Cost Effective Production of Algae Oil - Mike Werst - Feb 2010
1. Algae Biofuel Research at the University of Texas at Austin Cost-Effective Production of Biodiesel from Algae Mike Werst m.werst@cem.utexas.edu February 9, 2010
2. Algae is the Clear Choice Market Opportunity “Biofuels Made from Microalgae Hold the Potential to Solve Many of the Sustainability Challenges Facing Other Biofuels Today” (US DOE) Highest Productivity Currently, algae can yield more than 2,000 gallons of fuel per acre, compared with 50 gallons for soybean oil and 650 gallons for palm oil Continuous Harvesting Growing algae is a continuous process, compared with the production of plants such as corn, which are typically harvested annually and stored for later use Bypasses the “Food or Fuel” Fight Algae can be cultivated in large open ponds or in closed photobioreactors located on non-arable land in a variety of climates including deserts Flexible on Water Quality Since algae growth does not require fresh water, it can thrive in brackish or salt water. Even treated waste water can be used, as the water itself acts as a nutrient to foster growth StrongestCO2 Advantage During photosynthesis, algae use solar energy to fix CO2 into biomass, which presents an opportunity to make productive use of the CO2 from other sources Value-Added Byproducts The remaining biomass residue is not waste and can be used as organic fertilizer, animal or fish food, and biomass for power generation Sources: US Department of Energy; The Lamp 2009, ExxonMobil
28. Life cycle analysis – Regulatory acceptanceResearch is on reducing process cost
29. Simplified Algae Oil Process Sunlight CO2 UT Program Biofuels Algae Production Harvesting Filtration Settling Processing Concentration Preparation Lysing Extraction Biodiesel Biogas JP-8 Ethanol Biomass Co products Feeds Fertilizers Energy Water Time Nutrients Make-up water
30. Algae Selection Culture Collection of Algae--UTEX About 3000 strains available Expertise in growth and identification Cellular engineering Optimize triglyceride production in existing species Genome analysis
31. GrowthCenter for Electromechanics Growth primarily to support process development effort Helping us understand species selection impact on processing Control of nutrient levels and light intensity to maximize triglyceride production Identification and control of predators Maintenance of healthy growth ecology