides Organic matter

Background Location Most habitats How many Over 36,000 species How does it feed? Photosynthesis All have chlorophyll Uses food, fertilizer, foodstock, pharmaceutical, pollution control, water treatment, dyes, agar, Fuels

Biodiesel History From 1978 to 1996 the U.S. Department of Energy funded a program to develop renewable transportation fuels from algae The main focus of the program was known as the Aquatic Species Program (or ASP) Production of biodiesel from high lipid-content algae grown in ponds Utilized waste CO2 from coal fired power plants (Department of Energy. 1996)

Why make it a fuel? Algae can be used to make biodiesel Produces large amounts oil When compared to terrestrial crops grown for the same purpose Algae contain anywhere between 2% and 40% of lipids/oils by weight Once harvested, this oil can be converted into fuels for transportation, aviation or heating High growth rate and easy to grow Warm Seasons Amphora sp. Tetraselmis suecica Cold Seasons Monoraphidium minutum Use of diatoms and green algae

Harvesting Biodiesel Microalgae have much faster growth-rates than terrestrial crops Algal-oil processes into biodiesel as easily as oil derived from land- based crops Use microalgae Less complex structure Faster growing rate High oil content How to harvest Open-pond systems Can be difficult Type of algae has to be hardy Can be less hardy and grow slower Use Bioreactor Tubes Use existing infrastructures Provides the raw materials for the system, such as CO 2 and nutrients Changes those wastes into resources. (Solix BioFuels. 2006)

Factories (Enhanced Biofuels & Technologies Ltd. 2007)

How to get oil Expeller/Press Algae is dried Oil content can be "pressed" out with an oil press Extracts 70-75% of the oils out of algae Hexane Solvent Method Uses chemicals (such as hexane and methanol) Can be harmful and explosive Cold press & hexane solvent = extract 95% of oil Supercritical Fluid Extraction CO2 is liquefied under pressure and heated to the point that it has the properties of both a liquid and gas This liquefied fluid then acts as the solvent in extracting the oil Can Extract almost 100% of the oils Expensive equipment

Oil Yield Gallons of Oil per Acre per Year Corn Soybeans Safflower Sunflower Rapeseed Oil Palm Micro Algae [based on actual biomass yields] Micro Algae [theoretical laboratory yield] Cultivating Algae for Liquid Fuel Production ( 2005http://oakhavenpc.org/cultivating_algae.htm

Other Uses Hydrogen Algae can be grown to produce hydrogen Discovered first in 1939 by Hans Gaffrom Late 1990’s it was found that if sulfur deprived, algae will produce hydrogen Biomass Algae can be grown to produce biomass Burned to produce heat and electricity Can still produce greenhouse gases

Biomass Yield Metric Tons per Hectare per Year Algae [USA average, 1978] Sugarcane [Brazilian average, 2005] Sorghum [India average, 2005] Cassava [Nigeria average, 1985] Oil palm [Global average, 2005] Cultivating Algae for Liquid Fuel Production ( NREL, 2005http://oakhavenpc.org/cultivating_algae.htm

Importance Algae is easy to grow Can produce a high yield of oil Oil can be processed into biodiesel Help to solve dependence on fossil fuels Can be better for the Earth

References Cultivating Algae for Liquid Fuel Production ( NREL, 2005http://oakhavenpc.org/cultivating_algae.htm Department of Energy, Office of Fuel Development. “Aquatic Species Program” Enhanced Biofuels & Technologies Ltd Accessed: Guiry, M.D. and Blunden, G. (Eds) Seaweed Resources in Europe: Uses and Potential. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN ISBN Mumford, T.F. and Miura, A Porphyra as food: cultivation and economics. p.87 — 117. In Lembi, C.A. and Waaland, J.R. (Ed.) Algae and Human Affairs Cambridge University Press. ISBN ISBN John Sheehan, Terri Dunahay, John Benemann and Paul Roessler, "A Look Back at the U.S. Department of Energy's Aquatic Species Program-Bio-diesel from Algae, Closeout Report", July 1998, NREL/TP Michael Briggs, Widescale Biodiesel Production from Algae, University of New Hampshire, Physics Department, revised August Sheehan, J., T. Dunahay, J. Benemann, and P. Roessler A look back at the U.S. Department of Energy’s aquatic species program - Biodiesel from algae. US Dept. Energy, Office of Fuels Development, Nat. Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO. Solix BioFuels, accessed: Websites: