AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO MICROALGAE CULTURE IN ITALY. Fabio Barbato ENEA UTRINN BIO

Transcription

1 AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO MICROALGAE CULTURE IN ITALY Fabio Barbato ENEA UTRINN BIO 1

2 WILD MICROALGAE SPECIES (ORIGINAL PHOTOS) 2

3 MICROALGAE CULTURE RELATED TOPICS From Benemann, 2003 Much work (especially academic) made, little achievements on commercial scale obtained (in the last 60 years) 3

4 PRESENT STATUS OF MICROALGAE PRODUCTION From Brennan L, Owende P., 2009 World microalgae production less than t/y 4

5 CHARACTERISTICS OF MAIN COMMERCIAL MICROALGAE PLANTS (FOR NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT OR BIOMOLECULE PRODUCTION) IN THE WORLD - SITING IN TROPICAL OR SUBTROPICAL BELT - SURROUNDINGS OF ARID LAND - AVAILABILITY OF FRESH OR SALT WATER - SCARCE PRECIPITATIONS - EXTREMOPHILE SPECIES 5

6 IDEAL CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMERCIAL MICROALGAE PLANTS SITING - FLAT LAND AT LOW OR NULL COST - CO 2 FOR FREE (IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION) - FRESH OR SALT WATER - ORGANIC WASTE WATER - SCARCE PRECIPITATIONS - RATHER HIGH TEMPERATURES YEAR ROUND - HIGH SOLAR RADIATION 6

7 MAIN TECHNICAL CONSTRAINTS -CULTURE FACILITIES AND MANAGEMENT STILL EXPENSIVE, ESPECIALLY FOR ENERGY PURPOSES (LARGE SCALE PLANT NON EXISTING, WORLDWIDE) -HARVESTING PROCESSES CASE SPECIFIC -OUTDOOR HIGH PHYSIC-CHEMICAL VARIATIONS -CONTAMINATION OF OPEN (AND ALSO CLOSED) MONOSPECIFIC CULTURES -EXPENSIVE DOWNSTREAM PROCESSING -SCARCE ENERGY CONTENT -SCARCE BIOMOLECULE CONTENT 7

8 From Haspeslagh, 2009 It is estimated that under favorable climates and with suitable strains, productivities approaching annual averages of g m -2 day -1 (70 80 tons ha -1 year -1 ) are within our reach, but achieving them at a large scale will be a major challenge. From Tredici,

9 WHAT WE CAN POSSIBLY GET FROM MICROALGAE NOW CO 2 ABSORPTION (DAYTIME) O 2 PRODUCTION (DAYTIME) WASTEWATER TREATMENT (NITROGEN & PHOSPHORUS RECOVERY, MOSTLY) BIOMASS PRODUCTION FOR ENERGY PURPOSES OR FOR BIOMOLECULE EXTRACTION FEEDS AND/OR FERTILIZERS 9

10 INTEGRATED APPROACH IF THE MOST HAS TO BE TAKEN FROM MICROALGAE, POSSIBLY EACH ONE OF THE ABOVE POINTS MUST BE INCLUDED IN A PRODUCTIVE PROJECT, SINCE A SINGLE POINT APPROACH HAS MORE CHANCE TO BE NOT SUSTAINABLE BOTH ECONOMICALLY AND ENERGETICALLY. THIS IS WHAT WE CALL AN INTEGRATED APPROACH. 10

11 THE BIG CHALLENGE: TO GET ENERGY FROM MICROALGAE IN OUR VIEW, A STARTING APPROACH SHOULD BE AT A SMALL SCALE, WITH A POSSIBLE GRADUAL GROWTH. HAVING A SIMPLE INITIAL TARGET OF CONTRIBUTING, THROUGH BIOMASS PRODUCTION, TO THE ENERGY BUDGET OF AN AGROZOOTECHNICAL FARM OR A SMALL PRODUCTIVE PLANT WITH THE RIGHT SITING CHARACTERISTICS. ADDITIONAL BENEFITS FROM AN INTEGRATED APPROACH WOULD BE WASTE WATER TREATMENT, CO 2 ABSORPTION, O 2 PRODUCTION AND FEED OR FERTILIZER PRODUCTION. 11

12 BIOFUEL PRODUCTION From Ryan C.,

13 ALGAE BIODIESEL PRODUCTION PATHWAYS AND ENERGY BALANCE From Cazzola,

14 ENERGY TOPICS 1 WE HAVE YET TO FIND THE PROCESSES WITH THE LOWEST COST, THE BEST ENERGETIC YIELD AND A PROVEN DURABILITY. THE BEST PROCESS BEING THE NO COST PROCESS. FOLLOWING THIS CONCEPT, THE BEST MICROALGAE ENERGY PRODUCT WOULD BE THE SIMPLE HUMID BIOMASS, TO TREAT AS A WHOLE TO PRODUCE BIOGAS IN AN ANAEROBIC DIGESTOR, IN CO-FERMENTATION WITH OTHER SUBSTRATES. AN ENERGY INPUT STEP FURTHER, DRY BIOMASS COULD BE EFFICIENTLY BURNED IN A COGENERATION PLANT. 14

15 ENERGY TOPICS 2 TO START WITH A BIODIESEL PRODUCTION GOAL MEANS TO FACE IMMEDIATELY ADDED DOWNSTREAM PROCESSES AND VERY BIG QUANTITIES OF BIOMASS PRODUCTION, BEING THE AVERAGE PRODUCTION CAPACITY OF EXISTING ITALIAN REFINERIES VERY HIGH (CA T/Y). 15

16 Biodiesel production in Italy In 2009 there were in Italy 19 biodiesel plants with a total production capacity of 2,457,194 ton/year, with an average of 129,326 t/y Source: Assocostieri,

17 ENERGY TOPICS 3 CONSIDERING THE LOW VALUE OF ENERGY PRODUCTS, IS IMPORTANT TO START WITH A VERY LOW COST PLANT-PROCESS SCHEME. THAT IS TO USE LOW COST FACILITIES AND SOLUTIONS TO GET AN ENERGY PRODUCT GOOD FOR SMALL SCALE, EASY TO OBTAIN AND EASY TO USE. LIKELY, SUCH ENERGY PRODUCT IS NOT BIODIESEL, BUT HUMID BIOMASS, FOR BIOGAS, GENERATING ELECTRICITY AND HEATH 17

18 ADDITIONAL IDEAL SITING CHARACTERISTICS FOR ENERGY PURPOSES ANAEROBIC DIGESTOR (CAN USE WHOLE OR RESIDUAL BIOMASS) PRESENCE COGENERATION-CHP(CAN USE WHOLE OR RESIDUAL BIOMASS) PRESENCE ELECTRICITY GENERATOR (STATIONARY DIESEL, CAN USE BIOOIL) PRESENCE 18

19 ARE THERE PLACES WITH SUITABLE SITING CHARACTERISTICS IN ITALY? In Italy there are no vaste arid areas. Our climate is still (even with climatic changes) mostly temperate. Southern regions are favourite for the climatic aspects. We are rather well provided with CO 2 and organic waste water sources. We are beginning to develop extensively biogas production facilities with anaerobic digestors, often connected with agrozootechnical farms (mostly in northern regions). We are still little developed for cogeneration and small scale electricity production with diesel electric generators. 19

20 BIOGAS PRODUCTION PLANTS IN ITALY, OPERATING AND UNDER CONSTRUCTION (MARCH 2010) Civil wastewater sludge (121) Zootechnical sludge+organic sludge+energy crops (273, of which 74 u.c.) Urban waste (14) Agro-industrial sludge(32, of which 2 under construction) Biogas from dump (from APER) (232) Around MWe already installed 12 2 Target for year 2020 of MWe installed From CRPA, 2010

21 A POSSIBLE NEAR TERM PATHWAY fresh + waste water reclaimed water humid biomass 21

22 POSSIBLE EXAMPLES FOR CORRECT SITING IN ITALY: 1- AGROZOOTECHNICAL FARM 2-COASTAL POWER PLANT 3- LANDFILL 22

23 1- AGROZOOTECHNICAL FARM O 2 INOCULUM PHOTOBIO REACTOR ALGAL CULTURE PONDS SEPARATION HARVESTING PROCESSING FRESHWATER, WASTE WATER, CO 2 ORGANIC WASTE ALGAL BIOMASS ANAEROBIC DIGESTOR ALGAL LIPID BIOOIL BIOGAS RECYCLING LIQUID FERTIRRIGATION 23

24 2, 3-COASTAL POWER PLANT, LANDFILL ELECTRICITY FOSSIL FUEL BIOGAS FROM LANDFILL POWER PLANT STACK GASES PURIFICATION SUNLIGHT, WASTE WATER, SALT OR FRESH WATER GAS ENRICHED IN CARBON DIOXIDE HEAT O2 ALGAL CULTIVATION PROCESS RECLAIMED WATER ALGAL BIOMASS DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS 24

25 THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION 25