OVERVIEW

1. What is algae?

2. Cultivation

3. Benefits

4. History

5. Process to fuel

6. Products

7. Comparison with other sources

8. World Wide Production

9. Future Estimate

Large and successful group of organisms

Flourish in sea, in fresh water and in damped

places on land

Contain chlorophyll so can produce their own food

Base of aquatic food chain

Natural occurrence in all water bodies

Reproduce very quickly and need only sunlight (or

other forms of energy, like sugar, water, CO2 and a

few inorganic nutrients to grow).

In large ponds, or in closed bioreactors using

enriched CO2

In large fermenters using sugar or starch

Some in sea water

Grows rapidly, faster than any other

plant

New, sustainable, and domestic alternative to

petroleum fuel.

Three reasons for opting algae as fuel-

1.) National Energy Security

2.) Economic Security

3.) Climate Change

New source of fuel and other products

Grows fast

Have biofuel yields

Consume CO2

Can be used as fuel and food

Can be used as energy source

Goes more than half a century back

1950s: production of methane gas from algae was

proposed

1970s: received impetus during energy crisis

1980-1996: US department of energy supported

the AQUATIC SPECIES PROGRAM (ASP)

In INDIA, Algae Bio-Tech India Pvt. Ltd. (Algae

India) works on it

Sugar beet Wheat

Sugar cane corn

sweet sorghum barley

Sucrose-containing

feedstocksStarchy materials

1st generation

wood

straw

grass

lignocellulosic

biomass

2nd generation

algal biomass

Algal biomass

3rd generation

BIO-ETHANOL PRODUCTION

(with various feedstocks)

3rd GENERATION FUEL

ALGAE FUEL

Can be used to produce different types of fuel :–

biodiesel, biojet fuel, green gasoline, others. Have

the ability to meet our transportation fuel needs.

1. BIO DIESEL:

Clean-burning alternative fuel, produced from

domestic, renewable that can be used in

compression- ignition (diesel)

engines with little or no modifications.

2. RENEWABLE AVIATION FUEL:

Also known as biojet fuel. Biofuel made from

sustainable sources (such as vegetable oil,

sugars, animal fats and even waste biomass).

FROM POND TO FUEL

Various methods:

A.) CONVENTIONAL METHODS:

Oil Expeller/Press

Solvent Extraction

Supercritical Fluid Extraction

B.) RECENT METHODS:

Enzymatic Extraction

Ultrasound Assisted Extraction

Oil Expeller/Press: high mechanical

pressure , extracts 70-75% oil

Solvent Extraction: common solvent-

hexane , 95% recovery

Supercritical Fluid Extraction: extracts

almost 100%

Enzymatic Extraction: enzymes degrade

cell walls with water acting as solvent

ALGAE ENZYME

Ultrasound Assisted Extraction: helps to

breakdown the algae cell structure and

expose more oil for extraction

Enzymes degrade algae cell walls

Algae oil

Algae provides an attractive source of alternative

fuel because it has the potential to yield oil at an

exponentially greater rate than other biofuels.

18 48 102

3500*

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Corn Soyabeans Sunflowers Algae

Gallon per year

ESTIMATED GALLONS OF OIL YIELDED ANNUALLY PER ACRE OF BIOFUEL CROP

* Estimates range from 3500 gallons per year to upto 20000 gallons per year

Human nutrition and health

products

chemicals

cosmetics

ADVANTAGES-

Deliver clean energy

Higher yield time

Do not affect fresh water resources

Biodegradable

DISADVANTAGES-

Production is still expensive

Possibility of contamination

Algae biodiesel - a feasibility

report- by Yihe Gao, Dawei

Tang

Chemistry Centre Journal

Microalgal fuel production

processes- by Nagle, N. Lemke

Fuels from microalgae: technology,

status, potential- by Neenan B.,

Feinberg

Algae biomass production and

use- by Shelef ,G., Soeder

Fuel options from microalgae-

by Feinberg

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