The MacroAlgaeBiorefinery - sustainable

production of bioenergy carriers and high value

aquatic fish feed from macroalgae

- the MAB3 project

Anne-Belinda Bjerre Teknologisk Institut

2nd Danish Macro Algae conference and workshop

Algae

More than 1500 species in

the Danish sea waters all

with different chemical

compositions.

Transportation fuel from algae

Microalgae: High

contents of lipids (25-

35%)

Macroalgae: High

contents of

carbohydrates (45-65%)

Title: Sustainable production of 3G energy carriers (ethanol,

butanol og biogas) and fish feed from macroalgae (Laminaria

digitata and Saccharina latissima)

Project period: 1st of March 2012 - 1st of March 2016

Financied by the Danish Strategic Research Council

(20,4 mill. DKK total budget på 24 mill. DKK)

12 Partnere fra Denmark, Irland, Italy, Germany

Education of 4 ph.d. and 2 post students

Coordinator Danish Technological Institute v/ Anne-Belinda

Bjerre)

The MacroAlgaeBiorefinery : MAB3

Partners

Danish Technological Institute (Coordinator)

Århus University (AaU) (2 institutes)

Danish Techical University (DTU) (3 institutes)

Ireland University

Hamburg University

Sienna University

Orbicon

DONG Energy

Aller-Aqua

Vitalys

Dangrønt

Novozymes participates as affiliated partner (delivery of enzymes

and participating in the advisory board)

Introduction to MAB3

2. Objectives Objectives of the presented project are to develop new technologies in laboratory and

pilot scale leading to a sustainable production and further conversion of two brown

macroalgae i.e. Saccharina latissima and Laminaria digitata into three energy carriers -

bioethanol, biobutanol, and biogas - and a protein rich fish feed supplemented with essential

amino acids. S. latissima and L. digitata will be produced from only CO2 and natural resources,

in that way making energy and food supply in a sustainable way. The whole production chain

will be evaluated by and followed up by sustainability tools (e.g. LCA), a thorough feasibility

study and a business plan for a full scale demonstration project.

The Macro Algae Biorefinery

Biorefinery

Definition:

Integrated and combined processes for the conversion of biomass

into a variety of food, feed, chemicals, biomaterials, and energy – at

the same time maximising the value of the biomass and minimising

the waste

In MAB3, fish feed (protein) will be the value added product,

derived from production of energy carriers e.g. ethanol or

biogas

Introduction to MAB3

Hypothesis:

1) Two brown macroalgae can be upgraded to energy carriers (either

bioethanol, buthanol or biogas or combinations hereof) by conversion of 80%

of the fermentable sugars, leaving behind a concentrated solid fraction rich in

protein and (for liquid biofuels also) lipids, which can be used for fish feed.

2) A substantial amount (90%) of the remaining, undigested sugars i.e. the C5

sugars can be converted to additional value-added amino acids (isoleucine

and arginine) for fish feed supplement.

Best practical methods, processes and technologies will be tested

and optimised to meet these goals

The project

MAB3: Financed by the Danish Strategic Research Counsil

WP1: Cultivation and harvesting

WP2: Pretreatment and storage

WP3: Liquid biofuels.Ethanol and butanol

WP4: Gaseous biofueland amino acids

WP5: Fish feed

WP7: DisseminationWP6: Sustainability and feasibility

WP8: Management

Development of cultivation and harvesting technologies of macroalgae

Optimisation of pretreatment technologies for dewatering, drying and

storage

Development and optimisation of pretreatment technologies (enzymatic) for

further conversion to monomeric sugars, including liquefaction (viscosity

reduction)

Development of new fermentation processes for sugar conversion to three

energy carriers i.e. ethanol, butanol and biogas

Small scale production of essential amino acids from excess sugars by

specially designed microbes

Development and test of fish feed from energy residues supplemented with

essential amino acids

Sustainability, feasibility and LCA analyses of whole product chain

Development of a business plan for next phase EUDP application

New Danish research project: MAB3

The macroalgae Biorefinery for 3G energy carriers

Chemical composition of macro-algae: the ocean’s food storage

Storage Cell walls

Brown seaweed Laminarin (β-1, 3 glucan) Alginate, fucans, cellulose

Red seaweed Floridian starch (amylopectin like glucan) Agar, carrageenan, xylan,

cellulose

Green seaweed Starch Mannane, ulvane, xylan,

cellulose

The polysaccharides are normally present in poly-salt forms, with

various counter ions (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+) which affect its

solubility, gelling and stiffness.

The salts with monovalent cat-ions are completely water soluble,

giving rise to viscous solutions and gels.

How brown algae are composed

Brown Algae lack real, distinct, secondary cell walls (no lignin).

The cell walls in brown algae thalli are made up mainly of cellulose “micro-

fibrils” or fibrils forming a felty network.

The fibrils are rarely ordered in parallel manner as in higher plants or even

some green algal species.

In brown algae, these felty fibre networks are layered and embedded in a

polysaccharide matrix.

More gentle pretreatment technologies will be needed for

disrupting the biomass before enzyme hydrolysis

Production of ethanol (or butanol) and protein from algae

biomass

Pretreatment

Enzymatic hydrolysis

Fermentation

Filtration and destillation

Ethanol (l) Protein (s)

Ethanol

fermenting

strains

State of the art: Screw pressing as pretreatment Mass balance of Ulva lactuca

100 kg wet Ulva 15 kg DM (85% water) 3,6 kg ash (21% d.b.)

48 kg pressed Ulva 13,5 kg DM (72% water) 2,4 kg ash (17% d.b.)

52 kg press liquid 1,5 kg DM 1,2 kg ash

About 1/3 of the ash is

removed by the press liquid

DM= dry matter =(solid organic matter + ash)

Bjerre et al (2012)

Algae 2012, Bodø Conference

Screw pressing of Laminaria digitata from August harvest

2012

Ethanol production from Chaetomorpha linum testing

different pretreatment conditions

Schultz-Jensen et al 2012, in

preparation

Ball milling most

efficient

pretreatment

method for

ethanol

production

(19 g/100g)

Conclusions:

Brown algae are fine substrates for ethanol production due to high contents of

polysaccharides. Challenges are:

– Identification of most suitable enzyme mixtures for fully hydrolysis to

monomeric sugars

Washing and screw pressing were efficient pretreatment methods for water

and salt removal in green algae, new test on brown algae have been

performed.

– Room for improvement e.g. by enzyme treatment.

Brown algae lack real, distinct, secondary cell walls (no lignin).

– Pretreatment conditions (prior to enzymatic hdrolysis) are less severe

than for lignocellulosic biomass materials:

Ball milling was the most effective pretretment of Chatamorpha linum prior to

SSF with Baker’s yeast fermentation in combination with Celluclast and

Novozym 188.

– Improved yields are expected using more targeting enzymes and other

microorganisms during fermentation.

Acknowledgements

Danish Strategic research council, Programkomiteen for

Bæredygtig Energi og Miljø for financial support

Project partners for co-financing the project

Novozymes for delivery of free enzymes and chairing the

advisory board

Thank you for your attention

Web-site about MAB3 www.mab3.dk

Contacts about MAB3:

Anne-Belinda Bjerre: ANBJ@dti.dk

Karin Svane Bech: kasb@dti.dk

Annette Bruhn: anbr@dmu.dk