07_woods roundtable 2012
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The Algenol DIRECT TO ETHANOL Process
Paul Woods, Dan Kramer, and Ron Chance
Presented at the Bundesalgenstammtisch 5th
Federal Algae Roundtable Meeting
March 26, 2012
Major Drivers for Biofuels Incremental Energy Supply Needs
Adds another significant, less cost-volatile, component to energy portfolio
Contributes to energy diversity and energy independence
Climate Change
Biofuels: Drivers and Issues
Potential for a low carbon footprint
Potentially a low risk carbon mitigation strategy
Environment
Potential for lower fresh water use than fossil fuels
Potential to be cleaner than fossil fuels
Major Issues for Biofuels Competition with Food Supply
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an se rec an n rec
Fresh Water Use
Economics Relative to Fossil Fuels
Carbon Footprint Relative to Fossil Fuels
Adapted from USEPA Renewable Fuel Standards - 2009
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The Biofuels Family
1st Generation Sugarcane or corn to ethanol
Competes with food supply
Major land use and water use issues
Low to moderate impact on greenhouse gas emissions
Generally not cost-competitive with fossil fuels
2nd Generation
Cellulosic fuels and crop based biodiesel
May be less competitive with food supply
Significant land use and water use issues
Generally positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions
Economics still to be proven
3rd Generation (Advanced) Algae to biodiesel and/or ethanol
No competit ion with food
Little or no land use or water use issues
Positive impact on greenhouse gas emissions
Economics still to be proven
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Background Algae Cultivation
Eukaryotic Algae and Cyanobacteria Photoautotrophscarry out photosynthesis (sunlight, CO2,
and water to organic molecules)
Much higher productivity than larger plants (~30x)
10s of thousands of known species including blue greenalgae (cyanobacteria)
Commercial production of high value products
Aquatic Species Program (NREL 1980-95) Focus on bio-diesel production from harvested algae
Favored Open Pond vs. Closed Systems
Pilot plant in New Mexico
Major issues with economics and contamination
Current Status Biofuel Production
Open Ponds (Raceway Design)Microalgae to High Value Products
Cyanotech, Big Island, Hawaii
Numerous algae-to-fuels companies
Almost all based on production from harvested algae
Mixture of open pond and closed systems
None with demonstrated commercial viability for biofuelsRaceway Pond Design fr omAquatic Species Program
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Algenol Overview
Algenol is an advanced industrial biotechnology company
Headquartered in Bonita Springs, Florida
Research labs in Fort Myers, Florida and Berlin,Germany
150 employees including 60 Ph.D.s
2 CO2 + 3 H2O
C2H5OH + 3 O2
Algenol is commercializing its patented algae technologyplatform for ethanol production and green chemistry
$25MM DOE grant for Integrated Biorefinery
Phase 2 began with ground breaking 3Q11
New Fort Myers, Florida facility which consolidatesAlgenols existing U.S. lab and outdoor testing facilities
Lab operations began in early August 2010
50,000 ft2 of biology and engineering lab space
Direct To Ethanol technology
4 acre outdoor Process Development Unit
36 acre outdoor demonstration facility, including 17acres for Integrated Biorefinery
Process Development Unit
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Metabolically enhanced cyanobacteria, CO2 and solar energy to produce ethanolProduction targets : 6000 gal/acre-yr (57,000 L/hectare-yr), $1 per gal
DIRECT TO ETHANOL Commercial Vision
2 CO2 + 3 H2O C2H5OH + 3 O2
CO2 can be sourced from: Return Water
Power Plant Refinery or Chem. Plant Cement Plant Natural Gas Well Ambi ent Ai r
Closed photob ioreactors (seawater)Very low f reshwater consumptionNo-harvest strategyEthanol collected from vapor phase
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The Algenol Team in Berlin
At Cyano Biofuels we have45 employees to date,Berlin (Germany)
with a combined 280 years ofcyanobacterial research experience.
We work on a floor space of 1.000 m
Focused onscreening andgeneration ofEtOH producers
with . different s ra ns.
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Biological Carbon Platform
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Biological Carbon Platform
Why cyanobacteria?
Cyanobacteria are primary producers (photoautotrophs)
They grow in inorganic media and have a higher productivity than land-based crops.
3.5 billion years old, inhabiting all ecological niches with thousands of different
genera/species/strains
They tolerate EtOH, as well as high salt and temperature conditions.
Cyanobacteria naturally produce EtOH under anoxic conditions.
Cyanobacteria can be enhanced
Molecular tools, as well as transformable strains are available and transformation
protocols are established.
Cyanobacteria-based biofuels do not require:
Food feedstocks
Fresh water
Farmland
Fossil fuel fertilizer
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Why Ethanol ?
Ethanol is the ideal product for benchmarking Algenols technology:
Proof of concept in 1997 by Professor John Coleman (Algenols CSO)
Ethanol synthesis is directly linked to photosynthetic carbon fixation
Biological Carbon Platform
Low photon demand: approximately 24 per one molecule ethanol (theoretical)
Ethanol evaporates into the gas phase under production conditions in a continuous process
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Metabolic Pathway for Ethanol Production
Metabolically enhanced cyanobacteria, photobioreactors, and ethanol separation systems
are key, propr ietary components of the Algenol t echnology.
Enhanced ethanol production via over-expression o f fermentation pathw ay enzymes
These enzymes, pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), are
2 CO2 + 3 H2O C2H5OH + 3 O2
.
PDC catalyzes the non-oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate to produce acetaldehyde.
ADH converts acetaldehyde to ethanol.
Ethanol diffuses from the cell into the culture medium and is collected without the need
to destroy the algae.
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pyruvateRuBP
CO2
3PGA 2PGA PEP
lactate
ATPADP
ATPADP
NADH
+ H+
NAD+
H2O
PDCPGM ENO PYK
RuBisCo
Metabolic Pathway for Ethanol Production
Direct l inkage of EtOH synthesis to carbon fixation: Only 5 enzymatic steps !
ADH
acetyl CoA
acetaldehyde
OAA
citrate
isocitrate
malate
fumarateG6P
G1P
Ru5P
gluconate-6P
acetylP
1,3bisPGA
TrioseP
F6P
FBP
ATP
ADP
ATP
ADP
NADPH+ H+
NADP+
NAD+
+ Pi
NADH + H+
ATP
ADP
NAD+NADH + H
+
+
NADH + H+
NADH + H+
NAD+
CO2
NADPH+ H+
NADP+
NADPH+ H+
NADP+
CO2
ATP
NADPH + H+
NADP+
CO2
NAD+
CO2 H2O
Pi
H2O
H2O
HS-CoA
H2O
H2OH2O
Pi Pi
HS-CoA
ADP
NADPH + H+
NADP+
EtOH
Calvin
cycle
TCA
cycle
PP way
glycolysisCO2
2-OG
succinateADP-Glc
glycogen
cyanophycin
acetate
Gluamino
acids
NADPH + H+
CO2
PP
ADP
Pi
ATP
acetoacetylCoA
pHBSimplified network of central carbohydrate
metabolism in cyanobacteria
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Photosynthetic Efficiency and Productivity Targets
Ethanol Production Target
Algenol target is 6000 gal/acre-yr Corn is about 400 gal/acre-yr; sugarcane about
1000
Target corresponds to roughly 2% solar energyconversion efficiency (all % referenced to averageU solar radiation
Efficiency similar to commercial biomassconversion for Chlorella (food supplements) as wellas conventional crops
Equivalent to about 20 g/m2 biomass production,with up to 70 having been observed in thelaboratory
Absolute theoretical limit (8 photons per C fixed) isabout 40,000 gal/acre-yr of ethanol or about 130g/m2 of biomass
Algenol Process Developm ent Un it
Potential Yield Limi tations
Light (photosaturation, photoinhibition)
Diversion of fixed carbon to non-ethanol pathways
Contaminants
CO2 and/or Nutrient supply
Photosaturation Illustration(Melis, Plant Science (2009)
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Photobioreactor Technology
Algenol grows ethanologeniccyanobacteria in patented
hotobioreactors PBRs which allow
Metabolically enhanced cyanobacteria, photob ioreactors, and ethanol separation systemsare key, propr ietary components of the Algenol technology.
for optimum solar transmission andefficient ethanol collection
Made of polyethylene withspecial additives and coatings
to optimize performance 4500 liter seawater culture
15m long X 1.5m wide
Ethanol-freshwater condensate iscollected from photobioreactors andconcentrated to feedstock-grade orfuel-grade ethanol using acombination of Algenol proprietaryand conventional technology.
EtOH Separation EtOH Separation
First step in purification process is accomplished with solar energyand provides a clean, ethanol-freshwater solution.
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Laboratory to Photobioreactor
Algenol has the capability to move biologyand engineering from the lab scale to thefield at one site
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Algenol s No Harvest Strategy
Photobioreactors are much more effective than open ponds
Key advantages of Algenols patented
photobioreactors
Condensate collection rocess muchmore energy efficient than open ponds
Water usage reduced to essentiallyzero compared to huge losses in open
ponds
Closed system provides protectionfrom environmental contamination
Individual native cyanobacteria (blue-green
algae) actively and continuously grown for
almost 2.5 years in our outdoor
photobioreactors in Florida
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Photo-Bioreactor
0.5 2 wt%
Ethanol Purification Technology
Vapor CompressionSteam Stripping
Conventional Dist.Vapor Compression Dist.
Membrane Separation
5 20 wt%
90 - 95 wt%
EtOH Separation EtOH Separation
0,10
0,12
0,14
EtOH(atm)
Ethanol vapor pressure
at 35C
Ethanol-Water Phase Diagram
Mol SieveExtract. Dist.Membrane
99.7% Fuel Grade0,00
0,02
0,04
0,06
,
0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1
partialpressureof
mole fraction of EtOH in water
Raoult's law (e = w = 1)
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Energy Demand for Direct to Ethanol Process
VCSS is the largest energy consumer
Energy demand depends strongly onethanol concentration in condensate*
At 1% condensate, VCSS representsabout 20% parasitic load
Energy demand for mixing, gasdelivery, pumping, etc. added in*
Total system energy demand plottedvs. condensate concentration fordifferent dehydration options**
0,20
0,30
0,40
0,50
0,60
ergyConsumption(MJ/M
J)
0,20
0,30
0,40
0,50
0,60
EnergyConsumption(M
J/MJ) VCSS+Distillation+MolSieve
VCSS+Vapor
Compression
Distillation
+
Mol
Sieve
VCSS+Membrane
Energy Consumption Determined by Process Simulations (GaTech*,**)(Input to Lif e Cycle Analysis)
0,00
0,10
0,0 1,0 2,0 3,0 4,0 5,0 6,0
VCSSEn
wt%EthanolinCondensate
0,00
0,10
0,0 1,0 2,0 3,0 4,0 5,0 6,0TotalProces
wt%EthanolinCondensate
*D. Luo, Z. Hu, D. Choi, V. Thomas, M. Realff, and R. Chance, Env. Sci. & Tech., 2010, 44 pp 86708677**D. Luo, Z. Hu, D. Choi, V. Thomas, M. Realff, B. McCool and R. Chance, unpublished results
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Carbon Footprint by Life Cycle Analysis(Peer reviewed Publication)
Published in Environmental Science &Technology Journal
Renewable Fuel Standard is met in allCellulosic Renewable Fuel Standard
.
LCA, along with techno-economic analysis,is important part of the evaluation of newtechnology options
LCA study is designed to be evergreen continuously updated as part of our DOEproject.
Life Cycle Analysis Appears in: D. Luo, Z. Hu, D. Choi, V. Thomas, M. Realff, and
R. Chance, Env. Sci. & Tech., 2010, 44 pp 86708677.
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Acknowledgements Algenol Employees
FloridaStaffMembers
BerlinStaff
em ers
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Linde AG Hans Kinstenmacher
Mathias Mostertz
Martin Pottmann
Gerhard Lauermann
MTR
Richard Baker Ivy Huang
Doug Gottlisch
Acknowledgements External Organizations
Humboldt University
Thomas Brner Wolfgang Lockau
Ralf Steuer
Giessen UniversityNational Renewable Energy Lab
Phil Pienkos
Jianping Yu
Thieny Trinh
Ling Tao
eorg a ec Matthew Realff (ChBE)
Valerie Thomas (ISyE)
Bill Koros (ChBE)
University of Freiburg Wolfgang Hess
This material is based upon work supported in part by theDepartment o f Energy under Aw ard Number DE-FOA-0000096.
Part of this material is basedupon work supported by the
This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United StatesGovernment. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof,nor any of their employees,makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy,completeness, orusefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or representsthat its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to anyspecific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer,or otherwisedoes not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the UnitedStates Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do notnecessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.
Education and Research FORSYS Systems Biologyof Cyanobacterial BiofuelProduction
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