1. Bioenergy-Biodiesel

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

3. 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."

4. Energy content
Gasoline Ethanol Biodiesel
100% % %

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

6. Biodiesel versus bioethanol (2)

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. Transesterification
Methyl esters

12. Biodiesel technology

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

15. 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)

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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.

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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.

23. 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

24. 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….

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