Renewable Biofuel from Microalgae: Potential and Prospects

1. Renewable Biofuel from Microalgae: Potential and Prospects Dr. M. Arumugam aasaimugam@gmail.com Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research Field station, Pithoragarh

2. Global oil production scenario Source: ASPO 2006 OPEC countries in domination from 2008 onwards

3. India Energy situation

4. Energy Status: Indian Scenario (Khan et al., 2009)

5. Sector wise energy production and consumption: India Out of the total Oil 70 % is being imported: Dependence of OPEC countries

6. If the governments around the world stick to current policies, the world will need almost 60% more energy in 2030 than today At the present staggering rates of consumption, the world fossil oil reserve will be exhausted in less than 45 years (IEA, 2007). What is an alternative? Renewable Energy

7. Renewable Energy Sources: Geothermal, Solar Energy, Hydropower, Wind, Waves & Tides www.climate-policy-map.econsense.de Renewable energy obtained from various forms of Biomass Biofuel

8. Jatropha curcas Camelina sativa Micro Algae • National Policy on Biofuel (8th September 2008) was set up to look exclusively into issues pertaining to biodiesel and the development of Jatropha curcasas feedstock for biodiesel production. • Blending target of Ethanol (10%) and Biodiesel (20%) with petro-diesel were proposed by 2011-12. DRDO-ARMY BIO-DIESEL PROGRAMME (SL-P1-2007/DAR-71)

9. Biodiesel from algae: Biological concepts Algae is an photosynthetic microorganism converts solar energy to fixed neutral lipids in the presence of CO2 and light. (Arumugam et al., 2010) Optimum Growth Condition Temp-25-30ºC, CO2: 1 to 2%; pH: 6.5-7.5 and light 1.2 Klux

10. The fatty acid and TAG biosynthesis (Courchesne et al, 2009)

11. Crop Oil yield (L/ha) Corn 172 Soybean 446 Canola 1190 Jatropha 1892 Coconut 2689 Oil palm 5950 Microalgae (30%) 58,700 Microalgae (70%) 136,900 Potential of Microalgae (Chisti, 2007)

12. Advantages over other feed stock • Synthesis and accumulate large quantities of neutral lipids (20 to 50 % of Dry Cell Weight) • Multiply at higher rate (1-3 doubling time in a day) • Utilize nutrients from variety of waste water, provide an additional benefit of waste water bioremediation • Sequester CO2 from flue gases, thereby reducing emission of major green house gas • Algae biofuel contains no sulfur, is non-toxic and highly biodegradable • Produce as a value added by-products (Proteins, Polysaccrides, pigments animal, feed, manure, Hydrogen and biopolymers) • Grow in suitable culture vessels (Photo-bioreactors) throughout the year with an annual biomass productivity, on an area basis exceeding that of terrestrial plants by approximately tenfold

13. DIBER Initiatives in Second generation biofuel • Collection, Screening of ideal algal strain • Two algal strains exhibited more promising potential • Scenedesmus bijugatus (Turpin) • Chlorococcum humicolo (Naegeli) Oil percent: 16 to 40% Biomass Yield (Dry weight): 450 kg/ha/day Oil percent: 14 to 22 % Biomass Yield (Dry weight): 210 kg/ha/day (Arumugam et al., 2010)

14. Mass culturing of selected algal strains Plastic tray to optimize culturing technique Open race way pond at DIBER, Fd stn, Pithoragarh

15. T1: CHU13; T2: Tap Water (Control); T3: Urea@ 0.5% ; T4: Urea@ 0.1% T5: 50 % FYM extract ; T6:100 % FYM extract ; T7: 50 % FYM extract +Urea@ 0.1% (ii) Standardization growth medium for open pond Algal culturing in laboratory: synthetic growth medium such as modified CHU-13, BBM, BG11 etc However culturing algae in large scale is limited because of non-availability of appropriate affordable growth medium (Arumugam et al., 2010)

16. Natural Sun drying of algal bio-mass (iii) Algal Harvesting and Processing • It accounts for 20-30% of total production cost • Find out the economically viable harvesting method Gravity settling

17. (v) Extraction of Algal oil • Organic Solvent extraction • Polar Solvents • Non polar solvents • Proposed Methods: • Mechanical extraction (algae Milling ) • Electroporation • Supercritical CO2 fluid extraction • Ultrasonic and micro waves

18. Oil extraction using Organic solvent Principle: Polar Organic solvents will dissolve all the total lipids/fats present in the cell. Organic Solvent: n-Hexane and Petroleum ether Extraction method: Soxhlet Apparatus • Procedure: • Heating at 65ºC for 6-8 hrs • Fixed oil collected after evaporating the residual solvents using Rota-vapor

19. Algal Oil recovery Oil content was examined for different strains and found an yield of 20-30%

20. (vi) Processing of Algal oil Microalgal oil contains fatty acid and triglycerid compounds can be converted in to Methyl esters (i.e., Biodiesel) using conventional transesterification technology. Bio-diesel Specifications (B-100) • IS : 15607 • ASTM : 6751 • EN : 14214

21. Technical bottlenecks…. • High Production cost • Algal cell harvesting and drying • Oil extraction and processing • An ideal algal strain • Suitable culturing infrastructure

22. Biodiesel: For a better future "The term Peak Oil refers to the maximum rate of the production of oil in any area under consideration, recognising that it is a finite natural resource, subject to depletion." -Colin Campbell “The use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today. But such oils may become, in the course of time, as important as the petroleum and coal tar products of the present time.”  -Rudolf Diesel, 1912.

23. Acknowledgement.. Dr. Zakwan Ahmed, Director, DIBER Shri. M. C. Arya Dr. M. Arif Dr. Ankur Agarwal Dr. W. Selvamurthy DS and CC R&D (LS) DRDO Bhawan, Newdelhi Thankyou all…