Algae: Emerging Options for Sustainable Biofuels
Nexant’s newly completed multiclient study, Algae: Emerging Options for Sustainable Biofuels, examines the entire range of leading algae technology and participants around the world. It covers a range of technical approaches for utilizing algae, from open ponds to closed reactors, and based on either CO2 photosynthesis or sugar feedstocks. Fuel products evaluated include biodiesel, ethanol, and methane, plus other coproducts or services such as foods, feeds, nutraceuticals, fertilizers, CO2 recycling to fuels, and water treatment. The study analyzes the multiple challenges and economics of the most promising of these variations
Various types of algae production for fuels and other purposes have been under scientific and engineering study for decades, but many technical and practical difficulties are apparent. In this study Nexant examines and assesses the following types of algal systems and issues:
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Biotechnology developments for microalgae, including bio-prospecting and trans-genomic research focused on either lipid or hydrocarbon fuel accumulation in cells, or for producing ethanol
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Algae growing systems, including open ponds and closed systems (photobioreactors, or PBRs), and sugar-fed growth of algae in non-photosynthetic closed systems (fermentations)
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Integration with generators of concentrated streams of CO2 (e.g., power plants, cement plants, petrochemicals, hydrocarbon reformers and gasifiers, fermentations, other such large industrial sources)
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Harvesting oils by various means - using oil-release algae, dewatering algae/extracting oils (with solvents, ultrasonics, etc.), integration with aquaculture (e.g., fish or shrimp eat algae, fats extracted, protein meal co-products)
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Uses for biomass residuals – cell mass as feedstock to ethanol fermentation or bio-gas production, other fermentations, food/feed, pyrolysis of residues, etc.
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Specialty chemicals co-production from the lipids (oleochemicals) or other biomass components made, co-expression of nutraceuticals, etc.
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The quality of fuel products made from algal oil – diesel, jet fuel, alcohols, other
Some Microalgae Species Currently in Commercial Production
The study also examines drivers for development and government policies and programs impacting algae systems development. Nexant identifies and profiles the various leading entities and initiatives, private and public, in this field and assesses their status of progress and prospects.
For airlines and military air forces, liquid biofuels are the only option for reducing carbon footprint, and algae oil can make excellent jet fuel. Renewables chemicals and polymers manufacturers also will need the non-food, sustainable feedstocks that algae can provide.
For further details, please contact Ron Cascone ( rcascone@nexant.com or phone: +1 914 609 0316). For more information on ChemSystems Reports, please contact chemsystems@nexant.com.
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©2009 Nexant, Inc.
