CoER : Biofuels Department of Microbiology • Faculty of Natural Sciences

UNIVERSITEIT • STELLENBOSCH • UNIVERSITY

jou kennisvennoot • your knowledge partner

Advanced lignocellulose conversion

technologies for sustainable bioenergy

production in South(ern) Africa

WH (Emile) Van Zyl*1, R den Haan1, SH Rose1, M Bloom1,

JF Görgens2, and JH Knoetze2 Department of Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch,

Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa

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Traditional role of bioenergy/ biofuels in southern Africa

Next generation technologies

Traditional bioenergy production in Africa

Share of total primary energy supply in Africa (2001) [Amigun et. al., 2006. Renew. Sust. Energ. Rev. 12:690-711]

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Availability of biomass (Malawi as example)

Malawi today Malawi in the past

Brick-making using woody materials Charcoal 4

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Biomass potential of Africa at large

Ratio of the energy content of the biomass on abandoned agriculture lands relative to the current primary energy demand at the country level. The energy content of biomass is assumed to be 20 kJ g−1. Source: Campbell et al. (2008)

CoER : Biofuels Department of Microbiology • Faculty of Natural Sciences

UNIVERSITEIT • STELLENBOSCH • UNIVERSITY

jou kennisvennoot • your knowledge partner

Senior Chair of Energy Research:

focusing on biomass conversion technologies

Emile van Zyl

Johann Gorgens, Marinda Bloom & Hansie Knoetze

[Stellenbosch University]

&

Harro von Blottnitz

[University Cape Town]

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CoER : Biofuels (members)

Microbiology

Chem Eng Proc Eng

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Cellulosics biofuels production value chain:

1. The CoER : Biofuels positions itself in the conversion technologies, but acknowledges the importance of establishing the whole value chain.

Technologies for Cellulose Conversion

Primary

Biomass

Production

Biomass

Transport

Biomass

Primary

Processing

Biomass

Conversion

to Biofuels

and By-

products

Product

Distribution

& Marketing

Thermo-

chemical

routes

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Lignocellulose

feedstock or

residue

Pyrolysis Pyrolysis

oils

Charcoal

Transportation

fuels

Catalytic

Upgrading Refining

Gasification

Product gas

or syngas

Syngas

Combustion for

heat/electricity

Product

gas

Synthesis Refining

Pretreatment Enzymatic

hydrolysis

Fermentation

to ethanol Distillation

Biological route

to cellulosic

ethanol

Cellulosic

ethanol

Residues for

thermo-chemical

conversion

Consolidated BioProcessing

Combustion

in boiler

High

pressure

steam

Surplus heat

Steam

turbine Electricity Biogas

Cooking fuel

Lignocellulosic Biomass Conversion Options

Research Objectives

Develop 2nd generation technologies for biofuels

microbial hydrolysis and fermentation

pyrolysis and gasification of lignocellulose

Process modelling and development of bio-refinery concepts

Scenario building, Techno-economic and Life Cycle Analysis of these technologies

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Microbial conversion of cellulose to ethanol

Sustainable Biofuels

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Ethanol production from sugar

Spent

yeast

Crashing

Sugar

extraction

Sugarcane\

Sugarbeet

Sweet

sorghum

Fuel

blending

Alcohol recovery

Distillation & dehydration

Storage

tank

Yeast

Fermentation

Technologies for Ethanol Production

Sugar

Storage

tank

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Ethanol production from cellulosics

Spent

material

Pre-treatment

Chipping

Grinding

Agric Res

Woody

Material

Grasses

Water

mixing

tank

Steam explosion

~200ºC

Cellulases

Fuel

blending

Saccharification

Alcohol recovery

Distillation & dehydration

Storage

tank

Yeast

Fermentation

Technologies for Ethanol Production

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Consolidated BioProcessing (CBP)

O O

O

O

O

Glu Man Gal

Xyl Ara

Ethanol + CO2

P T YFG

Glycosyl

Hydrolases

Technologies for Cellulose Conversion

Van Zyl et al. 2007. Adv. Biochem. Eng./Biotechnol. 108:205–235

La Grange et al. 2010. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol 87:1195–1208

Lynd et al. 2002. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 66:506–577

Lynd et al. 2005. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 16:577–583

Rome, NY Pilot & Demonstration Plant

January 2008

November 2008 15

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Background strain

Appearance at 120 hrs.

CBP strain

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

0 50 100

Eth

ano

l co

ncent

ration

, g/

L

Time (hours)

CBP + 1 mg Xylanase

Background +BGL + Xylanase

Background + Cellulase + BGL + Xylanase

Mascoma CBP technology on 18% w/w paper sludge

Enzyme Reduction on Paper Sludge

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Pretreatment for Ethanol Production

Cellulose Lignin

Hemicellulose

Amorphous Region

Crystalline Region

Pretreatment

Pretreatment - produces an enzyme accessible substrate

Ladisch, 2006

Steamgun Pretreatment of Lignocellulose

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Thermochemical Technologies for Biofuel Production

Bioenergy potential in sub-Saharan Africa

Optimisation of fast, slow and vacuum pyrolysis with sugarcane bagasse, corn stover and eucalyptus for the production of charcoal, bio-oil, activated carbon and biochar

Co-gasification of biomass with coal in a Sasol-type process addressed in terms of differences in reactivity between biomass and coal, and how this affects the overall process performance.

This attempts to help SASOL in making biomass and technology choices towards utilizing up to 10% biomass as feedstock for the Fisher Tropsch process.

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Thermochemical processes

Process (biorefinery) modelling of both biological and thermochemical processes for optimisation of energy efficiency and as basis for economic assessments for 2nd generation biofuels production in SA.

Quantification of the economic risk associated with second generation biofuels production. This demonstrated that 2nd generation bio-ethanol production may be viable in SA.

Life cycle assessment to compare biological and thermochemical processes for conversion of lignocellulose to biofuels. This demonstrated that energy efficiency was critically important to maximise environmental benefits.

The CoER thus develop valuable expertise to assist industry in evaluation different technology combinations in pre-feasibility desktop studies.

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Life cycle analysis and modelling

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Integrating 1st and 2nd generation technologies could create

opportunities for sub-Saharan Africa

Bioenergy potential in sub-Saharan Africa

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Bioenergy value to southern Africa

1. Energy plays a key role in the development of nations and provides vital services and means that improve quality of life, the so-call engine of economic progress.

3. Renewable bioenergy, particularly biofuels, has played a pivotal role in Africa and could again help address the need for energy expansion and critical human needs in the foreseeable future.

2. With the sub-Saharan Africa population of about 800 million bound to reach >1.2 billion by 2020, living in poverty cannot be reduced without major improvements in the quality and magnitude of energy services in Africa.

1. In developed countries, the main thrust for ethanol production is the replacement of fossil fuels in the transportation sector.

2. Africa has a great potential to produce and meet the growing demand to phase-out fossil fuels for transport.

3. However, the situation is different for developing countries, such as the SADC region because of their unique socio-economic needs, especially:

a) the chronic food and energy insecurity;

b) extreme poverty;

c) high unemployment rate, and

d) degradation of the natural environment.

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Biofuel production in southern Africa

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[Ambali et al. 2011. A review of sustainable development of bioenergy in Africa: An outlook for the future bioenergy industry. Sci. Res. Essays 6: 1697-1708]

Biofuels production in southern Africa

Ethanol

[606 ML]

Sources: RAF Outlook (2007) and Hassan (2008).

Sugar

[10 Mt] [~3 BL EtOH]

(50%) [331 ML]

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Opportunities for sugarcane in SADC

1. Currently, Africa only produce a fraction of the world ethanol, and even Africa’s sugar production is rather modest with South Africa been the biggest producer, producing about half of the sugarcane in SADC (~20 Mt/annum), using an area of ~325 000 Ha!

2. However, a recent study (Watson, 2011) estimated that about 6 MHa of arable land in SADC countries (primarily Mozambique, Angola, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi) are suitable for sugarcane production at an average yield of >65 t/Ha or more.

3. Conservatively, this means that the total South Africa sugar industry can be replicated every year for at least 15 -20 years in southern Africa!

[Watson, HK. 2011. Potential to expand sustainable bioenergy from sugarcane in southern Africa. Energy Policy 39: 5746–5750.]

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2.3M 1.1M

0.21M

0.47M

1.2M

0.62M

0.33M

Potential sugarcane production in southern Africa

[Watson. 2011. Potential to expand sustainable bioenergy from sugarcane in southern Africa. Energy Policy in press (doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2010.07.035).]

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Opportunities for sugarcane in SADC

1. Currently, Africa is producing 331 ML;

2. If 50% of the total current sugar production is converted to ethanol, Africa can producing 3 BL, five time more!;

3. However, if optimal sugarcane is produced in 6 SADC countries only and about 50% of total biomass converted to biofuels, the potential can increase with another order of magnitude, +35 BL, representing ~10-13% of Africa’s total petroleum consumption!

4. Theoretically, Africa is producing at present only 1% of its potential and can, together with Brazil, be a major player in the future!

African Continental Convention on Global Sustainable Bioenergy

17 - 19 MARCH 2010

STELLENBOSCH LODGE, STELLENBOSCH

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GSB AFRICAN

CONVENTION

As the world considers paths to a sustainable future and the role of bioenergy in this context, Africa brings important assets and wants to be an active partner. However, Africa needs to ensure that bioenergy development is implemented in a way that contributes to critical human needs.

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GSB AFRICAN

CONVENTION

Bioenergy Resolution for Africa (Draft)

Actions need to be taken to ensure that Africa benefits along the full value chain of bioenergy supply and utilisation. These include, among many worthy actions, development of:

1. More analysis, understanding, and consensus on the potential of bioenergy to realize a sustainable Africa;

2. African scalable demonstration projects using latest state of the art technologies and African raw materials for learning perspectives e.g. training to strengthen local manpower;

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GSB AFRICAN

CONVENTION

Bioenergy Resolution for Africa (Draft)

Actions need to be taken (continued):

3. Needed human capacity and career opportunities, including creating an African intellectual base, reducing brain drain and engaging existing African traditional knowledge systems;

4. The institutional resources to foster coordination across Africa for stakeholder interaction, and suitable strategies, policies and initiatives;

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GSB AFRICAN

CONVENTION

Bioenergy Resolution for Africa (Draft)

Actions need to be taken (continued):

5. Pilot projects to show best practices in energy efficiency and resource protection in transport, electricity supply, cooking and other household needs;

6.International, regional and local policies on trade, aid, land tenure, and development needs to be aligned now to develop integrated value chains of agriculture and forestry for food and bioenergy in Africa.

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GSB AFRICAN

CONVENTION

Bioenergy Resolution for Africa (Draft)

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Strategic partnership with NEPAD

Ibrahim Mayaki

Mosad Elmissiry Jeremy Woods

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Future for Africa??

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Sustainable biofuel production in Africa

Thank you!