Stephen MayfieldThe San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology

University of California San Diego

Micro-algae for the production of biofuels and bio-products

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

ProteinCarbohydrate Hydrocarbons

Petroleum (algae) and Coal (plants) are simply fossil Biofuels

PhotosynthesisIn crops

FermentationInto FuelFood

Natural Oils Liquid FuelsPhotosynthesis

In Algae

FiberBurn for

Electricity

BioFuels are already a significant business in the world

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

300Million

3.0Billion

The American Dream has become the World’s Dream

Beijing Freeway 2009 - 19 Million New Cars in China in 2010Energy consumption was up 11% in China last year

Data compiled from: EIA, BP statistical review of world energy, & nashawi et al 2010.

You are Here!

When Will the World’s Oil Run Out?

Oil Production Over the Last 10,000 Years

Time (years)

Thou

sand

s of

bar

rels

/day

www.eia.doe.gov

The End of the Hydrocarbon EraTotal World Energy P1 Reserves*Coal 1013 TW-yr Oil 582 TW-yrNatural Gas 539 TW-yr Nuclear 60-300 TW-yr Total Reserves ~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 100:1Canadian 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 EffectAnthropogenic – human activity that has an affect on the environment

IPCC Synthesis Report 2007

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

Charles D. Keeling

(1928-2005)

Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii

Measuring Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Hasn’t this happened in the past?

UNEP

Yes – but the time frame has been much longerThe rate of CO2 change now is happening in a short period

Ice Ages occur when carbon dioxide and temperatures drop

http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/historical-trends-in-carbon-dioxide-concentrations-and-temperature-on-a-geological-and-recent-time-scale

Highest level of CO2in recent past

Look at us now!

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?

Consequences of Sea Level Rise in Gulf of Mexico

•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

Why such a Disconnect?

U.S. sets the example but now it’s out of our hands

Rate of Change in CO2 Emissions between 1971 and 2008

U.S.India

China

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

% C

hang

e in

CO

2

em

issi

ons

IEA Statistics 2010 – Global CO2 Emissions

Food and Fuel Prices are now linked

Maize

U.S. Number 2 yellow, fob Gulf of Mexico

Oil

Average of U.K. Brent, Dubai, and West Texas Intermediate

Pric

e pe

r Bar

rel

Pric

e pe

r Bus

hel

Worldcommunitycookbook.org Solarnavigator.net

Jan 1980 – Jan 2011 Jan 1980 – Jan 2011

Grain Prices also closely trackone another

Pric

e pe

r Bus

hel

Year

The Green RevolutionThe 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 BorlaugFor which he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970

World Population and Fossil Fuel Utilization Are Linked

Mill

ions

of p

eopl

e

Time (years)

Impact of the Green Revolution on Food Production and Cost

Khush, G.S. (2001) Nature Reviews Genetics. 2: 815-822

Production Increased and Cost Decreased for Major Food Crops

*First law of thermodynamics

*Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only be transformed

from one state to another

How will we replace this energy source?

Photosynthesis is the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy

The World Consumes 15 Terawatts of Energy every Year - 85% Fossil Fuel

The Good NewsThe Sun Provide 86,000 Terawatts of Energy Every Year

Why algae as a conversion platform

Scalability

Productivity

Fungible Fuels

Sustainability

We burn 300 Billion gallons of petroleum a year

Efficient Growth and Oil production

Crop

Oil content

(%)

OilYield

gal/acreCanola 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

5,000 gal/acre X 60 million acres = 300 billion gal

Grow Harvest Extract Concentrate

Processing Algae to Green Crude

Once the oils are processed to green crude they can go directly into existing oil refineries

Fungible fuels have been made from algae oil

Many air flights using algae jetfuel blends 2009 – Sapphire

Algaeus, hybrid vehicle crossed the country on algae-based renewable gasoline or diesel 2009 - Sapphire

US Navy amphibious vehicle run on algaeBiodiesel blend 2010 - Solazyme

Cost Analysis: Autotrophic

Davis et al 2011, NREL

OP

(base

)

OP

(

aggress

ive)

OP

(m

ax gro

wth)

PBR

(

base)

PBR

(a

ggress

ive)

PBR

(m

ax gro

wth)

$0

$2

$4

$6

$8

$10

$12

$14

$16

$18

$20

Cost of Oil: Alternative Growth Cases

Operating ($/gal of lipid)Capital ($/gal of lipid)Land ($/gal of lipid)

Co

st

of

Pro

du

cti

on

($

/ga

l)

25 g/m2/day25% TAG

40 g/m2/day50% TAG

60 g/m2/day60% TAG

1.25 g/L/day25% TAG

2.0 g/L/day50% TAG

3.0 g/L/day60% TAG

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

HarvestabilityYield

Product profileCrop protection

Year

Cost Per Gallon (in 2009 dollars)

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

petroleum ppg 0

3

6

9

15

12

18

21 A.

B.C.

D.

Bio-prospecting

Engineering

Breeding-selection

co-products

Improving the Economic Viability of Algal Biofuels

Algal Biofuel Process

Davis et al 2011, NREL

Lipid Extraction

Phase Separation

Solvent Recovery Upgrading

Anaerobic Digestion

Algae Growth

CO2

Makeup nutrients

Recycle nutrients/ water

Makeup solvent Solvent recycle

Spent algae+ water Biogas

for energy Flue gas from turbine

Hydrogen

Naphtha

Diesel

Rawoil

Power

Flocculent

Recycle water Blowdown

Makeup water

CentrifugeDAFSettling

1% 10% 20%

Green = algae cell density - 200 fold increase required

0.1%

CO2

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

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.

The San Diego Center for Algae BiotechnologySD-CAB

http://algae.ucsd.edu/