The promise of Energy Biosciences. Steven E. Koonin Chief Scientist, BP plc February 2007

Transcription

1 The promise of Energy Biosciences Steven E. Koonin Chief Scientist, BP plc February 2007

2 the rationale for Energy Biosciences is simple and compelling Biology is the most rapidly developing of the sciences Novel technologies emerge from rapidly developing science Biology will generate disruptive technologies 2

3 understanding life genomes sequenced 9 genomes sequenced 5 genomes sequenced Protists 1 [Data from NCBI 5/25/05] 3

4 understanding life Feb genomes sequenced, 813 ongoing sequencing projects 277 complete/ 521 in progress 25 complete/ 26 in progress 18 complete/ 266 in progress 10/3 17/29 135/283 8/30 1/4 6/1 2/9 21/46 71/93 19/15 5/11 0/0 4/117 8/72 3/31 3/1 1/6 1/2 1/14 Other 1/0 Other Protists 3/46 But we ve only just begun Number of species known and described = 1.7 million Estimated total number of species = tens of millions [Data from NCBI 2/09/06] 4

5 the rise of systems biology From Molecules to Cells to Ecosystems Obtaining a Predictive Understanding of Biological Systems Subcellular Cellular Ecosystems Identification, subcellular location, and dynamics of molecular machines Regulation of gene expression in individual cells Who is expressing what, when, where, and under what conditions? How do they work together? 5

6 the rationale for Energy Biosciences is simple and compelling Biology is the most rapidly developing of the sciences Novel technologies emerge from rapidly developing science Biology will generate disruptive technologies ~80% of the world s energy is based upon carbon All of life is based upon carbon (and 3.5 billion years of evolution) There are likely to be great synergies 6

7 nature has already designed multiple solutions to meet our energy challenges Thalassiosira pseudonana Microbulbifer 2-40 Methanococcus jannaschii Ocean carbon pumping Biomass conversion Methane production Rhodopseudomonas palustris Deinococcus radiodurans Hydrogen production / Carbon sequestration Radiation resistance - bioremediation Source: DOE 7

8 the rationale for Energy Biosciences is simple and compelling Biology is the most rapidly developing of the sciences Novel technologies emerge from rapidly developing science Biology will generate disruptive technologies ~80% of the world s energy is based upon carbon All of life is based upon carbon (and 3.5 billion years of evolution) There are likely to be great synergies Major funding and applications of biotech are biomedical There have been far smaller investments in agriculture, materials, chemicals Energy bioscience is largely open territory 8

9 potential applications of energy biotech Bio-plastics Hydrogen Production Enhanced Oil Recovery Carbon Sequestration Bio-remediation Coal Bed Methane De-sulphuirsation Biofuels 9

10 it s really hard to beat liquid hydrocarbons Density = 1 gm/cm 3 10

11 Volumetric and Gravimetric Performance Volumetric Eff. (miles/liter) Gravimetric Eff. (miles/kg) Gasoline Li-ion Batteries Assumptions: Battery 150 Wh/kg, 400 Wh/l, 300 Wh/mi Gasoline 20 mpg Research & Advanced Engineering 11

12 the fungibility of carbon Primary Energy Conversion Technology Products Natural Gas Coal Reforming Gasification Syngas Conversion -FT - Oxygenates - Chemicals Fuels Chemicals Power Generation Biomass Extra Heavy Oil Enzymatic/Biological Conversion Refining Processes -coking - hydro-treating - novel thermal processes CO 2 Capture Electricity CO 2 for EOR/Storage

13 what carbon beyond petroleum? 700 Fuel Fossil Agriculture Biomass % of Transportation Fuels Annual US Carbon (Mt C) Gasoline Diesel Coal Natural gas Other petroleum NGLs Corn Paper Soy Woodpulp Wheat Edible fats/oils Meat/Poultry Cotton Biomass today Biomass potential

14 what carbon beyond petroleum? Fuel Fossil Agriculture Biomass 5300 Big! 15% of Transportation Fuels Gasoline Diesel Coal Natural gas Other petroleum NGLs Corn Paper Annual World Carbon (Mt C) Soy Woodpulp Wheat Rice Edible fats/oils Meat/Poultry Cotton Biomass today Biomass potential

15 biofuels overview the carbon cycle CO2 CO2 one carbon atom as CO2 removed from atmosphere during hotosynthesis Carbon in crop or Same carbon returned to Atmosphere as CO2 crop residue -C- -C- -C- -C- in cellulose/sugar/starch in fuel molecules in fuel molecules Biomass growth Processing to produce biofuel Biofuel Use in vehicle External energy and associated GHG emissions for farming (e.g. from fertiliser use) + + = External energy and emissions for fuel production process External energy for distribution & transportation WTW GHG emission result for biomass pathways. Contribution from above closed cycle is zero

16 biofuels today Food Crops for Energy 2% of transportation pool (Mostly) Use with existing infrastructure & vehicles Growing support worldwide Conversion of food crops into ethanol or biodiesel US Corn ethanol economic for oil > $45 /bbl Brazilian sugarcane economic for oil > $22/bbl Flex Fuel Offers in Brazil

17 key questions Costs Biofuel production costs Infrastructure & vehicle costs Materiality Is there sufficient land after food needs? Are plant yields sufficiently high? Environmental sustainability Field-to-tank CO 2 emissions relative to business as usual? Agricultural practice water, nitrogen, ecosystem diversity and robustness, sustainability, food impact Energy balance More energy out than in? Does it matter?

18 corn ethanol is sub-optimal Production does not scale to material impact 20% of US corn production in 2006 (vs. 6% in 2000) was used to make ethanol displacing ~2.5% of petrol use 17% of US corn production was exported in 2006 The energy and environmental benefits are limited To make 1 MJ of corn ethanol requires 0.9 MJ of other energy (0.4 MJ coal, 0.3 MJ gas, 0.04 MJ of nuclear/hydro, 0.05 MJ crude) Net CO 2 emission of corn ethanol ~18% less than petrol Ethanol is not an optimal fuel molecule Energy density, water, corrosive, There is tremendous scope to improve (energy, economics, emissions)

19 some words on bio-diesel Total US Fats and Oils consumption was 3 B gal in B gal vegetable (70% soy); 1 B gal animal Biodiesel production cost is 2-3 X petroleum-based It would be very ambitious to have a [US] 0.5 B gal/year biodiesel industry (1.5% of on-highway diesel use) Algal production of lipids may hold some promise (1250 gal/acre), but cost?? FUEL-EQUIVALENT YIELDS (GAL/ACRE) Ethanol Sugarbeet (France) 280 Sugarcane (Brazil) 1500 Cassava (Nigeria) 280 Sorghum (India) 245 Corn (US) 330 Wheat (France) 180 Biodiesel Oil palm 450 Coconut 210 Rapeseed 90 Peanut 80 Sunflower 75 Soybean 35 19

20 optimizing biofuels requires fusing the petroleum and agricultural value chains Petroleum Value Chain: Exploration Production Transport Refining Blending Agricultural Value Chain: Germplasm Cultivation Harvest Process Distribution Biofuels Value Chain: Germplasm Species Yield / Morphology / Development Chemistry Unnatural products Stress tolerance / Bio-overhead Safety Cultivation Tillage Planting Fertilizer Water Pest control Crop rotation Sustainability Harvest/ Transport Optimal catchment In-field processing (e.g., pelletizing) Transport energetics Storage Waste utilization Processing Cellulose (bugs/ enzymes/ chems) Microbial engineering Plant integration / optimization Co-products Role of gasification A real fuel Blends Additives Distribution Engine mods

21 breeding has done much for food crops

22 crop yields have been strongly increased but biomass yields have not Average European forest yield Average Indiana corn yield Source: European Forest Institute ( Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service

23 energy crops can produce >10 t/acre biomass Maximal reported* Miscanthus yield 17.5 tons/acre Yield of 26.5 tons/acre observed by Young & colleagues 17.5 ton/acre ~ 2.04% PAR efficiency (yearly) Courtesy of Steve Long et al * Clifton Brown et al., (2001) Agronomy J 93,1013

24 enhanced plant size caused by increased expression of a transcription factor Wild-type Over-expressor Courtesy of Mendel Biotechnology And Monsanto Co

25 the CBF gene confers drought resistance 10-week old plants 7 weeks with normal water 1 week without water 2 weeks with normal water Control CBF-Canola Courtesy of Mendel Biotechnology

26 What is the best harvesting and storage technology? 26

27 cellulose digestion is a major challenge Plant cell walls are lignocellulose (lignin + cellulose + hemicellulose) The main structural and armour material of plants Cellulose/hemicellulose are polymers of C6 and C5 sugars Enzymes exist that can decompose it into C6 and C5 sugars that can then be fermented C5 fermentation is an un-natural act Enzymes need to be made cheaply, more efficient

28 plants cells are enclosed in cell walls 3 nm Section of a pine board Polymerized glucose

29 how cellulose is produced in a plant

30 Current Process to Produce Ethanol from Lignocellulose Diagram provided by: Mike Himmel and John Sheehan, NREL 30

31 NREL has worked with Genencor & Novozymes for 4+ years Focusing on enzyme biochemistry, cost, and specific activity Investigating the interaction of biomass pre-treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis The RESULT: fold reduction in cost contribution of enzymes ($/gal EtOH) E1 from A. cellulotiticus CBH1 from T. reesei Y82 cellodextrin 31

32 Possible routes to improved catalysts Explore the enzyme systems used by termites (and ruminants) for efficiently digesting lignocellulosic material Compost heaps and forest floors are poorly explored Explore In vitro protein engineering of promising enzymes Develop synthetic organic catalysts (for polysaccharides and lignin) 32

33 Next Generation will Reduce Costs of Cellulosic Ethanol Production Increase biomass yield Improve biomass characteristics Exploit novel catalysts Reduce severity and wastes Raise sugar yields Diagram provided by: Mike Himmel and John Sheehan, NREL Eliminate separation Combine enzyme production saccharification, hydrolysis, and fermentation into one reactor Total Process integration 33

34 Ethanol is only a first-generation biofuel Biological ease Fuel utility Methanol Ethanol Butanol 2,2,4 -TMP Molecular complexity (carbon number)

35 better fuel molecules Biobutanol has a number of attractive properties: Easily blended into gasoline Can use existing fuel infrastructure without major modification Potential to be used at higher blend concentrations than ethanol in unmodified vehicles An energy content closer to that of gasoline than ethanol reducing the impact on fuel economy for the consumer Biobutanol is complementary to ethanol: Can be used together with ethanol It can enhance the performance of ethanol blends in gasoline BP Biofuels a growing alternative

36 Nature offers many alternatives to ethanol Vibrio furnissii M1 Uses hexose and pentose Secretes medium chain alkanes Alkanes Diverse Renewable Feedstocks Fatty acids Synthetic microbe Esters Alcohols Olefins Courtesy of LS9 Inc. 36

37 current and projected production costs of biogasoline components ethanol production cost ($/gallon) Ligno-cellulosic biomass is the key to materiality and sustainability of biofuels in long term Currently uneconomic 1/2 pilot plants operating Technology advances will dramatically reduce costs Key: Base case 0 EU Sugar Beet Brazilian Sugar Cane US Corn US Switchgrass US Corn Stover 10 year plausible technology stretch Source: BP Analysis, NREL, CERES, NCGA Conventional Fermentation Ligno-cellulosic Fermentation

38 microbial applications for Coal Bed Methane 38

39 microbial enhanced oil recovery 39

40 biological opportunities for carbon mitigation 40

41 BP Energy Biosciences Institute to pursue these opportunities Dedicated research organization to explore application of biology and biotechnology to energy issues Sited at a University of California Berkeley and it s partners, University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Open basic and proprietary applied research Initial focus on the entire biofuels production chain Smaller programmes in Oil Recovery, hydrocarbon conversion, carbon sequestration Involvement of BP, academia, biotechnology firms, government $500M, 10-year commitment; operations commencing June `07 41

42 Questions/comments/discussion