1. 1 Algae Biofuel B. Greg Mitchell Scripps Institution of Oceanography University of California, San Diego gmitchell@ucsd.edu With contributions from Sempra Utilities, Earthrise LiveFuels, Inc, General Atomics Neste Oil and The Scripps Research Institute

2. 2 Algae very diverse: microscopic to giant kelp Efficient, rapid growth, can double biomass in a day Produce 50% of oxygen but are less than 1% of all plant biomass Few species have been studied for biofuel potential Chlorophyceae Dinophyceae Bacillariophyceae Algae are photosynthetic organisms CO2 + H2O + Light Energy  Biomass

3. 3 Ethanol and Biodiesel Feedstocks Must Be Expanded if They are to Contribute Substantially Reliance on food crops undesirable – and Limiting Cellulosic ethanol could be part of the solution Ethanol and biodiesel needs a non-food feedstock Algae Can Play that Role: Can be grown on non-arable land in saline water

4. 4 Unique Potential of Algae Biodiesel Soybean Based Biodiesel will never contribute more than a few percent of the possible US diesel fuel market ~20 million acres of algae would supply ALL US transportation fuel –Small fraction of current land use –US currently uses ~970 million acres for crops & grazing Crop Gal/Acre/yr Of Oil Soybean48 Peanuts113 Rapeseed124 Coconut287 Palm Oil635 Algae15,000 Yield per acre

5. 5 ALGAE BIOFUEL – REDUCED GLOBAL WARMING & LOWERED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS Algae requires CO 2 for growth therefore fuel is carbon neutral Possible integration to achieve low-cost CO 2 sequestration and nutrient remediation Uses all nutrients, minimizing eutrophication Biodegradable, so minimal issues with accidental spills /leaks Uses underutilized land, e.g. deserts Yields >10x those for land plants so much less land is needed Can grow in salt, or brackish water Can produce high yields of –Lipids for biodiesel – starch / polysaccharides for ethanol

6. 6 Encouraging Cost Projections Analysis by General Atomics

7. 7 OptionRate ImpactGHG ImpactMarket Readiness/ Issues Biogas - Manure, Wastewater, Stillage Neutral to slight negative based on scale HighReady Now; Needs scale MicroalgaeNeutral to slight negative High5 Years; Land requirement; Tech. development Energy Crops- Switch grass, willow hybrid poplar TBDMedium to High5-10 Years; Yields need to improve; land requirement and logistics issues Biomass Pyrolysis and gasification – Forestry Residue NegativeMediumNeeds significant development and scale economies for commercialization Evaluation of various Biofuel Options Sempra Utilities

8. 8 Engineering a Photosynthetic Hydrocarbon Mix Steve Mayfield The Scripps Research Institute Potential to convert light energy directly to fuel molecules

9. 9 Vision for a Center of Excellence for algae bio-energy research, development and demonstration

10. 10 Earthrise Algae Farm Calipatria, Ca Salton Sea Feasibility of algae farming proven Scale up for biofuel will be a challenge