Rotterdam, Netherlands, March 22, 2011

World Biofuels Markets

How can we Scale-up Algae Production to Commercially Viable Levels?

Consultant, Benemann Associates and Director, Algal Biomass Organization Walnut Creek, California jbenemann@aol.com

John R. Benemann,

Brief: Topics to be addressed

the latest developments in algae research, the newest harvesting, dewatering and modification techniques, and debate how the process can be scaled up. identify product partners that ensure financial viability. scale-up in terms of supply of nutrients, water and CO2.

The year was 1975, and my professor in Berkeley asked me if I wanted to change the world, and I said, sure, lets grow algae, that started it

ExxonMobil 30 sec TV spot, 2010-11

ExxonMobil 30 sec TV spot, 2010-11

ExxonMobil 30 sec TV spot, 2010-11

the algae (cyanobacteria) will [be genetically modified to] secrete hydrocarbon fuels
ExxonMobil 30 sec TV spot, 2010-11
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WHY ALGAE BIOFUELS? HIGH YIELDS! projected

Oil yields Soybeans Sunflower Mustard Jathropha Palm Oil Microalgae liters/ha-yr 400 800 1,600 2,000 6,000 50,000*-250,000 barrels/ha-yr 2.5 5 10 13 40 300 - 1,500

*maximum possible long-term yield, much above that is fantasy no actual algae yields available, but are <10,000 liters/ha-yr 7 (ExxonMobil in its PR releases states it aims at ~20,000 l/ha-yr]

ExxonMobil TV Spot now banned in the U.K.

March 9, 2011: the ad stated "In using algae to form biofuels, were not competing with the food supply, and they absorb CO2, so they help solve the greenhouse problem as well". Because we understood that any CO2 absorbed by the feedstocks would eventually be re-released into the atmosphere, we concluded that the ad overstated the technology's total environmental impact and was therefore misleading. The ad breached BCAP Code rules 3.1 and 3.2 (Misleading advertising), 3.9 (Substantiation) and 9.5 (Environmental claims) Action: The ad must not be broadcast again in its current form. 8

Key Issues for Microalgae Biofuels to Debate:

What production system: photobioreactors (vertical or horizontal), ponds, hybrid, attached, mixotrophic* or ? What production process: continuous, semi-batch, twostage (trigger oil synthesis), attached, milking, excretion ... What resources: CO2, water, climate, fertilizers, land What co-products: animal feeds, wastewater treatment, chemicals (which?), food supplements, biogas, or ?? What algae: green, diatoms, cyanos, or ? (see other talk!)
* Mixotrophic: grown on light + sugars. I do not include dark 9 fermentations on sugars, that is a very different category

Cyclotella

Haematococcus

>100,000 >100,000 species, species, infinite infinite strains, strains, all all habitats habitats
Dunaliella Microactinium

Botryococcus Spirulina Chlorella

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Inoculum Tubes

First algal mass culture project (for Chlorella)

Plastic bag-type photobioreactors (PBRs)

Roof of MIT Building~ 1950

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40 ha design based on 1950s MIT rooftop plant

Fisher (1956), A.D. Little Co. carried out an engineering design-cost estimate for a 40 hectare system of plastic tubes estimating (2008 $) capital cost >$1.25 million/ha 12 Still pretty close to what we estimate now (best case)

During the 1950s Prof. W.J. Oswald pioneered high rate ponds (HRPs) for low-cost waste water treatment and biofuels production : shallow, raceway, slowly mixed ponds (paddle wheel mixing intruduced in 1970s)
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THE KEY ISSUES IN MICROALGAE CULTIVATION ALREADY WELL UNDERSTOOD IN THE 1950s
Production Systems: Ponds vs. photobioreactors Productivity (solar conversion efficiency) g/m2-day or tons biomass/hectare-yr, how to maximize (light dilution) Oil production: very high content after N or Si limitation BUT very low productivity a still unresolved problem CO2 sources (need), supply, transfer (a very dismal topic) Mixing why mix, how much to mix, what energy input? Harvesting how, costs (< 500 ppm, <50 micron cells) Cultivation selected strains, grazers, weed algae, etc. Processing how dry, make biogas (oil extraction later)
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U.C. Berkeley, Richmond Field Station,

Sanitary Engineering Research Lab. ca 1976 1st use paddle-wheels for mixing large ponds (and of bioflocculation harvesting)

Microactinium

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Raceway paddle wheel mixed high rate open ponds now the main (>99%) commercial production systems for microalgae

Spirulina

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Solix Biofuel Pilot Plant, 2010, in Colorado

Hanging bags in pool, note many valves, connections, etc.

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Commercial Photobioreactor in Germany

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Algatech Commerical Photobioreactors, Israel (>250 km tubes) for Haematococcus (Astaxanthin)

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Cyanotech Co. Open, raceway ponds, algae plant in Hawaii. Red ponds for Haematococcus pluvialis for astaxanthin, others Spirulina

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with open ponds: alternative inputs, products, scenarios

Basic Schematic of Algae Biofuels Production

Lundquist, T., I. Woertz, N. Quinn and J. Benemann, 2010 A Realistic Technology and Engineering Assessment of Algae 21 Biofuel Production, Energy Biosciences Inst., U.C. Berkeley

using PBRs to capturing CO2 E.on- Hamburg, Germany

NEXT TOPIC: CO2 - Many companies around world

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RWE, Germany, hanging bags PBR to capture CO2 from a coal-fired power plant.

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Biodiesel Power Plant with CO2 Scrubber, 320 kW output can provide all the CO2 needed and most (~80%) of power needed

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CO2 transfer sump at Roswell New Mexico Pilot Plant (Weissman et al., 1990, Aquatic Species Program,

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LOWEST COST BIOFUELS PRODUCTION SYSTEM

Lamellar settler harvesting

Sump for CO2 transfer Paddle wheel

Ponds, Christchurch NZ 5 hectares, 4 ponds Largest algae for biofuels project in world. Investigator: Dr. Rupert Craggs at NIWA
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Algal wastewater treatment with high rate ponds

Use high-rate ponds (raceway, paddle wheel mixed) for wastewater treatment, nutrient (N, P) reclamation, production of biofuels, greenhouse gas abatement

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Resource Limitations to Microalgae limit the global potential of microalgae biomass

Water Saline (near sea), Fresh (food competition), brackish (?) Nutrients - 5-10% N, 0.3-1% P, very high! must recycle efficiently Carbon CO2 from fossil power plants - sustainable? available? Land Must be nearly flat, clay-type soil (liners are expensive!) Climate Goldilocks (not too cold, not too hot, just right).

Water-Nutrients-Carbon-Land-Climate NEED ALL AT SAME SITE!

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current US food/fuel crops vs. future algae production

U.S. CROP SOYBEAN Avg. Yield Protein/oil 1,000s Ha Protein oil(equiv.) Mt/ha-yr Mt/ha-yr Harvested million Mt/yr - bbl/yr 7.0 0.77/starch 30,000 1.5 0.9/0.30 50/10 30/40 30,000 1,000 1,000 23,000 27,000 50,000 30,000 440,000* 60,000 --250,000 CORN GRAIN

THE POTENTIAL AND PROMISE OF MICROALGAE

ALGAE for feed 100 for fuel 100

NOTE: crop productivities are actual, algae are future projections CONCLUSION: 1 million ha of algae farms could replace US protein feed production (~ 10% of world) or ~1% of world liquid fuels use). Assumes 40% actual oil yield (2.5 bbl/mt, 40,000 l/ha-yr) from algae
All figures rounded/approx.: U.S. avg. corn yield avg. 8.2 mt/ha-yr adjusted for 15% moisture and yield of 0.5 l EtOH/kg dry corn x 0.67 for oil eq. and 160 l/bbl 29 Average soy yield and content of protein 60%, oil 20% (2 bbl/ha biodiesel yield).

Aurora Biofuels, Florida

Sapphire Energy,Energy, New Mexico Sapphire

planned, New Mexico

Examples of microalgae biofuels projects 2010

Eni, 1 ha pilot plant, Gela,

Sicily, Italy, operating

Algenol, planned Florida (bag PBR)

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THANK YOU! ANY QUESTIONS?

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Algal Biomass Organization

Not-for-profit organization with more than 170 members globally (>60 corporate members) Membership comprises, individuals, companies and research organizations across value chain Promotes development of viable technologies and commercial markets for renewable and sustainable products derived from algae Hosts and produces meetings, seminars and global events: Algae Biomass Summit 5,

Minneapolis October 25-27, CALL FOR PAPERS

Advocates on behalf of industry to local, state and federal governments

AlgalBiomassOrganization|www.algalbiomass.org

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