1. Implementation of Algal Biofuel
Todd Fox • Julie Steady • Anna Villaver
Team France • 18 November 2015

2. What is Algal Biofuel?
Alternative renewable energy source to fossil fuels1
Algae strains that are grown and harvested to be converted into energy fuel2
1 Yeang, Ken. (2008). Biofuel from Algae.
2 Lai, E. P. C. (2014). Biodiesel: Environmental Friendly Alternative to Petrodiesel.
Infographic taken from the BioenergizeME Competition for the U.S. Department of Energy,

3. Cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, is being cultivated for biofuel and is acknowledged by researchers as a promising platform for biofuel production.
Photo from The Electrochemical Society,

4. History
Bio Intelligent Quotient (BIQ) House in the German city of Hamburg1
This self-sustaining building makes use of both solar thermal and geothermal energy allowing it to be cooled and heated without burning any fossil fuels1
Photo from The Archictecture Student,
1 Yirka, Bob. (2013). First Algae Powered Building Goes up in Hamburg.

5. Algal Biofuel Production
Grown in unusable agricultural lands, dark warehouses, the sea, open ponds, and algal turf scrubbers1
Pumps nutrient-rich water through bioreactors2
Infographic taken from Sopphire Energy,
Sapphire%20Process%20diagram%20-%20video%20res.jpg
1 Alaswad, A., Dassisti M., Olabi, A. G., and Prescott, T. (2015). Technologies and Developments of
Third Generation Biofuel Production.
2 Karsjen, Steve. (2015). From Green Slime to Green Fuel.

6. Algae is grown in a “bioreactor” at Purdue University for biodiesel production.
Photo from Purdue University News Service,

7. Algae-Based Biofuel Progress
Urban Algae Canopy for Expo Milano 2015’s Future Food District1
Future plans1 for a larger installation:
as much oxygen as four hectares of woodland
150 kg of biomass
Government agencies and several companies invested in making algae biofuel commercially viable2
Photo from
80/pictures#1
1 Blain, Loz. (2015). Urban Algae Canopy.
2 Demirbas, M. Fatih. (2011). Biofuels from Algae for Sustainable Development.

8. Urban Algae Canopy by ecoLogicStudio in Milan
This is the world’s first bio-digital canopy that integrates micro-algal cultures.
Photo from Domus,

9. Algal Biofuel Over Other Renewable Resources
Algal Biofuel is not as expensive as other renewable resources2
EnergyFuel made from wind turbines is limited to the country whereas algae can be used directly in large metropolitan areas2
Claimed to yield between 10 and 100 times more fuel per unit area than other biofuels1
algae biofuel compared to other renewable resources
algae is not as expensive as other renewable resources
Photo from
album=2012__The_Clever_Treefrog_2&pic=06_The_Clever_Treefrog_2.
jpg&dispsize=512&start=0
1 Stone, Dan. (2012). National Geographic: Can Algae Power the Future?
2 Lai, E. P. C. (2014). Biodiesel: Environmental Friendly Alternative to Petrodiesel.

10. Algal Biofuel Feasibility: Pros
Versatile renewable energy source; multi-use biofuel, feed and food1
Fast-growing biomass that can be harvested daily1
Agricultural compatibility2
Convenient Production/Growth Area2
No waste or pollution2
1 Karsjen, Steve. (2015). From Green Slime to Green Fuel.
2 Stone, Dan. (2012). National Geographic: Can Algae Power the Future?
Photo from
2015/07/Wynn-Network-Associates-Affordable-Care-Act-Obamacare-Pros-and-Cons.jpg

11. Algal Biofuel Feasibility: Challenges/Cons
Costs $8 per gallon1
Harvesting algae on a commercial scale is not currently efficient2
Algae species must be carefully selected; some produce more oil than others due to a high lipid content3
Water evaporation issues depending on climate in an open system1
1 Stone, Dan. (2012). National Geographic: Can Algae Power the Future?
2 Karsjen, Steve. (2015). From Green Slime to Green Fuel.
3 Malik, Arunima, Lenzen, Manfred, Ralph, Peter J, Tamburic, Bojan. (2015) Hybrid Life-Cycle Assessment of Algal Biofuel Production.
Photo from
uploads/2015/07/Wynn-Network-Associates-Affordable-Care-Act-
Obamacar-Pros-and-Cons.jpg

12. Questions?

13. Works Cited
(1) Alaswad, A., Dassisti M., Olabi, A. G., and Prescott, T. “Technologies and Developments of
Third Generation Biofuel Production.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 51 (2015): Print.
(2) Blain, Loz. "Urban Algae Canopy." Urban Algae Canopy. Gizmag, 12 May Web. 29 Sept
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(3) Demirbas, M. Fatih. "Biofuels from Algae for Sustainable Development." Applied Energy (2011):
WorldCat [OCLC]. Web. 2 Sept
(4) Karsjen, Steve. "From Green Slime to Green Fuel." From Green Slime to Green Fuel (n.d.): n. pag. Creating
Materials and Energy Solutions. U.S. Department of Energy. Web. 29 Sept
(5) Lai, E. P. C. "Biodiesel: Environmental Friendly Alternative to Petrodiesel." J Pet Environ
Biotechnol 5 (2014): e122. Print.
(6) Malik, Arunima, Lenzen, Manfred, Ralph, Peter J, Tamburic, Bojan. “Hybrid Life-Cycle Assessment of Algal
Biofuel Production.” Bioresource Technology 184 (2015): Print.
(7) Stone, Dan. "Can Algae Power the Future?" National Geographic. N.p., 29 Nov Web. 29 Sept
(8) Yirka, Bob. "First Algae Powered Building Goes up in Hamburg." First Algae Powered Building Goes up in
Hamburg. Phys.org, 12 Apr Web. 29 Sept
(9) Yeang, Ken. "Biofuel from Algae." Architectural Design, 10 Apr Web. 29 Sept
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