CCRES Low Carbon Fuels in Aviation

 photo by CCRES  

Flasks of Algae at the CCRES Lab in Zagreb,Croatia

Biofuels are key to industry’s future

 In a bid to reduce its dependency on imported oil and tackle global warming, the EU has committed to raising the share of fuels from renewable sources in transport to 10% by 2020 – including biofuels, hydrogen and green electricity.

For the growing aviation industry, the switch to plant-based fuel is seen as not only environmentally smart, but a sensible financial move in an era or rising conventional fuel prices and worries about supply security.

Biofuel use in passenger aircraft is still a novelty, and industry officials are urging governments to help lift supplies, much as policies in the EU and United States have created a flourishing market in plant-based oils for motor vehicles.

The industry contends that sustainable fuels will reduce emissions even as passenger traffic grows. The airline sector has committed to meet 10% of its overall fuel consumption with biofuels by 2017 – though the goal is ambitious given that it is to account for just 1% by 2015...

Meanwhile, more doubts are being raised about the environmental benefits of biofuels.

The United Nations Environment Programme has warned that even though burning plant-based fuels can produce significantly lower levels of carbon emissions, production and land clearing to make way for new crops “may reduce carbon-savings or even lead to an increase.”

European conservation groups say the EU and European governments should wait to embrace aviation biofuels until there is proof of their environmental benefits.

 ”Given the right conditions, algae can double its volume overnight. Microalgae are the earth’s most productive plants –– 10 to 15 times more prolific in biomass than the fastest growing land plant exploited for biofuel production. While soy produces some 50 gallons of oil per acre per year; canola, 150 gallons; and palm, 650 gallons, algae can produce up to 15,000 gallons per acre per year. In addition, up to 50 percent (or more) of algae biomass (dry weight) is comprised of oil, whereas oil-palm trees—currently the most efficient large-scale source of feedstock oil to make biofuels—yield approximately 20 percent of their weight in oil,” says Zeljko Serdar, President of CCRES

 Airlines have committed to ramping up their use of biofuels in the belief that they can contribute to achieving the sectors pledges on carbon-neutral growth. For 2050, the EU foresees 40% use of "sustainable low carbon fuels" in aviation.

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

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Carbon capture and consumption

 

Could it Eliminate the Need for Wastewater Aeration?

Algal blooms have always proved a challenge for the water industry. Yet could this organic matter,with the help of wastewater nutrients, be turned into a biofuel and help alleviate fossil fuel shortages? Tom Freyberg investigates the European funded All-Gas project.

First generation biofuels from crops never really bloomed into a fruitful harvest. Opponents criticized using up valuable land to grow crops and fuel the cars of the rich, instead of filling the stomachs of the poor. Second generation biofuels – made from biomass - have proved a lot harder to extract the required fuel and fully crack.

And then along came algae. Unlike first generation biofuels, algae can be grown using land and water not suitable for plant and food production.

Consuming solar energy and reproducing itself, algae generates a type of oil that has a similar molecular structure to petroleum products produced today. As if this wasnt enough – algae growth also consumes carbon dioxide, a known major greenhouse gas (GHG).

As a result of the apparent benefits the race is on to commercialize second and now third generation biofuels, in the case of algae. Continents and companies are putting money where their mouths are to find out how what we thought was simply a green weed growing in the sea could be the answer to inevitable fossil fuel shortages.

Algal culture ponds are used to grow and harvest micro-algae using nutrients contained in wastewater

Earlier this year US President Barack Obama announced that the Department of Energy would make $14 million available to support research and development into biofuels from algae. The Department has suggested that up to 17% of the US imported oil for transportation could be replaced with biofuels derived from the substance.

Meanwhile Europe is going even further and mandating the gradual replacement of fossil fuels to biofuels. An EU Directive stipulates that by 2020 a total of 20% of energy needs should be produced by renewable fuels. A further requirement is that 10% of biofuels need to be met through transport related activities.

Even UK government backed agency the Carbon Trust has forecast that by 2030, algae-based biofuels could replace more than 70 billion litres of fossil fuels used every year around the world in road transportation and aviation.

Nutrients: burden or blessing?

So far, so good. Yet while algae derived biofuels sound like an answer to inevitable fossil fuel shortages, two challenges remain: space and nutrients. The first challenge will be addressed later but on the topic of nutrients, phosphorous and ammonia are required alongside sun light and carbon dioxide to "feed" the algae. And with up to 30% of operating costs at algae farms attributed to buying and adding in such nutrients, its a notable expense.

It is in response to this particular challenge where the wastewater sector could play its part, with untreated effluent being a known source of phosphorous and other nutrients. An EU funded project aims to bring together the challenge and solution and link the water and biofuel industries together.

The €12 million, five-year project is starting at water management company aqualias wastewater treatment plant in Chiclana, Southern Spain and is backed by the European Union as part of its FP7 program – supporting energy-related projects - with six partners.

Called All-Gas, which translates into algae in Spanish, the project will see "algal culture ponds" being used to grow micro-algae using nutrients contained in wastewater, such as phosphorous. A 10-hectare site will eventually be needed for the project. Frank Rogalla, head of R&D at aqualia, says nutrients are abundant in wastewater, so it makes sense to incorporate the two industries.

Traditionally aeration processes at wastewater treatment plants are heavy energy users, accounting for up to 30% of a facilitys operating costs. In the US, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, drinking water and wastewater systems account for between 3% and 4% of national energy consumption alone.

However, Rogalla later told Water & Wastewater International magazine (WWi) that growing algae with wastewater can eliminate the need for aeration, thus reducing energy use.

He said: "We have converted our treatment to anaeraobic pre-treatment, meaning we will generate biogas from the start instead of destroying organic matter, so no aeration will be needed. From the 0.5 kWh [kilowatt-hour] per m³ which you generally spend for aeration, that will be completely gone. We will have a net output of energy from algae conversion either to oils or to gas. So thats why you get this positive output of 0.4 kWh per m³ of wastewater treated."

Rogalla added: "It will not cost more than traditional wastewater treatment, which costs about 0.2 Euros per cubic metre. We think we will use the same operational costs but instead of consuming energy we will produce additional benefit, meaning we generate about 0.2 Euros per cubic metre in additional profit from the fuel. Our aim is to be cost neutral."

So the question has to be asked of how, technically, can the proposed treatment eliminate the need for wastewater aeration? The answer, as Rogalla later tells WWi, is through the initial conversion to biogas.

Compared to nitrification and dentrification to eliminate nutrients in conventional wastewater treatment, a process Rogalla says consumes about 5 kWh/kg Nitrogen during aeration, All-Gas will use an alternative conversion. Firstly anaerobic pre-treatment will convert most organic matter into biogas (CH4 and CO₂). Algae will then take up the nitrogen and phosphorous.

Productive: instead of using traditional nitrification and dentrification processes, organic matter will instead be converted into biogas

As the algae will transform most nutrients into biomass, they will also produce O2 in the process, as CO₂ is taken up and oxygen released in their metabolic process. As a result, according to Rogalla, aeration is not necessary. Most organic carbon is transformed into energy (via biogas), nutrients are incorporated into algae, which produce oxygen for any polishing action necessary.

An overview of aqualias wastewater treatment plant in Chiclana, Southern Spain

"It only seems logical to use the wastewater nutrients to grow algae biomass; on the one hand saving the aeration energy, on the other hand the algae fertilizer and cleaning wastewater without the occurrence of useless sludge, but producing biofuels and added value instead," Rogalla adds.

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

  special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov

  and WaterWorld, Industrial WaterWorld

Space challenges

Addressing the second challenge of space requirements to harness algae ponds, for a commercial scale operation its estimated that a 10 hectare site is required (roughly 10 football pitches). Yet when compared to the oil yields of other crops, algae still proves favourable.

Data from US-based National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) show that oil yields from soybeans work out at 400 litres/hectare/year, which compares to 6,000 for palm oil and theoretically, a potential 60,000 for microalgae. For barrels/hectare/year, the same comparison yields 2.5 for soybeans, 36 for palm oil and a minimum of 360 for microalgae.

As predictions go, the production of 60,000 litres of biofuel from only one hectare of algae is optimistic compared aqualias aims for the Europe project. If a target set by the EU is reached, then each hectare should produce 20,000 litres of biodiesel. This, the firm says, compares to 5000 litres of biofuel per hectare per year for biofuels such as alcohol from sugar cane or biodiesel from palm oil.

The Spanish project also hopes to use produced biogas from the anaerobic pre-treatment and raw wastewater organic matter as car fuel, with each hectare touted to treat about 400 m³ per day.

Statistics to one side, the challenge of space remains. Booming urban populations are expanding closer to rural wastewater treatment plants but at the same communities insist on an out of sight, out of mind rule when it comes to infrastructure that treats their waste. Rogalla does not think the land issue could impede the development of algae ponds to the majority of wastewater treatment plants. "Algae ponds of course can be put on marginal lands, or even on rooftops," he adds. "In rural areas extensive oxidation ponds for wastewater treatment are not uncommon, not to mention the often unused land areas as buffer zones around wastewater treatment plants.

Biogas generated from wastewater could mean the 0.5 kWh per m3 usually spent on aeration wont be required

"As we do not claim that all fuel can be made from biofuel on land, but only where possible wastewater should be turned into biofuel (excluding mostly big cities), the land issue seems secondary."

Carbon capture and consumption

One further benefit that has made algae growth attractive compared to other fuels is its consumption of Greenhouse Gases (GHG), namely CO₂, in order to grow. While captured carbon consumed by algae will inevitably be released later when used as a fuel in cars, it could still be a step in the right direction in reducing the impact of a world still firmly grasping CO₂ emitting fuel sources.

An article entitled Algal Biofuels: The Process from NREL in a Society for Biological Engineering journal suggests that over two billion tons of CO₂ could be captured by growing algae on the space equivalent to the entire U.S. soybean crop of 63.3 million acres.

Power plants and cement kilns appear to be an ideal match for algae growth, then. Yet, in order for All-Gas to attract seven million Euros worth of funding for its project, the CO₂ had to come from renewable sources. Any fossil fuel burning plants were not permitted, as Denise Green, manager of biofuels across Europe and Africa from Hart Energy Consulting tells WWi.

"This particular call was restricted to projects in which the carbon dioxide supply for the algae cultivation was provided by renewable applications, excluding carbon dioxide from fossil fuel installations," she says.

"However I see no reason why future funding for algae projects could not be provided for research into algae as part of the solution for CO₂ capture for zero emission power generation. If there are objections to using algae from fossil fuel installations for transportation fuels, there are other industries for which algae can be used where this may not be an issue."

Project roll out and commercialisation

The project will be implemented in two stages, with a prototype facility being used to confirm the scale of the full-size plant during the first two years. Once the concept has been proven in full-scale ponds, a 10 hectare site will be developed and operated at commercial scale during the next three years.

Rogalla suggests the project could be rolled out among aqualias existing facilities along the Mediterranean belt, including Italy, Portugal, Egypt and even South America, all of which have "favourable conditions, meaning the climate is advantageous and the land is available".

Clearly, the conversion of algae to fuel is possible and has been demonstrated on a laboratory scale. It could hold the potential to turn a new leaf for biofuels haunted by their unsuccessful and much criticized first generation brothers. The real interest for the water sector should be the pipe dream of the project to eliminate aeration and turn existing wastewater treatment facilities into biofuel production centres.

The pivotal outcome of the project will be cost. This was proved in the well documented closure of the US Department of Energys algae research programme in 1996 after nearly 20 years of work. At the time it was estimated that the $40-60/bbl cost of producing algal oil just couldnt compete with petroleum for the foreseeable future.

However, it is the additional methane extracted from raw wastewater and algae residue that differentiates this project. Its not just reliant upon biodiesel produced from the algae. All-Gas has the chance to spearhead Europe into proving that algae biofuel, through the help of wastewater, could eventually be more competitive on a per barrel price with traditional oil.

CCRES ALGA PROJECT 

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Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

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The power of Omega 3 oils

Algae omega-3 fatty acids provide significant health and development benefits during life in the womb. Health and cognitive benefits for omega-3s continue throughout life.

Omega-3 oils

 Essential fatty acids are fatty acids critical to the good health and development of fetuses and newborns. Fetal life and early infancy are the periods of rapid brain, eyes, heart, respiratory, central nervous system, and immune system development and maturation. Omega-3s enhance these growth phases and help children avoid major organ disorders. Newborns may get omega-3 fatty acids from mother’s milk, (if the mother absorbs omega-3s in her diet), from the child’s diet, or from supplements.

Neither humans nor animals can synthesize omega-3 oils because bodies lack the desaturase enzymes required for their production. Therefore, if the mother’s diet is deficient in omega-3s, the infant will not benefit from the essential early growth and development support from long chain fatty acids.

Omega-3s improve Neuron Signaling

Omega-3 oils Omega-3s improve Neuron Signaling

Clinical signs of essential fatty acid deficiency include a dry scaly rash, decreased growth in infants and children, slow or abnormal brain, eye and heart development, increased susceptibility to infection and poor wound healing. Fatty acid deficiency causes pathologies similar to malnutrition.

Most foods contain some fat, even vegetables, because fats play a critical role in metabolism. Fat provides a reliable source of energy as well as an effective depot for stored energy. Fats play an important role in cell membranes, helping to govern nutrients that enter and exit cells during metabolism. When incorporated into phospholipids, fatty acids affect cell membrane properties such as fluidity, flexibility, permeability, and the activity of membrane bound enzymes.

Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Omega-3s are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be important for cognitive (brain memory and performance) and behavioral function. Studies have shown that infants who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids from their mothers during pregnancy are at risk for developing vision, brain and nerve problems. Symptoms of omega-3 fatty acid deficiency include fatigue, poor memory, dry skin, heart problems, mood swings or depression, and poor circulation.

In a recent study, prenatal algal DHA supplementation – 600 mg DHA taken from 14 weeks gestation until delivery – increased DHA blood levels in both the mother and the newborn, as well as increased infant birth weight, length, and head circumference. The DHA supplements improved fetus growth and organ development significantly. Other studies have found that prenatal DHA deficiency may limit infants’ development potential.

The DHA Intake and Measurement of Neural Development (DIAMOND) study found that supplementation with DHA and ARA omega fatty acids from 18 months to six years of age provided significant cognitive benefits. DIAMOND also found that DHA supplementation provided developmental benefits evident to six years of age.

Algae polyphenol extracts have anti-diabetic effects through the modulation of glucose-induced oxidative stress. The extracts slow starch-digestive enzymes such as alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase.  The plentiful soluble dietary fibers in algae help avoid obesity and diabetes. The total fiber content of several algae species, (~6 g/100g), is greater than that of fruits and vegetables promoted today for their fiber content: prunes (2.4 g), cabbage (2.9 g), apples (2.0 g), and brown rice (3.8 g).

The body uses cholesterol as the starting point to make estrogen, testosterone, vitamin D, and other vital compounds. Fats also serve as biologically active molecules that influence how muscles respond to insulin. Various forms of fats, especially Omega-3s, can accelerate or cool down inflammation.

EPA and DHA

Long chained polyunsaturated fatty acids, (PUFA) eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA, and docosahexaenoic acid, DHA, manage and moderate inflammation and many other cellular functions. These fats influence signaling in cells and the brain and therefore affect mood and behavior.

The US National Institute of Health’s MedlinePlus lists many medical conditions for which EPA alone, or in concert with other omega-3 sources, is known or thought to be an effective treatment. Most medical interventions derive from omega-3 oils’ ability to lower inflammation or enhance cell signaling.

(Left) Anchovy harvested for Fish Oil, (Right) Algae with Omega-3

Omega-3s are often obtained in the human diet by eating oily fish or fish oil— e.g., cod liver, herring, mackerel, salmon, menhaden and sardine. It is also found in human breast milk. Fish do not synthesize Omega-3s, but concentrate it from the algae they consume. Omega-3 rich microalgae are cultivated as a commercial source by a few companies such as Martek and Algae Biosciences. Microalgae, and supplements derived from algae, are excellent sources of EPA and DHA, since fish often contain toxins such as mercury and pesticides due to pollution.

DHA comprises 40% of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the brain and 60% of the PUFAs in the retina. Fifty percent of the weight of a neuron’s plasma membrane is composed of DHA. DHA is selectively incorporated into retinal cell membranes and postsynaptic neuronal cell membranes, where it plays important roles in vision and nervous system function. DHA is richly supplied during breastfeeding, and DHA levels are high in breast milk. In humans, DHA is either obtained from the diet or synthesized from eicosapentaenoic acid, (EPA).

Cognitive development

Children that are not exposed to omega-3s in the womb display a significant mental deficit that persists throughout their lives. The human brain requires Omega-3 oils for normal growth and development.

(Left) Human Brain, (Right) Isochrysis Algae with Oil

Review studies suggest that omega-3s positively affect pre-natal neurodevelopment. However, this cognitive-enhancing effect sometimes diminishes post-natally with maturation. Few studies have examined the cognitive effects of omega-3s through childhood, young adulthood, and middle age. At later ages, multiple studies found evidence suggesting that omega-3s can protect against neurodegeneration and possibly reduce the chance of developing cognitive impairment.

Several variables confound PUFA supplements including heredity, diet, mother’s health, and socioeconomics. Supplement treatments in medical studies typically use 1,000 mg of omega-3 per day.

Another important finding is that too much omega-6 oil (found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds), in the diet may interfere with the action of omega-3. Omega-6 seems to compete with Omega-3 PUFA for the desaturase enzymes. Therefore, medical researchers suggest that maximum value of omega-3 supplements will occur if the diet minimizes omega-6 intake.

Summary

Omega-3 fatty acids can enhance fetal life and give children a better start in life with stronger brains, eyes, hearts and respiratory systems. Pregnant women and nursing mothers have the opportunity to gift strong cognitive development to their newborns with either several servings of fish per week or the recommended 1,000 mg of omega-3 supplements per day.

CCRES special thanks to  AlgaeIndustryMagazine.com

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

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Astaxanthin carotenoid

photo by CCRES ALGAE Team

 Astaxanthin

 Astaxanthin is found in microalgae, yeast, salmon, trout, krill, shrimp, crayfish, crustaceans, and the feathers of some birds. It provides the red color of salmon meat and the red color of cooked shellfish.

photo by CCRES ALGAE Team  

 

Astaxanthin, unlike several carotenes and one other known carotenoid, is not converted to vitamin A (retinol) in the human body. Like other carotenoids, astaxanthin has self-limited absorption orally and such low toxicity by mouth that no toxic syndrome is known.

 

photo by CCRES ALGAE Team  

 

 It is an antioxidant with a slightly lower antioxidant activity in some model systems than other carotenoids. However, in living organisms the free-radical terminating effectiveness of each carotenoid is heavily modified by its lipid solubility, and thus varies with the type of system being protected.

 photo by CCRES ALGAE Team 

While astaxanthin is a natural nutritional component, it can also be used as a food supplement. The supplement is intended for human, animal, and aquaculture consumption. The commercial production of astaxanthin comes from both natural and synthetic sources.

CCRES ALGAE TEAM

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CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

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Uzgoj algi u Republici Hrvatskoj

Alge se danas sve više koriste u proizvodnji biodizela, bioplina, bioplastike te goriva za zrakoplove, ali i u prehrambenoj industriji. Kao dodatni proizvodi pri destiliranju ulja iz algi dobivaju se i korisni sastojci za farmaceutiku, kozmetiku, ili kao organska gnojiva. Alge su do nedavno bile uglavnom predmet znanstvenih i laboratorijskih istraživanja, no danas su proizvodni pogoni rasprostranjeni po sve ve?em broju zemalja. Australija se posljednjih nekoliko godina profilira kao "Saudijska Arabija biodizela ekstrahiranog iz algi", prije svega zahvaljuju?i efikasnom spoju klimatskih i terenskih uvjeta te mudre vladine politike i razumijevanja za veliki komercijalni potencijal tog novog ekološki ?istog izvora energije.

Kada je u ljeto ove godine u australskom New South Walesu, tamošnji ministar energetike službeno otvorio prvu veliku elektranu koja destiliranjem zelenih algi dobiva biogorivo, interes svjetskih medija još više se okrenuo ka tom novom, alternativnom izvoru energije, koji ujedno nudi i dio odgovora na pitanje suo?avanja svijeta s daljnjim posljedicama klimatskih promjena.

Dosadašnja nastojanja korištenja algi kao energenata
Australija, me?utim, nije bila prva. Potaknuto naftnim šokovima, Ameri?ko ministarstvo energije još je 1970-ih godina zapo?elo s projektima istraživanja mogu?e komercijalizacije uzgoja algi, no zbog previsokih cijena i nekonkurentnosti sa tada niskom cijenom sirove nafte projekti su dvadesetak godina kasnije obustavljeni. Tek s naglim porastom cijene nafte na svjetskom tržištu do preko 100 USD po barelu, mogu?nosti novih tehnologija u?inile su spektar obnovljivih izvora znatno atraktivnijim, uklju?uju?i i uzgoj algi. No procjene jednog od vode?ih ameri?kih instituta u tom podru?ju, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, su da barel biogoriva proizvedenog iz algi košta izme?u 240 i 332 USD (2010), što je i dalje ekonomski neopravdano u odnosu na naftu. Uska ekonomska ra?unica, naravno ne uklju?uje i brojne druge prednosti dobivanja biogoriva iz algi.

Ameri?ko ministarstvo energije sredinom prošlog mjeseca izabralo je Sveu?ilište u Arizoni za koordinatora projekta u okviru javno-privatnog partnerstva u visini od 15 milijuna USD s ciljem pronalaženja optimalnog modela komercijalizacije uzgoja algi i proizvodnje biogoriva. Projekt nazvan ”ATP²” podrazumijeva povezivanje sveu?ilišnih istraživa?kih potencijala sa svim zainteresiranim tvrtkama u podru?ju energetike. Klju?nu znanstvenu ulogu imaju danas vode?i svjetski centri za uzgoj algi na Colorado državnom sveu?ilištu te u okviru Arizona centra za tehnologiju i inovacije uzgoja algi (Algal Growth System).

Ameri?ka nacionalna asocijacija za alge upravo je ovih dana održala godišnji simpozij namijenjen svim poduzetnicima koji planiraju investirati i upustiti se u proizvodnju bioenergije iz algi. Interes za programe obuke eksponencijalno raste.

Ameri?ka tvrtka Aurora Algae objavila je prije nekoliko dana kako, nakon uspješnih pilot istraživanja, kre?e s novim velikim projektom uzgoja algi u zapadnom podru?ju Australije na planiranoj površini od 400 hektara na kojoj kani proizvesti 600 metri?kih tona biomase mjese?no. Tvrtka procjenjuje da je tamošnja klima, broj sun?anih dana, te razumijevanje i podrška australske vlade za nove alternativne izvore hrane i energije bili odlu?uju?i faktori za tamošnju investiciju od oko 300 milijuna USD.

Royal Dutch Shell se još prije par godina povezao sa novom vladinom start-up tvrtkom HR Biopetroleum na jednom havajskom otoku s namjerom uzgoja algi na 100,000 hektara koriste?i bazene s morskom vodom. Nedostaci tog projekta potaknuli su nove tehnologije uzgoja algi, pri ?emu se kao vode?a profilirala tvrtka „Vertigo“ sa svojim „Bio Reactor Systemom“ koji alge uzgaja u plasti?nim plosnatim balonima koji vise u staklenicima. Takva proizvodnja pove?ala je prinos za preko jedne tre?ine u odnosu na uzgoj u otvorenim bazenima. Sun?eva svjetlost dosezala je znatno ve?u površinu algi nego kad su na površini vode. Tim modelom, nakon ekstrakcije ulja, ostatak se koristi kao sto?na hrana ili u proizvodnji celuloznog etanola. Kanadska tvrtka ”International Energy” otišla je jedan tehnološki korak dalje i razvila sustav koji iz algi izvla?i ulje bez da ih pri tome ubija.

„Lufthansa“ je, tako?er, me?u prvima prepoznala komercijalni interes i sredinom rujna ove godine potpisala ugovor s ameri?ko-australskom tvrtkom „AlgeaTec“ za izgradnju nove bioelektrane koja bi zelene alge pretvarala u gorivo za njihove zrakoplove.

Što ?ini alge tako atraktivnim energentom?
Alge rastu i do stotinu puta brže od biljnih kultura koje se tradicionalno koriste za proizvodnju biogoriva. Alge apsorpcijom sunca i CO2 proizvode ugljikohidrate koji se jednostavno pretvaraju u biodizel ili bioplin, koji se zatim postoje?om infrastrukturom lako prevozi na daljnje korištenje. Uzgoj algi ne traži ni zemlju niti pitku vodu, što dodatno pove?ava atraktivnost takvih projekata.

Uzgoj algi i njihova prerada u biogorivo ne lu?i nikakve štetne plinove i bezopasne su za okoliš. Alge konzumiraju CO2 i time još dodatno smanjuju zaga?enje, tako da je njihovo instaliranje i uzgoj optimalan upravo gdje postoji ve?a koli?ina uglji?nog dioksida, a to naravno mogu biti i gradska okruženja. Jednako tako, idealne lokacije mogle bi biti i neposredno uz neku klasi?nu elektranu na kruta goriva ili postrojenje za preradu otpadnih voda gdje bi se alge dodatno opskrbljivale nitratima i fosfatima. No glavna prednost korištenja algi jest da se uzgajališta mogu instalirati prakti?ki bilo gdje na svijetu gdje je dovoljno sunca. Pomislimo li na ogromna prostranstva Afrike i relativno jednostavni proces instaliranja takvih sustava, logi?no se name?e potreba da se tehnologija uzgoja i prerada algi pokuša što više popularizirati i približiti onima koji bi od nje mogli imati najve?e neposredne koristi.

Alge kao mogu?e rješenje prehrane stanovništva
U nedavnom izvješ?u FAO-a upozorava se, naime, kako u svijetu danas gladuje preko 870 milijuna ljudi, te kako proizvodnja hrane postaje klju?ni globalni prioritet. Tradicionalna poljoprivredna proizvodnja je vrlo slabo prilago?ena klimatskim promjenama i porastu temperature kao i naglim i nepravilnim oscilacijama klju?nih klimatskih parametara. Dovoljno je samo jednokratno naglo zahla?enje ili prejaki toplinski val da do?e do uništavanja plodova. Jednako teške posljedice donose i sve ?eš?e oluje te velike koli?ine padalina i popratne poplave. Proces fotosinteze mogu? je samo unutar odre?enih temperaturnih raspona, što zna?i da opada iznad 35 stupnjeva celzija, a prakti?ki prestaje iznad 40 stupnjeva. Isto pravilo vrijedi i za proces polenizacije.

Zna?aj korištenja algi slijedom njihovog energetskog i prehrambenog potencijala neki podižu i na razinu nacionalne sigurnosti. Tako Mark Edward, ugledni profesor sa ve? spomenutog Sveu?ilišta u Arizoni, koji je upravo objavio novu knjigu „Mikrofarme mira: Strategija zelene alge za prevenciju rata” zastupa tezu da ?e se zbog posljedica klimatskih promjena te porasta svjetske populacije sve više ratova u budu?nosti voditi zbog nestašice pitke vode i hrane, odnosno zbog tu?e plodne zemlje na kojoj se može uzgajati potrebna hrana. Kao mogu?e rješenje za izbjegavanje sukoba, on sugerira upravo mikrofarme za uzgoj zelenih algi i mikro-sjemenki uz primjenu novih visokih tehnologija uzgoja. Cijena instaliranja takvih farmi, uz primjenu danas ve? poznatih novih tehnologija uzgoja, kao i educiranje onih koji ?e s njima upravljati neusporedivo je manja nego cijena vo?enja sukoba ili post-ratne obnove.

Profesor Edward u svojoj novoj knjizi navodi kako je klju?ni problem klasi?ne poljoprivrede u tome što se temelji na zemlji i korijenju. Biljke naime oko 30 posto ukupne dostupne energije troše upravo na korijenje, ?etvrtinu na stabljiku i preko tre?ine na sjemenje. U nedostatku dovoljnih izvora energije, biljka ?e kao prioritete postaviti korijenje zbog izvora vlastite prehrane te samu stabljiku kao strukture na kojoj se nalazi sjemenje. U kona?nici, upravo sjemenje najviše trpi pri nedostatku energije i potrebne vode.

Sve biljke na zemlji nastale su iz alga u procesu koji je zapo?eo prije 500 milijuna godina. Alge, za razliku od biljaka na zemlji, nisu toliko podložne klimatskim promjenama jer su gotovo potpuno neovisne o zemlji, a njihova struktura ne uklju?uje “suvišne” dijelove koji troše veliki dio dostupne energije.

Proizvodnja hrane, a primarno žitarica, zahtijeva iznimno velike površine plodne zemlje, a samo jedna tona zrna žitarica zahtijeva preko 10,000 tona vode. Uspješni uzgoj sjemenja i bilja traži i iznimno velika sredstva uložena u umjetna gnojiva. Samo cijena fosfora koji se masovno koristi u poljoprivredi porasla je za ?ak 7 puta u posljednjih dvije godine. Zaštita bilja i žitarica traži i velike iznose uložene u pesticide i razli?ita sredstva koja dodatno podižu cijenu proizvodnje hrane. Pri proizvodnji genetski modificirane hrane potrebna je i ve?a koli?ina vode. Umjetna gnojiva pak vrlo brzo propadnu na dubinu znatno ispod korijenja bilja što im naravno smanjuje u?inkovitost. Tome treba dodati kako se tek oko 5 posto pesticida u?inkovito iskoristi, dok prakti?ki velika ve?ina propada u zemlju i truje podzemne vode, ?ine?i iznimno velike štete širem podru?ju. Površine pesticide pak raznosi vjetar i dodatno zaga?uje okoliš.

Nove znanstvene spoznaje i suvremeni pristupi poljoprivrednoj proizvodnji temeljeni na zemlji, prema profesoru Edwardu, ne pridonose zna?ajno pove?anju efikasnosti proizvodnje, niti rješavaju klju?no pitanje velikih nestašica hrane s kojima ?e se ?ovje?anstvo suo?iti. Zato se u posljednje vrijeme sve više pozornosti pridaje mogu?im promjenama globalne strategije proizvodnje hrane, prema novim oblicima prehrambene proizvodnje koji ne bi ovisili o klimatskim promjenama i vremenskim uvjetima.

Prijedlog rješenja nudi se u instaliranju alternativnih mikrofarmi koje bi proizvodile 20 do 30 puta više alternativne hrane po hektaru nego klasi?ne žitarice uzgojene na zemlji. Umjesto klasi?nih modela uzgoja s korištenjem umjetnih gnojiva, pesticida i navodnjavanja, model mikorfarmi nudi okretanje ka sun?evoj energiji, uglji?nom dioksidu i steriliziranim otpadnim vodama. Mikro-plodovi koji se mogu uzgajati uklju?uju široki spektar razli?itih mikroorganizama kao što su alge, gljive, planktoni i drugo.

Hrvatska i energetski potencijal uzgoja zelenih algi
Hrvatski centar obnovljivih izvora energije (HCOIE) godinama promi?e sve prednosti korištenja alternativnih izvora energije, pa tako i korištenje energije iz zelenih algi.  Upravo s tim ciljem osnovan je i poseban Hrvatski centar za biogorivo iz alga. Iako su alge vrlo otporne na razli?ite klimatske uvjete, idealnim se smatra umjerena temperatura u rasponu od 20-30 stupnjeva celzija uz puno sun?anih dana.

Hrvatskoj je, naravno, potrebno više stru?njaka upu?enih u to podru?je, ali i snažniji poduzetni?ki duh te adekvatno zakonodavstvo i mehanizam koji bi poticali razvoj svih novih alternativnih tehnologija za korištenje novih i obnovljivih izvora energije. Prije svega potrebno je bolje informirati javnost o svim novim globalnim trendovima, kako u podru?ju obnovljivih izvora energije, tako i o novim tehnologijama proizvodnje hrane.

Prije nekoliko godina njema?ki istraživa?ki tim sa Sveu?ilišta u Bremenu predložio je da se na podru?ju od 20-30 km uzduž mediteranske obale izgradi serija bioreaktora u kojima bi alge apsorbirale CO2 i proizvodile ?istu bioenergiju. Podru?je s dosta sunca i blizu mora idealna je lokacija za takve energetske instalacije. Iako je njihova prvobitna ideja podrazumijevala jug Španjolske, nema naravno nikakvih razloga da i Hrvatska, ukoliko pokaže interes za takve projekte ne pokuša prona?i zainteresirane investitore. ?injenica da su klimatski uvjeti idealni za instaliranje uzgajališta algi, da je njihov uzgoj i prerada u biogorivo ekološki potpuno prihvatljiv, te da uzgoj algi neposredno poti?e i razvoj niza prate?ih industrija (farmaceutska, kozmeti?ka, prehrambena) sigurno bi trebala nai?i na odre?enu pozornost onih koji sudjeluju u kreiranju budu?e energetske slike zemlje. Budu?i da se alge hrane sa CO2 , instaliranje njihovih uzgajališta neki povezuju i sa neposrednom blizinom klasi?nih elektrana na ugljen ili kruta goriva, jer zajedno ?ine sinergiju koja je ekološki iznimno prihvatljiva.

Primjer venecijanskog zaljeva i problem tamošnjih algi pou?an je primjer inovativnog pristupa problemima. Po?etkom 1990-ih godina, nagomilane alge po?ele su se komercijalno koristiti u proizvodnji specijalnih papira. Prije dvije godine grupa talijanskih stru?njaka predložila je da se alge nagomilane u Venecijanskom zaljevu iskoriste i za proizvodnju ?ak 40 MW energije, odnosno polovicu ukupno potrebne energije za opskrbu centra grada. Talijanska vlada je tada odlu?ila uložiti ?ak 200 milijuna eura  za ekološki projekt kojim bi se iskoristio energetski potencijal nakupljenih algi te ujedno zna?ajno smanjila emisija štetnih plinova. Taj projekt trebao bi ujedno biti i prvi konkretan veliki primjer efikasne komercijalizacije morskih algi u jednoj urbanoj sredini.

Po?etkom 2012. godine osnovan je konzorcij od 12 organizacija iz 6 mediteranskih zemalja (Italija, Gr?ka, Cipar, Malta, Libanon i Egipat) financirana ve?im dijelom iz EU ENPI fondova koji bi istražio mogu?nost komercijalnog korištenja morskih algi u proizvodnji energije. Vjerojatno ne postoji poseban razlog da se i Hrvatska aktivnije ne uklju?i u niz sli?nih inovativnih me?unarodnih projekata.

Budu?i da alge vjerojatno mnoge ipak najprije asociraju na gadljive zelene naslage koje ometaju kupanje na jadranskim plažama, utoliko je korisno bolje upoznati i popularizirati mogu?nost njihovog korištenja i u neke vrlo korisne svrhe. Možda je uzgoj algi jedan od budu?ih inovacijskih iskoraka toliko nam potrebnog poduzetni?kog duha, tim više što su uvjeti za njihov uzgoj u Hrvatskoj iznimno dobri.

 Autor/izvor:  dr.sc. Damir Kušen, veleposlanik RH u Finskoj

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Biomass as an organic renewable energy source

The U.S. Department of Energy has just released this video to educate people on the research, industry and government’s efforts to develop biomass as an organic renewable energy source; employing agriculture and forest residues, energy crops, and algae to take the place of conventional fuels like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

CCRES Algae Team

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62M to Biofuels Industry

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

  special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov

As part of President Obama’s Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future, he directed the Navy, USDA and DOE to collaborate to support commercialization of “drop-in” biofuel substitutes for diesel and jet fuel. Competitively priced drop-in biofuels, he said, will help improve America’s energy security, meeting the fuel needs of U.S. armed forces, as well as the commercial aviation and shipping sectors. The recent announcement of an available $30 million in funding promotes speeding the development of biofuels for military and commercial transportation. The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is available.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Navy and Department of Energy are announcing $30 million in federal funding to match private investments in commercial-scale advanced drop-in biofuels. The Energy Department is also announcing a total of $32 million in new investments for earlier stage research that will continue to drive technological breakthroughs and additional cost reductions in the industry.

This funding opportunity is made possible through the Defense Production Act (DPA), an authority that dates back to 1950 and has been used to boost industries such as steel, aluminum, titanium, semiconductors, beryllium, and radiation-hardened electronics.

    “…through this DPA effort the nation will be able to harvest an aviation biofuels industry to satisfy the world’s needs, not just our U.S. military.” — USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack

The new funding comprises a two-phased approach, with government and industry sharing in the cost. In Phase 1, applicants will submit a design package and comprehensive business plan for a commercial-scale biorefinery, identify and secure project sites and take additional required steps spelled out in the announcement. Awardees selected to continue into Phase 2 will submit additional information for the construction or retrofit of a biorefinery.

Agencies participating in this initiative will make additional funding requests to Congress to support the initiative, including President Obama’s FY 2013 budget request of $110 million.

“This is an important time for the biofuels industry to step up and show the Department of the Navy how they have developed biofuels that are certified and certifiable for military use,” said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. “The ability for U.S. industry to make, create and innovate has never been more important to our national and energy security. I know that through this DPA effort the nation will be able to harvest an aviation biofuels industry to satisfy the world’s needs, not just our U.S. military.”

The Energy Department has also announced new investments in earlier stage biofuels research that complement the commercial-scale efforts announced by the Navy and USDA. Totaling $32 million, these early-stage, pre-commercial investments are the latest steps in the Obama Administration’s efforts to advance biofuels technologies to continue to bring down costs, improve performance, and identify new effective, non-food feedstocks and processing technologies.

“Advanced biofuels are an important part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above strategy to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil and support American industries and American jobs,” said Secretary Chu. “By pursuing new processes and technologies for producing next-generation biofuels, we are working to accelerate innovation in a critical and growing sector that will help to improve U.S. energy security and protect our air and water.”

The new funding announced by DOE includes $20 million to support innovative pilot-scale and demonstration-scale biorefineries that could produce renewable biofuels that meet military specifications for jet fuel and shipboard diesel using a variety of non-food biomass feedstocks, waste-based materials and algae. These projects may support new plant construction, retrofits on existing U.S. biorefineries or operation at plants ready to begin production at the pilot- or pre-commercial scale. This investment will also help federal and local governments, private developers and industry collect accurate data on the cost of producing fuels made from biomass and waste feedstocks. The full funding solicitation is available.

In addition, the Energy Department also announced $12 million to support up to eight projects focused on researching ways to develop bio-based transportation fuels and products using synthetic biological processing. Synthetic biological processing offers an innovative technique to enable efficient, cost-saving conversion of non-food biomass to biofuels. These projects will develop novel biological systems that can enhance the breakdown of raw biomass feedstocks and assist in converting feedstocks into transportation fuels.

The projects will be led by small businesses, universities, national laboratories and industry and will seek to overcome various technical and scientific barriers to cost-competitive advanced biofuels and bioproducts. The full funding opportunity announcement is available.

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

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Official Movie THRIVE What On Earth Will It Take

If you value what is presented in this movie, please go to http://thrivemovement.com/ where you can support Thrive Movement by making a donation. You will also find more in-depth information on each of the subjects discussed in the movie, learn about Critical Mass initiatives supported by Thrive, and connect with others who are waking up and taking action.

Film Synopsis:
THRIVE is an unconventional documentary that lifts the veil on whats REALLY going on in our world by following the money upstream -- uncovering the global consolidation of power in nearly every aspect of our lives. Weaving together breakthroughs in science, consciousness and activism, THRIVE offers real solutions, empowering us with unprecedented and bold strategies for reclaiming our lives and our future.

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Capture the Carbon Dioxide

 Capture the Carbon Dioxide

In nature, photosynthesis uses the energy in sunlight to split water into carbon dioxide and hydrogen. A typical plant cell relies on a series of electron carriers, which create a photosynthetic circuit that allows plants to capture the carbon dioxide they need, and then convert it into the biomass that fuels cell growth. At the same time, plants produce hydrogen, a molecule that can be used in a variety of renewable and sustainable fuel technologies, but that is also expensive to produce in large quantities and currently involves non-renewable natural gas reformation.

A photosynthetic organism such as green algae tends to use solar energy to generate either fixed carbon or hydrogen—while this is fine for growth, it is not particularly efficient for making greater quantities of hydrogen. Facing this challenge, NREL researchers wondered if they could find ways to boost the hydrogen-making capacity of photosynthesis. They posed a key question: What controls the partitioning of electrons between these two competing metabolic pathways?

A team from NREL, along with colleagues from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Tel Aviv University, set out to answer this question. They hypothesized that they could engineer the process by "rewiring" algaes catalytic circuits, or pathways. To do so, they would replace the normal hydrogen-producing enzyme, hydrogenase (H2ase), with a ferredoxin and hydrogenase fusion protein. They speculated that inserting this kind of a fusion protein into this reaction path could divert more electrons into hydrogen production and push the algae into making more hydrogen and fixing less carbon dioxide. If successful, this engineered photosynthetic circuit could potentially increase efficiencies and thus bring down the price of hydrogen. In its more than 30-year history of innovation, NREL has been a leader in working with green algae for hydrogen and biofuel production, as well as with finding ways to speed renewable fuels to market to help meet the nations clean energy goals. It is this expertise that encouraged MITs Iftach Yacoby to partner with NREL, which enabled the researchers to collaborate on technical innovations such as the CdTe-H2ase.

During NRELs work with green algae, the labs own Senior Scientist Paul King and other researchers worked with hydrogenase enzymes as a key component of the photosynthetic hydrogen production equation. These biological catalysts can convert electrons and protons into hydrogen gas, or convert hydrogen into electrons and protons. For this work, the team chose to use in vitro tests under anaerobic conditions. They were able to demonstrate how the hydrogenase and other enzymes compete to regulate whether algae uses the solar energy it captures through photosynthesis to produce carbon compounds or hydrogen. As they studied these interactions, they were able to devise a procedure to engineer the proteins that compose electron transfer circuits. 

The first element of their strategy was based on their hypothesis that they could have more of the electrons go to hydrogen if they altered the composition to replace hydrogenase with a ferredoxin-hydrogenase fusion. In the anaerobic test tubes, the team confirmed that the photosynthetic circuit can switch from capturing carbon dioxide to producing hydrogen by substituting the fusion. The hydrogen production was carried out in the presence of the CO₂ fixation enzyme ferredoxin:NADP-oxidoreductase (FNR). This process is a biological model for using solar power to convert water into hydrogen. The basis for this switch was modeled as two new Fd-hydrogenase circuits (boxes 1 and 2, Figure 2), and a reduced level of FNR activity modeled as a third circuit (box 3, Figure 2). 

King considered these results promising, because they suggest that fusion is an engineering strategy to improve hydrogen production efficiencies, and might be useful in resolving the biochemical mechanisms that control photosynthetic electron transport circuits and product levels from competing pathways. The next phase, already underway, is to introduce the fusion protein into green algae Chlamydomonas and determine if rewiring can take place to improve hydrogen-production efficiencies. Even though this is only one of a number of variables to consider, this strategy has already signaled an avenue to pursue in the drive to reduce the cost of hydrogen fuel and make it cost-competitive for industry.

Enlarge image

Photosynthetic electron transport pathways that support carbon dioxide fixation and hydrogen production. Light-activated PSII extracts electrons from water and transfers them, while parallel circuits couple Fd to either FNR for carbon dioxide fixation or hydrogenase production.
Credit: Paul King, NREL

Enlarge image

Engineering of the hydrogen-producing enzyme to create an Fd-H2ase fusion changes the composition of the hydrogen production circuit to include both direct (box 1) and indirect (box 2) H2 production modes. The CO₂ fixation circuit (box 3) remains open, but operates at a reduced level.
Credit: Paul King, NREL

CCRES special thanks to NREL

NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy operated by the Alliance for Substainable Energy, LLC.

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES ( CCRES)

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