NRELisanationallaboratoryoftheU.S.DepartmentofEnergy,OfficeofEnergyEfficiencyandRenewableEnergy,operatedby theAllianceforSustainableEnergy,LLC.

FullCircle:HowtoBringAlgaeBackintoBiofuels

AlgaeBiomassSummit

Phoenix,AZ

October25,2016

PhilipT.Pienkos

2

CostofAlgalBiomassProductionLargestHurdletoBiofuelCommercialization

Davisetal.2014.ProcessDesignandEconomicsfortheConversionofAlgalBiomasstoBiofuels:AlgalBiomassFractionationtoLipid- andCarbohydrate-DerivedFuelProducts.http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy14osti/62368.pdf

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CornBiorefinery

Farmdocdaily (UniversityofIllinios)2014ReallyWasanAmazingYearforEthanolProductionProfits.http://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2015/03/2014-really-was-an-amazing-year-for-ethanol.html.

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There’sMoretoAlgaeThanLipids

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CellDisruptionwithDiluteAcidPretreatment

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NewDesignCaseforAlgalLipidUpgrading

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CombinedAlgalProcessing

Extraction FAMEPurity FAMERecovery1st 92.5%± 1.0% 81.6%± 1.2%2nd 92.4%± 1.1% 8.9%± 1.6%total 90.6%± 1.2%

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SignificantCostSavingsbyValorizingAlgalSugars

PretreatmentSolidsloading(wt%) 20%Acidloading(wt%vsfeedliquor) 2%Fermentablesugarrelease 74%Carbstodegradationproducts 1.50%

FermentationFermentationbatchtime(hr) 18Sugardiversiontoorganismseedgrowth 6%Fermentablesugartoethanol 98.5 %

LipidExtraction+UpgradingSolventloading(solvent/drybiomassratio,wt) 5.9Totalconvertiblelipidextractionyield 87%Polarlipidimpuritypartitiontoextract <11.5%

HydrotreatingRDByield(wt%ofoilfeed) 80%

HydrotreatingH2 Consumption(wt%ofoilfeed) 1.70%FuelYields

Renewabledieselblendstock(RDB,%ofbiomassDW) 29.2Renewabledieselblendstockfuelyield(GGE/ton) 95.5Ethanol(%ofbiomassDW) 14.9Ethanolfuelyield(GGE/ton) 30.9Totalgasolineequivalentfuelyield(GGE/ton) 126.3

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HarmonizationProcess

CAPProcess

MinimumFuelSellingPrice

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SuccinicAcid:ValueAddedCoproduct

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ScalableOptionsforProtein-BasedCoproducts

• AnaerobicDigestion• AnimalFeed• MixedAlcohols• NutrientsforMixotrophicCultivation• Bioplastics• HydrothermalLiquefaction

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IfEverybodyHadaSurfboard…

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SterolSurfactants

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BiofuelProductionCostReductionswithCoproducts

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

RBD+AD RDB+EtOH+AD RDB+SA+AD RDB+SA+ES+AD RDB+SA+ES+GS

Relativ

eCo

stto

BaseCa

se

BiorefineryOptions

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TheWholeBarrel

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TheWholeAlgalCell

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Conclusions

• Primaryhurdleforcommercializationofalgalbiofuelprocessesliesincostofbiomassproduction

• Conceptualmultiproductbiorefineryofferspathforwardforacommercializablebiofuel-centeredproductionprocesso Lipidstofuelsandlargevolumemoderatevaluechemicalso Carbohydratestofuelsandchemicalso Proteinstofuelsandchemicalso Additionalopportunitiesforminorbutsignificantcomponents

• Therearesignificantchallengestosimultaneousdevelopmentofmultipleproductpathwaysbutcompaniesareformingthatseekspecificalgalfeedstockstreamsfortheirownproductionprocesses.

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Acknowledgements

• Bob McCormick• Jake Kruger• Earl Christensen• Lisa Fouts• Ali Mohagheghi• Chris Kinchin• Nick Sweeney• Eric Karp

• Lieve Laurens• Ryan Davis• Nick Nagle• Eric Knoshaug• Stefanie Van Wychen• Deb Hyman• Holly Smith

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AnyQuestions?