Micro-algae for the production of
biofuels and bio-products
Stephen Mayfield
The San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology
University of California San Diego
Algae: Latin “Seaweed”
• Any of a the group of aquatic eukaryotic organisms that
carry on photosynthesis
– Range from microscopic single cells to very large multicellular
organism such as kelp
– Further categorized as brown algae, red algae, green algae,
and dinoflagellates
• Photosynthetic aquatic prokaryotes are known as cyanobacteria
or blue-green algae - and are also used for biofuels production
BioFuels are the Biological conversion of
sunlight energy into chemical energy
Carbohydrate
Protein
Hydrocarbons
Petroleum (algae) and Coal (plants) are simply fossil Biofuels
BioFuels are already a significant
business in the world
Food
Fermentation
Into Fuel
Photosynthesis
In crops
Photosynthesis
In Algae
Fiber
Burn for
Electricity
Natural Oils
Liquid Fuels
Why does energy matter so much?
And why is petroleum so important
Without oil
Without coal
Without nuclear
Source: 2006 Key world energy statistics, IEA
Utilization of the World’s
Energy Supplies
3.0
Billion
300
Million
The American Dream
has become the World’s Dream
Beijing Freeway 2009 - 19 Million New Cars in China in 2010
Energy consumption was up 11% in China last year
When Will the World’s Oil Run Out?
You are Here!
Data compiled from: EIA, BP statistical review of world energy, & nashawi et al 2010.
Thousands of barrels/day
Oil Production Over the Last 10,000 Years
www.eia.doe.gov
Time (years)
The End of the Hydrocarbon Era
Total World Energy P1 Reserves*
Coal
Oil
Natural Gas
Nuclear
Total Reserves
1013 TW-yr
582 TW-yr
539 TW-yr
60-300 TW-yr
~2194-2434 TW-yr
Assuming continued 2 % growth in consumption*
We will run out of all energy reserves ~2099
If world was at US consumption rates now: we would run out in 2048
* International Energy Agency, World Energy Outlook 2001:Assessing Today‘s Supplies to Fuel Tomorrow‘s Growth
Energy Return On Investment
The EROI for the Alberta Tar Sands is 5:1, Saudi Arabia it is 100:1
Canadian Tar Sands Oil are Now the #1 Oil Import into the US
Climate Change and the Impact of
Carbon Dioxide
www.scientific american.com
Anthropogenic Greenhouse Effect
Anthropogenic – human activity that has an affect on the environment
Carbon Dioxide
Transportation, heating and cooling,
manufacturing, deforestation
Nitrous oxide
Fertilizers, fossil fuels, soils and oceans
Methane
Agriculture, natural gas, landfills,
wetlands
Halocarbons
Refrigeration
Water Vapor
Most abundant greenhouse gas, but not
largely affected by human impact
IPCC Synthesis Report 2007
Measuring Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere
Charles D. Keeling
(1928-2005)
Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Hasn’t this happened in the past?
Yes – but the time frame has been much longer
The rate of CO2 change now is happening in a short period
Look at us now!
Highest level of
CO2in recent past
Ice Ages occur when carbon dioxide and
temperatures drop
Currently in a naturally
warmer interglacial period, but
it is coming to an end
What will happen due to the
higher levels of carbon
dioxide?
UNEP
http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/historical-trends-in-carbon-dioxide-concentrations-and-temperature-on-a-geological-and-recent-time-scale
Consequences of Sea Level Rise
in Gulf of Mexico
Why such a Disconnect?
• Enormous social-economic consequences of changing
• Scientists rarely communicate well
• Society has a science illiteracy problem
• A disinformation campaign is effective
• In some countries, this topic is politicized
• Media coverage of science is often poor
U.S. sets the example
but now it’s out of our hands
% Change in CO2
emissions
Rate of Change in CO2 Emissions
between 1971 and 2008
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
U.S.
India
China
IEA Statistics 2010 – Global CO2 Emissions
Worldcommunitycookbook.org
Food and Fuel Prices are
now linked
Oil
Price per Barrel
Price per Bushel
Maize
Solarnavigator.net
Jan 1980 – Jan 2011
U.S. Number 2 yellow, fob Gulf of Mexico
Jan 1980 – Jan 2011
Average of U.K. Brent, Dubai, and West Texas
Intermediate
Price per Bushel
Grain Prices also closely track
one another
Year
The Green Revolution
The introduction of modern farming techniques and higher-yielding
pest-resistant varieties of crops to significantly increase crop production
Started in 1943 in Mexico by Norman Borlaug
For which he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970
Millions of people
World Population and Fossil Fuel
Utilization Are Linked
Time (years)
Impact of the Green Revolution on Food
Production and Cost
Production Increased and Cost Decreased for Major Food Crops
Khush, G.S. (2001) Nature Reviews Genetics. 2: 815-822
How will we replace this energy source?
*Energy can neither be created nor
destroyed, it can only be transformed
from one state to another
Photosynthesis is the conversion of
solar energy into chemical energy
*First law of thermodynamics
The World Consumes 15 Terawatts of
Energy every Year - 85% Fossil Fuel
The Good News
The Sun Provide 86,000 Terawatts of Energy Every Year
Why algae as a conversion platform
Scalability
Productivity
Sustainability
Fungible Fuels
We burn 300 Billion gallons of petroleum a year
Efficient Growth and Oil production
Oil
content
(%)
Oil
Yield
gal/acre
Canola
40-45
113
Mustard
25-27
70
Safflower
42-48
146
Soy
20-22
55
Jatropha
32-35
202
Palm
48-52
635
Algae
20-60
~ 5,000
Crop
Growth Efficiency (MT/acre/yr)
50
40
30
20
10
0
algae
switchgrass
sugarcane
corn
5,000 gal/acre X 60 million acres = 300 billion gal
Processing Algae to Green Crude
Grow
Harvest
Extract
Concentrate
Once the oils are processed to green crude
they can go directly into existing oil refineries
Fungible fuels have been made from algae oil
Algaeus, hybrid vehicle crossed the country on algae-based
renewable gasoline or diesel 2009 - Sapphire
Many air flights using algae jetfuel
blends 2009 – Sapphire
US Navy amphibious vehicle run on algae
Biodiesel blend 2010 - Solazyme
Cost Analysis: Autotrophic
Cost of Oil: Alternative Growth Cases
$20
1.25 g/L/day
25% TAG
$18
Cost of Production ($/gal)
$16
Operating ($/gal of
lipid)
Capital ($/gal of lipid)
$14
$12
$10
25 g/m2/day
25% TAG
2.0 g/L/day
50% TAG
$8
$6
40 g/m2/day
50% TAG
$4
3.0 g/L/day
60% TAG
g/m2/day
60
60% TAG
$2
$0
OP
(base)
OP
(aggressive)
OP
(max
growth)
PBR
(base)
PBR
(aggressive)
PBR
(max
growth)
Davis et al 2011, NREL
Domestication of crops and livestock has
taken 7,000 of years of breeding
• No commercial system uses wild type organisms
• All large scale production relies on species that are
genetically modified (breeding and engineering)
Only Four Categories of Traits Matter in Agriculture
Yield
Harvestability
Crop protection
Product profile
Improving the Economic Viability of Algal Biofuels
Cost Per Gallon (in 2009 dollars)
Bio-prospecting
A.
21
Engineering
18
Breeding-selection
15
co-products
12
D.
B.
9
C.
6
3
petroleum ppg
0
2009
2010
2011
2012 2013
2014
Year
2015
2016
2017
2018
Algal Biofuel Process
Makeup water
Flocculent
CO2
Algae
Growth
10%
1%
0.1%
Settlin
g
DAF
Recycle water
Makeup solvent
Solvent recycle
Raw
oil
20%
Centrifuge
Lipid
Extractio
n
Blowdown
Phase
Separation
Spent algae
+ water
Recycle nutrients/ water
Hydrogen
Anaerobic
Digestion
Makeup nutrients
CO2
Solvent
Recovery
Naphtha
Upgrading
Diesel
Biogas
for
energy
Flue gas from turbine
Power
Green = algae cell density - 200 fold increase required
Davis et al 2011, NREL
What are the Challenges that Remain
• Reaching world scale production - engineering
• Sustaining investment to economic viability
• Achieve economic viability with a product
• Economic viability with a fuel product
• Achieve environmental sustainability
• Significant Energy Return on Energy Invested
The San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology
SD-CAB
http://algae.ucsd.edu/
Mission: The San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology (SD-CAB) was established to support the
development of innovative, sustainable and commercially viable algae-based biotechnology solutions for
renewable energy, green chemistry, bio-products, water conservation and CO2 abatement.