Ocean Energy

Fossil Fuels• Coal• Oil• Natural GasNuclear PowerSolarWindHydroelectricGeothermal

Where do we get our energy?

Why Do We Need Alternative Energy?

• Ecological Necessity– Oceanic Effects of

Increasing CO2 Concentrations

• Economic Necessity– Fossil fuels becoming

scarcer

• Tidal• Waves• OTEC• SWAC• Biofuels

La Rance tidal power plant at St. Malo, France.

Wave Energy

Wave EnergyOceanlinx

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion(OTEC)

Sea Water Air Conditioning (SWAC)

Marine AlgaeCompelling Advantages

• Algae Consume CO2, a Major Greenhouse Gas• Do Not Use Fresh Water• Do Not Require Arable Land• Grow Very Rapidly• Represent a “New” Source of Fuel*• Represent a New Source of Animal Food • *Historical Footnote - Most of Our “Old” Fuels (i.e.,

Fossil Fuels) Were Produced by:

MARINE ALGAE!

Reported yields for biomass crops

Rapeseed

Palmoil

Jatropha

Microalgae

Soya

Biomass (Mt/ha/yr)

Oil-content (% dry mass)

Bio-diesel

(Mt/ha/yr)

Bio-diesel (bbl/ha/yr)

1-2.5 20% 0.2-0.5 1.4-3.5

3 40% 1.2 8.2

19 20% 3.7 26.4

7.5-10 30-50% 2.2-5.3 16-38

140-255 35-65% 86.6 350-700

Note: 1Mt bio-diesel equals 1,136 litres

A Petroleum-Free Hawaii?

PlantFeedstock

Oil Production(bbl acre-1 y-1)

Required Area (acres)*

Soybean 1.14 8,736,000

Rapeseed 3.02 3,298,000

Oil Palm 15.10 660,000

Microalgae 175.00 54,300**

* Hawaii’s transportation fuel consumption is 26,000 bbl/day (9,500,000 bbl/year)

** Kaho`olawe is 28,000 acres

Kona Pilot Facilityprove the concept• 2010

• 2.5 ha• Freeze initial set

of technologies• Show that a facility can

produce “large” amounts of algae and can be…– NPV-positive– Energy-positive

– CO2-negative