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Unit title: Ventilation and Cooling; Water and Waste
Presentation title: Can human sewage provide the
feedstock for biodiesel production by photoautotrophic
microalgae?
Unit number: A3
Unit date: November12th 2008Presentation date: January 11th 2008
Student name: Craig Embleton
Student number: 0750553
Seminar group: 1 (Melissa Taylor)e-mail: [email protected]
website: www.greenfrontier.org
mailto:[email protected]://www.greenfrontier.org/http://www.greenfrontier.org/http://www.greenfrontier.org/http://www.greenfrontier.org/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected] -
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CAN HUMAN SEWAGEPROVIDE THE FEEDSTOCK
FOR BIODIESEL PRODUCTION
BY PHOTOAUTOTROPHIC
MICROALGAE?
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Contents
Problems with current situation
Sewage pollutionConventional biofuels
Sewage treatment
Waste stabilisation ponds Aquatic Species Programme
Algae production
Raceway ponds Oil yield comparison
Conclusions
Questions
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What are the problems?
The usual suspects: Climate change caused by burning fossil
fuels
Peak oilPlus
Sewage pollution wrecks aquatic
ecosystems and human health Conventional biofuel production wrecks
terrestrial ecosystems and competes with
food production
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Marine pollution
Discharge of untreated domestic wastes is amajor source of marine pollution, and
perhaps the most serious problem within the
framework of the Global Programme ofAction.
Source: United Nations Environment Programme
report into the state of the marine
environment, 2006
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1.5 million deaths/year from diarrhoeal
diseases attributable to poor sanitation
and hygiene
Source: United Nations Environment Programme, 2006,
WHO, 2006
.
Children playing near sewage outlets
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The Trouble with Conventional Biofuel
Indonesia currently has:60,000 square kms of oil palm plantations
Plans for another40,000 by 2015
dedicated to biofuel production alone.Size of Wales: 21,588 square kilometres
Rainforest destroyed.
Huge amounts of fertilizers used.
No reduction in greenhouse gases.
Food prices up.
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Is there a solution?Perhaps - Photoautotrophic Microalgae
Source: Shell, 2008
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What nutrients do algal require to grow?
Source: Mara, D 2004
Algal Photosynthesis
106CO2
+ 236H2O + 16NH
4+ + HPO
42-
C106H181O45N16P + 118O2 + 171H2O + 14H+
Major Nutrients: Nitrogen and Phosphorus
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What nutrients are in human waste?
(Per person per day)
Source: Harper, P. and Halestrap, L. 1999
Per adult per
day
Faeces Urine
Nitrogen 3g 8g
Phosphorus 2g 2g
Potassium 1g 2gCalcium 2g 2g
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Waste Stabilisation Ponds
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Sewage treatment: algal-bacterial
mutualism in waste stabilisation ponds
Source: Mara, 2004
BOD =Biochemical
Oxygen
Demand
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U.S. Department of Energys Office of Fuels
Development funded the ASP that ran from
1978-1996
Focussed on production of biodiesel from
algae grown in ponds, using waste CO2 from
coal-fired power plants.
The early studies used sewage ponds.
Later studies used fresh and marine water
ponds with the addition of agricultural
fertilizers.
Aquatic Species Programme (ASP)
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Programme concluded:Many R&D obstacles but in theory 2,000 square
kilometres of climatically suitable land areas in
the U.S. could produce one quadrillion(1,000,000,000,000) British Thermal Units (BTU)
of fuel.
Programme stopped for economic reasons.
CHEAP OIL!
Aquatic Species Programme (ASP)
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Oil yields of crops
Crop Oil yield (L/ha)
Maize 172
Soybean 446
Oil seed rape 1190Jatropha 1892
Oil palm 5950
Microalgae grown inraceway ponds.
17,000
Source: Chisti, Y 2007 and J. Benemann, J 2008
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Most algae commercially produced in
raceway ponds (Arial View)
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Most algae commercially produced in
raceway ponds as premium food
Because commercially produced algae is
usually a premium foodstuff e.g. spirulina
Wastewater (sewage) is avoided.
Expensive agricultural fertilizers used.
Carbonated drinks quality carbon dioxide
added.
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Algae harvested from waste stabilisation
ponds
Because algal product is a non-food crop:
Wastewater (sewage) can be used. Expensive agricultural fertilizers
avoided.
No addition of CO2 needed but could
use flue gases from fossil fuel power
stations.
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Source: Aquaflow 2008
Fuel from sewage pond algae
Proof of concept by Aquaflow
Powered a vehicle with a 5% biofuel mix
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CAN HUMAN SEWAGEPROVIDE THE FEEDSTOCK
FOR BIODIESEL PRODUCTION
BY PHOTOAUTOTROPHIC
MICROALGAE?
Conclusions
Yes but not yet economically.Much more research needed and
tax breaks.
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Source: Spolaore, P et al, 2005
Issues - Does algal-biodiesel really not
compete with food production?
Commodity Protein Carbohydrate LipidMeat 43 1 34
Milk 26 38 28
Rice 8 77 2Spirulinamaxima
6071 1316 67
General composition of different human food
sources and algae (% of dry matter)
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Issues - Will algal biodiesel perpetuate our
oil addiction?
What about electric cars?
What about transitioning to a low carbon
economy?
How about using algae to capture carbon
and incorporate in soil or bury?
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Questions?
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Aquaflow bionomic corporation limited. (2008). Prospectusand investment statement for aquaflow bionomic
corporation limited. Available:http://www.aquaflowgroup.com/documents/ProspectusandInvestmentStatement_001.pdf. Last accessed 31December 2008.
Benemann, J. (2008). Open ponds and closedphotobioreactors comparative economics. Available:http://www.bio.org/ind/wc/08/breakout_pdfs/20080430/Track1_ContinentalA/Session9_230p400pm/Benemann_Continental_A_Wed.pdf. Last accessed 1 January 2009.
Broere, W. (2008). Harvesting energy from algae.Available: http://www-static.shell.com/static/aboutshell/downloads/swol/jan_mar_2008/algae/algae_en.pdf. Last accessed 30 December2008.
Bibliography
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Catherine Brahic. (2008). Europe unveils ambitious energyplan . Available:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13218-europe-unveils-ambitious-energy-plan.html. Last accessed 27December 2008.
Coordination Office of the Global Programme of Action for
the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-basedActivities (gpa) of the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme. (2006). The State of the Marine Environment.Available: http://www.gpa.unep.org/documents/soe_-_trends_and_english.pdf. Last accessed 26 December
2008
Bibliography Continued
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Harper, P. and Halestrap, L. (1999) Lifting the Lid. Powys,CAT.
Mara, D (2004). Domestic Wastewater Treatment inDeveloping Countries. London: Earthscan. 3. Available(preview) http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=d9O9Gw_3rOUC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_summary_r&cad=0 Last accessed 27 December 2008.
Pearce, F. and Aldhous, P.. (2007). Is the biofuel dreamover?. Available:http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19626343.800.Last accessed 23 December 2008.
Bibliography Continued
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Sheehan, J., T. Dunahay, J. Benemann, and P. Roessler(1998). A Look Back at the U.S. Department of Energys
Aquatic Species Program-Biodiesel from Algae. U.S.Department of Energys Office of Fuels Development.Prepared by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory,Golden, Colorado . Available:http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/pdfs/biodiesel_from_
algae.pdf. Last accessed 20 November 2008 Spolaore, P., Joannis-Cassan, C., Duran, E., and Isambert,
A. (2006). Commercial applications of microalgae. Journalof Bioscience and Bioengineering, 101(2):87-96.
World Health Organisation. (2006). Analysis of estimates ofthe environmental attributable fraction, by disease.Available:http://www.who.int/entity/quantifying_ehimpacts/publications/preventingdisease5.pdf. Last accessed 27 December
2008
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