The Microalgae biorefinery

P.J. Harvey
University of Greenwich
p.j.harvey@gre.ac.uk
Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Talk outline
How did we get into this area?
The global shift to algae biorefineries
Our shift to algae biorefineries
The D-Factory
AB-SIG

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

2009-2013

EU ACP S&T

http://www.acp-nonfood.com/

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Dunaliella salina

Halophyte
~50-85% dry
wt glycerol
1st Energy Crisis 1975, Glycerol Algal Farm,

td = ~15 h

500 hectares in Sinai

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

NBT Eilat, courtesy A Ben-Amotz

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Glycerol: Very low emissions on combustion

Patent no GB2460996B Int. Application No.: PCT/EP2009/053274

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Glycerol

Water-soluble
Non-flammable
Non-volatile
High boiling point
Bio-production
Bio-degradable
No environmental
pollution

H
H

H
Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Uncovering
profitability and
sustainability:
BioCrude
to fine
19 Nov 2013
Medway Campus:
Engineering
Science
Faculty
running
onchemicals
glycerol-CHP

2020: Biofuels limited (5.5%) from

food / energy crops

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Eye spot (?)

Nucleus

Golgi

Nucleolus

osmotic
glycerol

Mitochondria

Starch
Pyrenoid

-Carotene
globules

Vacuole

elastic
cytoplasmic
membrane,
no cell-wall.
Chloroplast

TEM of Dunaliella to show cellular structures and distribution of carotene and glycerol
Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Schematic representation of
salt-upregulated metabolic
networks and proteins in
Dunaliella
(from Ben-Amotz, A., Polle, E. W., &
Subba Rao, D.V., Editors (2009). The
Alga Dunaliella: Biodiversity,
Physiology, Genomics and
Biotechnology. Science Publishers,
Jersey, Plymouth)

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Productivity
CO2 source, nutrients
Lake / raceway
Seasonality/cropping
Energy inputs
Ecosystem

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Bioprospecting for algae

Sequencing and
phylogenetic
analyses of the 28S
rRNA gene
Namibian strains
genetically distinct
from other
Dunaliella species
Harvey, P.J., et al 2012 20th EU Biomass Conf.&Exhib., 18-22 June 2012, Milan Italy pp 85-90.

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Glycerol synthesis in response to

osmotic shock

Glycerol pg/cell

250

4M NaCl
200
150

culture
transfer

3M NaCl
2M NaCl

100

No added
NaCl

50
0
-20

20

60

100 140 180 220

Time (min)
Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Modelling: Cultivation

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Harvesting

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Intact cells %

Harvesting
100
80
60

40
20
2000 4000 6000 8000 10000

Centrifugal field (g)

Algae paste in Evodos

SPT package:
>90% viable cells

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Economics
0.5 Ha raceway
3.5 tonnes biomass
Cost (/yr)

Glycerol only

Energy for process

Algae cultivation
Glycerol (250/t)

880,147
539,928
48,305

Electricity (0.100/KW)
Fertilizers (N,P,K, Fe) and other chemicals

Domestic Land City Taxes , Manpower, fresh water

CO2 400/tonne (cost not included)

Sea Water (0.25/m3(

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

7 200
523 593

6 775
87 460
9 560
19 Nov 2013

Cost (/yr)

Solvents
Ethanol
Cyclohexane
n-hexane
Alum/Ferric
Chloride
Trichloroethane
Energy
Cultivation
Products
Glycerol
-carotene
Profit/loss

Glycerol &
-carotene
1 865 720
739 544
741 217

384 959

880 147
539 928
48 305
48 305

2 639 711
539 928
14 329 313
48 305
14 281 008

-1.4m

9.3m

Glycerol only

Optimize 2

3 437 333
739 544
741 217

384 959

Optimize 3

2 067 206
739 544

1 327 663

1.571.613

2 639 711 1 305 193

539 928
539 928
14 329 313 14 329 313
48 305
48 305
14 281 008 14 281 008

7.7m

10.4m

Process integration still to be undertaken

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Market trends, anyone? How about the

shift from fuels to chemicals?
Biofuels Digest 30 Oct 2013

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Energy return on investment (EROI)

Liu et al Bioresource Technology Volume 148 2013 163 - 171

Low
sulphur
diesel

4
3

Metamodel:
algae bioenergy
lifecycles

Soybean
diesel

2
1
0
0

20

40

60

80

100

GHG emissions (gCO2e/MJ)

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Approach 1:
Lipids extraction and co-products

cultivate

Process coproducts

Energy
Materials

Esterify

Biodiesel

Extract
lipids

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

THE 50 HOTTEST COMPANIES IN BIOENERGY

2013-2013
2010
2008

2012

2013

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Approach 2:
Hydrothermal liquefaction
Biochar 3% wt
Biocrude

cultivate

HTL

20-60%

N + P + organic
acids 30-50%

Biodiesel
Petroleum
biorefinery

Petrol

CO2 CH4 1-8%

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Energy return on investment (EROI)

Liu et al Bioresource Technology Volume 148 2013 163 - 171

Low
sulphur
diesel

HTL: in 5 years
full-scale

3
Metamodel:
algae bioenergy
lifecycles

Soybean
diesel

2
1

HTL: Sapphire pilot-scale

0
0

20

40

60

80

100

GHG emissions (gCO2e/MJ)

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Energy return on investment (EROI)

Liu et al Bioresource Technology Volume 148 2013 163 - 171

petrol

HTL: in 5 years
full-scale

3
2
1

Cellulosic
ethanol

HTL: Sapphire pilot-scale

0
0

20

40

60

Corn ethanol
80

100

GHG emissions (gCO2e/MJ)

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Composition of microalgae vs. carrots (per 100g)

Spirulina b

Protein

Chlorella a

Dunaliellacde

Carrots b

57 g

67 g

35.4 g

1g

8g

12.9 g

7g

24 g

1.1 g

29.7 g

10 g

1214 KJ

1600 KJ

1893 KJ

180 KJ

Fibre

4g

8.7 g

0.4 g

3g

Chlorophyll

1g

3.9 g

1.54 g

NA

-carotene

0.34 mg

119 mg

8800 mg

8.3 mg

0.0 mg

503 mg

97.6 mg

0.26 mg

Total fats
Carbohydrates
Energy

Lutein/zeaxanthin
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Japan Food Research Labs no. 102042170, 21 May 2002; 103044178002, 20 May, 2003
USDA National Nutrient Database for standard references (release 18) 2005
National Measurement Institute, Australia, 2005
Craft Technologies Inc, USA
National Institute of Oceanography Israel 2005

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

The Microalgae biorefinery:

The D-Factory
KBBE.2013.3.2-02 (No: 613870)

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

The D-Factory
1. 10 million Euro FP7-funded project
2. 13 partners from 8 countries
3. Flexibly and sustainably produce suites of
compounds from Dunaliella to meet market
requirements.
4. Showcase a sustainable biorefinery demonstration

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

mutagenesis
chemicals
To

The D-factory

salinity

Lipids, phytosterols
Dunaliella
enzymes
bioactive peptides
glycerol

Environmental Assessments

carotenoid isomers,
oxycarotenoid isomers

light
nutrients
including
CO2

Dunaliella spray-dried

Economic Assessments

Current

Algae
product
tuning

starch
Recycling of saline process
water

CO2 Algal Biorefinery

Demo
Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Cultivation, harvesting of strains

Open Raceways
Nature Beta Technologies - N.B.T Ltd

Photobioreactors

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Extraction technologies

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Analytical and formulation technologies

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Modelling Assessments
Dunaliella Innovation Platform

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Part.
Participant organisation name
no.
1
University of Greenwich
Coord.
2

A4F AlgaFuel S.A.

3
4
5
6

Dynamic Extractions
Evodos
Hafren Investments
Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnolgica

Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg

In

Marine Biological Association

10
11
12
13

NateCO2
National Technical University of Athens
Nature Beta Technologies
Technical Research Institute of Sweden

Participant
short name

Country

Organ.
type

UG

UK

UNI

A4F

SME

DE
EVODOS
HI
IBET

UK
NL
UK
P

SME
SME
SME
SME

IFEU

DE

RES

IN

SME

MBA

UK

SME

NATECO
NTUA
NBT
SP

DE
GR
IL
SE

LE
UNI
LE
RES

Uncovering profitability and sustainability:

BioCrude
Nov 2013
The D-Factory
projectto
is fine
likelychemicals
to start 1st19
Jan
2014

AB-SIG Dunaliella
Genomic approaches

Mitochondrion

Chloroplast

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Summary
Advanced biofuels - lipid based or
glycerol - not currently commercially
available in large quantities
Global shift to algae biorefineries
Dunaliella - shift to algae biorefineries
The D-Factory
AB-SIG

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013

Acknowledgements
EU ACP S&T project: Financial assistance

from the European Union: http://www.acpst.eu/about : Turner & Townsend SA; Corissia, Italy; University of Ghana; The MBA, UK;
SANUMARC University of Namibia; Jatropha Africa,; Goldex; P. Hooks, G. Murta (Glycal
Namibia), Keith Cowan (Rhodes University).

Ecotec 21 project:

Aquafuel Research and others ,with financial assistance from the

European Union and University of Greenwich funded under the Interreg Channel Programme.

D-Factory collaborators:

V Verdelho Vieira, D Rooke, G. Harris, H. Hoekstra, M

Brocken, P. Goacher, J. Crespo, C Brazinha, G Reinhardt, L Martinelli, R Pipe, D Schroder, N.
Igl-Schmid, A. Kokossis, A Ben-Amotz, K Persson

University of Greenwich: Financial assistance:

A Abubakar; R Swamy; S

Habtemariam; V Trivedi; D. Bailey

Uncovering profitability and sustainability: BioCrude to fine chemicals

19 Nov 2013