This document provides an overview of biofuels from algae, including a history of algae biofuel research, types of biofuels that can be produced from algae, advantages of using algae over other feedstocks, cultivation methods, harvesting techniques, and the process of converting algae biomass to biodiesel via transesterification. Key points covered include that algae have a high oil content and growth rate, can be grown on non-arable land or wastewater, and have the potential to generate up to 40 times more oil per acre than terrestrial crops used for biofuel production.

1. A SEMINAR ON
BIOFUELS FROM ALGAE
A
ALTERNATIVE SOURCE OF ENERGY
with
challenges and opportunities
By
Bhushan Bhusare

2. BIOFUELS
 Fuel is something that can be burned
to produce energy in the form of heat
or power. Fuels include coal, oil,
natural gas, and wood.
 Biofuels can be defined as liquid fuels
produced from biomass(Chisti,2013).
 They can be produced from
agricultural and forest products, and
the biodegradable portion of industrial
and municipal waste(Dufey,2006).

3. HISTORY OF BIOFUEL
 From 1978 to 1996 the U.S. Department of
Energy funded a program to develop
renewable transportation fuels from algae.
 The main focus of the program was known
as the Aquatic Species Program (or ASP).
 Production of biodiesel from high lipid-
content algae grown in ponds.
 Utilized waste CO2 from coal fired power
plants.
 First generation :-Bioethanol from starch
and sugar crop and biodiesel from oil crop.
 Second generation –Agricultural residues,
trees and grasses for production of
biodiesel.
(Department of Energy.
1996)

4. TYPES OF BIOFUEL
 Bioalcohol
 Use as Fuel
 More expensive than other
 Methanol, ethanol,butanol,
propanol are use in Bioalcohol
4
Fig.No. 1

5. AVIATION BIOFUEL
•Similar like kerosene
•There are 2 types: Jet A
and Jet B
•Use in Aeroplane
Fig.No. 2

6. BIODIESEL
•Pollution free
•Protect from global warming
•Made by green vegetable and corn
•Algae are also used
Fig no:3

7. SOLID BIOFUEL
 Made by solid material like wood
 Wood, sawdust, leaves,dried animal dung's are used
7
Fig No:4

8. WHAT IS ALGAE?
 Algae
 Simple plant
 Most live in water
 Photosynthetic
Capture light energy
Convert inorganic to organic matter
 Nonvascular
 Range from small, single-celled species to complex
multicellular species.

9. MAJOR GROUPS OF ALGAE
 Red Algae
 Benthic
 Macro
 Green Algae
 Chlorophyll a and b
 Plants
 Freshwater
 Brown Algae
 Benthic
 Macro
 Kelp
 Marine
 Diatoms
 Single celled
 Silica cell wall
 Blue Green Algae
 Vertical migration
 Fix N2 from air
 Freshwater
 Dinoflagellates
 Toxic; suck out O2
 Cause red tides
 Organic matter

10. CHEMICAL CONTENT-FOR BIOFUEL
 Algae are capable of the synthesis and accumulation of a
variety of high energy molecules, including fatty acids (FA)
and TAGs, the major feedstock for biodiesel production.
 Lipid content higher than 50% is frequently described in many
species, which represents one of the advantages of using
microalgae instead of vascular plants for biodiesel production.
(Chisti, 2007).

11. STORING THE SUN’S ENERGY
(PHOTOSYNTHESIS)
 What is needed
 Sunlight
 CO2
 Nutrients
 Storage of Energy
 Lipids and oils
 Carbohydrates
http://www.veggievan.org/downloads/articles/Biodiesel%20from%20Algae.pdf

12. ALAGAL BIOFUELS

13. 13
“There is no magic-bullet fuel crop that can solve our energy woes
without harming the environment, says virtually every scientist
studying the issue. But most say that algae… comes closer than any
other plant…” National Geographic October, 2007
http://www-csgc.ucsd.edu/NEWSROOM/NEWSRELEASES/2009/AlgaeForBiofuels.html

14. WHY ALGAE
 Global energy demand is increase for fossil fuel but
it is not sustainable
 Global warming
 Alternative source of fuel which are carbon neutral
 If food crop used may be arising of food shortage
 Less oil yield from plants
 Plant lifecycle and time span
 Land problem for crops
 Labors and fertilizers
 Energy security
 foreign exchange savings
(Balat, 2009; Kan,2009; Yenikaya et al. 2009,
Demirbas, 2011)

15.  Algae can be used to make biodiesel
 Produces large amounts oil
 When compared to terrestrial crops grown for the same
purpose
Once harvested, this oil can be converted into fuels for
transportation, aviation or heating
 High growth rate and easy to grow
 Warm Seasons
Amphora sp.
Tetraselmis suecica
 Cold Seasons
Monoraphidium minutum
 Use of diatoms and green algae

16. • Algae does not compete for land and space with other
agricultural crops
• Algae can survive in water of high salt content and use
water that was previously deemed unusable.
• Algae Biodiesel is a good replacement for standard crop
Biodiesels like soy and canola.
• High yield per acre
• Up to 70% of algae biomass is usable oils (Chisti, 2007).
• Contains no sulphur therefore no SO2 emissions
(Hu et al. 2008; Johnson and Wen, 2009; Rodolfi et al. 2009;
Pokoo-Aikins, 2010;Singh and Gu, 2010; Liu etal. 2011 ).

17. • Mostly non toxic and highly biodegradable
• Adaptable anywhere even at great distances from water
• Help to solve dependence on fossil fuels
• Microalgae can generate as much as 40 times more oil per
acre than other plants used or biofuels (Schenk et al., 2008).

18. EXAMPLE OF ALGAE USED IN BIODIESEL
 Botryococcus braunii
 Converts 61% of its
biomass into oil
 Drops to only 31% oil
under stress
 Grows best between 22-
25
o
C (71-77
o
F)
www.kluyvercentre.nl/content/ documents/Verslag2biodieselBaarnschLyceum.pdf -

19. WHERE TO GROW IT
 Extensions onto our water treatment plants
 Clean up our waste and generate fuel
 Agriculture runoff
 Exploit the county’s many farms and vineyard.
For waste water treatment
 Chlorella vulgaris, Scenedesmus obliquus, Ourococcus
multisporus (Ji et al., 2013), Chaetoceros mulleri (Juan,
2006) and Tetraselmis suecica (Perez-Rama et al., 2002).

20. Microalga Oil content(mg/l/day)
Marine strains
Prophyridium cruentum 34.8
Tetraselmis suecica 27
Nannochloropsis 61
Isochrysis 37.7
Chaetoceros calcitrans 17.6
Freshwater strains
Chlorococcum 53.7
Scenedesmus 53.9
Chlorella 42.1
Scenedesmus quadricauda 35.1
Chlorella vulgaris 32.6
Some algal strains and lipid content for Biofuel production(Rodolfi et al.,
2009)

21. CULTIVATION
Two basic alternative for microalgae cultivations
 Open system (Ponds)
 Closed system (Bioreactor)

22. OPEN POND
 It carried out in shallow basins open to environments.
 Most common types-
 Raceway
 circular
 inclined
 mixed
Molina Grima et al., 1999

23. ADVANTAGES OF OPEN POND SYSTEMS
 Cultivation can be made directly in pond
 Operation and maintenance costs are relatively low
 Used in pilot projects partially funded by the government
 In wastewater treatment plants
 In commercial scale algal cultivation for the health food
market.
 Spirulina ,(Arthrospira platensis) ,Dunaliella salina, Chlorella
vulgaris and Haematococcus pluvialis (for astaxanthin)
production.

24. BIOREACTOR
 These are systems where the cultures are
enclosed in some transparent
recipient.
 Types :
 plastic bags,
 flat panels,
 tubes,
 According to (Suali and Sarbatly,
2012),Vertical tubes are among the
most popular system
 easy maintenance, high surface to
volume ratio Increased surface area
 Capital costs relatively more
expensive
 Haematococcus pluvialis
commercially in Hawaii and israil.

25. ADVANTAGES
 Resistance to contamination by wild algae strains or
herbivores.
 Artificial light can be provided by any regular light
source such as tungsten or fluorescent bulbs.
 A locally isolated strain of Nanno chloropsis showed a
higher growth rate, lipid productivity and different lipid
profile under blue light (470 nm) when compared with
growth under white, red (680 nm) or green (550 nm)
(Das et al., 2011b).

26. Photo Bio Reactor Systems
http://www.braziltexas.org/attachments/contentmanagers/1/1Thurmond_PDF_Presentation.pdf
A Photo-Bioreactor in Translucent
Tube from GreenFuels
Global Green Solutions/Vertigro Vertical Photo
Bioreactor System

27. PROS AND CONS OF PHOTOBIOREACTOR AND OPEN PONDS
Issue Photobioreactor Open Pond
Control of of culture conditions
pH, temp.,dissolved CO2
Easy Medium
Susceptibility to culture
contamination
Low High
Water evaporation Low High
Productivity per m2 High Medium
Energy input High Low

28. FROM BIOMASS TO BIODISEL
(Solix BioFuels. 2006)

29. PRODUCTION OF BIOFUEL FROM ALGAE
29
Romano(2009)

30. HARVESTING
 The choice of harvest method will vary depending on the ultimate use
of the biomass.
 Example-Neutraceutical products may require physical processes for
harvesting, thus avoiding chemical contamination, and maintaining the
product’s natural characteristics.
 Methods used for harvesting of algae
 Centrifugation
 Flocculation
 Filtration
 Sedimentation
 Biofilm formation
 Nanoforming technologies
(Chisti,2007)

31.  Centrifugation(Dassey and Theegala, 2013):-
Advantages :
 The method of choice in small scale
 It is highly effective
 Capable of harvesting all but the most fragile species.
Drawback :
 The method is too energy intensive.
 Flocculation
 Chemical flocculents Chitosan or
polyacrylamide,alum(aluminium potassium sulphates).

32.  Filtration:-
Most microalgae are too small to be effectively harvested this way
since their small size and extracellular material quickly clog filters
that have been tested.
Chlorell vulgaris and Scenedesmus Obliquus=2 to 10 µm
Phormidium sp.=1 to 3 µm
Dunaleilla Tertiolecta=9 to 11 µm
 Sedimentation/flotation:-
Merit :
 Some microalgal species have the peculiar properties of either
sedimenting or floating in the absence of sufficient mixing. While
this property could be used to advantage in a least an initial
dewatering process,
Demerit:
 the applicability of this method would require a high level of
species control during cultivation

33.  Biofilm formation:-
 simple mechanical harvesting was achieved by simply
unspooling and scraping the cotton ‘‘rope’’ fiber that was used
(Christenson and Sims, 2012).
 In another approach,algae were recovered by simple mechanical
scraping (Ozkan et al., 2012).
 Nanofarming:
 The process doesn't harm the algae like other methods being
developed, which helps reduce both production costs and the
production cycle.

34. TRANSESTERIFICATION
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/fy98/24190.
pdf
ALKALI-
SODIUM OR POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE

35. WHAT AFFECTS OIL PRODUCTION?
 Climate
 Cold weather reduces algae oil production
 Overcast days reduce sunlight and lower oil
production

36. OIL YIELD
Gallons of Oil per Acre per Year
 Corn . . . . . . . 15
 Soybeans . . . .48
 Safflower. . . . . 83
 Sunflower . . . 102
 Rapeseed. . . 127
 Oil Palm . . . . 635
 Algae…. .1850 [based on actual biomass yields]
 Algae . .5000-15000 [theoretical laboratory yield]
(Chisti, (2007) Biotechnology Advances 25 294–306).

37. OTHER USES
 Hydrogen
 Algae can be grown to produce hydrogen
Discovered first in 1939 by Hans Gaffrom
Late 1990’s it was found that if sulfur deprived,
algae will produce hydrogen
 Biomass
 Algae can be grown to produce biomass
Burned to produce heat and electricity
Can still produce greenhouse gases

38. 38

39. BIOFUEL IN INDIA
 Oilgae
Company name Location
Oilgae Chennai
Abca biosolution pvt ltd(computer
controlled algae photobioreactor)
Punjab
Shirke energy Maharashtra
Biodiesel tech Kolkata
My neo energy Maharashtra
Growdiesel consortion Delhi

40. 40
Sapphire Energy- Using algae to make fuels
southern new Mexico. A 300-acre integrated algal biorefinery . Making
jet fuel. he plan is to make 1 million gallons of diesel and jet fuel per
year by 2011

41. PetroAlgae facility in Fellsmere, Florida
41

42. 42

43. DIESEL HYBRID-IN EUROPEAN UNION, SEPARATE
STANDARDS EXIST FOR BIODIESEL INTENDED FOR
VEHICLE USE (STANDARD EN 14214).
(Knothe, 2006).

44. WHY BIODIESEL
 Biodiesel is an acceptable alternative fuel for diesel
engine, due to its technical, environmental and strategic
advantages
 Biodegradability
 The characteristics of biodiesel reduce the emissions of
carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and
particulate matter (PM) in the exhaust gas as compared
with petroleum diesel, so is environmentally beneficial
(Knothe, 2005; Lapuerta et al., 2008).

45. CHALLENGES
 Isolate/select algal strains for mass cultures
 Manage ponds for algal species and culture stability
 Maximize overall algal biomass productivity
 Maximize C-storage products
 Demonstrate large-scale, low cost algal cultivation
 Develop low cost harvesting technologies •Processing
for biofuels and higher value co-products.
 Demonstrate waste treatment - nutrient recovery
 Photosynthesis limitation
 Light saturation

46. OPPORTUNITY
 Biomass is the leading renewable resource that can provide drop-in
fuel replacements utilizing existing infrastructure for light and
heavy duty vehicles and air transportation.
 Making the biofuel cheaper .
 Production of low cost bioreactor.
 Use of unused natural water resources for algal production.
 Genetically modified algae such as transformation studies.
 After lipid extraction use of remaining material for value added
product that may minimize cost of biodiesel.
 Grazing and contamination problem in open system.
 Phytological research .

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