African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Science and Technology Programme Sustainable non-food sources of biofuels Professor Patricia Harvey University of Greenwich p.j.harvey@greenwich.ac.uk 2 April 2013 02/04/2013
3,850,000 EJ solar energy absorbed by Earth per year 3,000 EJ pa captured by photosynthesis in biomass 02/04/2013
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1. BIOFUELS ARE NOT NEW 02/04/2013
Science Environment Society ime (y) Ethanol in an ICE 900 Fuel independence in Europe Biodiesel : peanut oil Spirit tax lifted,new oil fields Depression 950 Peak Oil Energy crisis Biofuels 000 Today: CO 2 mitigation - energy 050
Executive Director of the IEA Nov 2009 If the world continues on the basis of today s energy policies, the climate change impacts will be severe. Energy which accounts for twothirds of today s GHG emissions is at the heart of the problem: and so must form the core of the solution 02/04/2013
CO 2 emissions -climate change 2 o rise from 1850s 02/04/2013
CO 2 emissions -climate change Gt CO 2 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 2020 2030 Efficiency Renewables, biofuels Nuclear CCS WEO 2009 02/04/2013
2. THE ENERGY PROBLEM TODAY 02/04/2013
587.1 698.3 02/04/2013
San Franciso
Beijing
Automotive Internal Combustion Engines 02/04/2013
Namibia
Energy conversion efficiencies Conversion Efficiency % Input Electrical motor 90-97 Electricity through grid Small electric motor 60-75% Steam turbine 40-45% 40-45% Steam Gas turbine 35-40% Gas Diesel ICE 30-35% Diesel Petrol ICE 15-25% Petrol Mammalian muscle 15-20% Electricity in battery Glucose Zhang (2011): Process Biochemistry 46, 2091-2110
The risk Losses in global energy conversion and power delivery Source: IEA 2008 Conversion Own use Transmission Distribution 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 TWh
3 BIOFUELS AND TECHNOLOGIES 02/04/2013
1 st generation feed-stocks Peanut oil Soy bean Sunflower Rapeseed Palm Oil > biodiesel 38kJ/g Starch, sugars > bioethanol 27kJ/g Sugar beet Sugar cane Corn -maize Wheat
2 nd generation feed-stocks Non-food oil Jatropha Straw Miscanthus Willow Wood Lignocellulosics Food waste
G Ha Microalgae High productivity potential: Biomass doubling times in h >1000 species, infinite strains, all habitats Land needed for biofuel feedstocks to meet 2009 global fossil energy use 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Algae Macroalgae Rape oil Jatropha oil BTL Algal oil
2 nd generation technologies Anaerobic digestion biogas (methane, CO 2 )
5. THE TOUGH NUTS TO CRACK 02/04/2013
Best customer value at lowest cost economic assessment Best customer value with minimal environmental burden - LCA
The difficult part is the Biofuel Supply Chain Significant economic optimisation challenges
ACP EC's Strategy for Sustainable Development Build, enhance scientific & technological capacity for R&D & innovation Enable activities /policies critical to sustainable development 02/04/2013
This ACP Project 36 months South Africa, Namibia, Ghana, UK, Italy Regional, local authorities, municipalities sewage, water, energy procurement 02/04/2013
15% flue loss 5% radiation loss Simultaneous generation of heat & power Ideal where both heat & power needed 50% heat 30% electricity 02/04/2013
02/04/2013 Architecture Design & Construction Dissemination/training Building retrofit practice Post occupancy evaluation of CHP performance in-use Science Biofuel Value Chains Environmental footprints Risks Facilities Management Design, installation & operation of biofuel CCHP Engineering Review of CCHP design, Display panels, Control Intelligence: power systems electricity storage Psychology Strategies to encourage biofuel CHP take-up Business Economic footprints Review of business models Business training for CHP adoption
02/04/2013 Medway Campus: science, engineering buildings to be served by proposed glyce
7. A NEW BIOFUEL: GLYCEROL 02/04/2013
Glycal Water-soluble Non-flammable Non-volatile High boiling point Bio-production Bio-degradable No environmental pollution H H H O O O H C C C H H H H
MJ/l MJ/kg Energy content of glycerol 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Energy content (MJkg -1 ) 50 40 30 20 10 0 Volumetric energy density (MJl -1 ) 02/04/2013
High energy conversion efficiency No addition of combustion enhancers necessary Engine performance with glycerol proven 02/04/2013
NOx, g/kwh Emissions on combustion 8 Diesel 6 Glycerol 4 2 0 Gas Engine, natural gas 0 1 2 3 4 Glycerol with catalytic abatement CO, g/kwh EPA-Tier 4 Independently verified
Glycerol supply? Biodiesel supply chain hitch-hike
Glycerol market / t glycerol 150.0 mt glycerol 1.500 100.0 1.00 50.0 0.5 1990 2000 2010 World glycerol production World glycerol price 02/04/2013
Best customer value at lowest cost economic assessment Best customer value with minimal environmental burden - LCA
Can Glycerol costs come down? perhaps from algae? CO 2 savings (tonnes pa) Glycerol CHP Gas CHP ~2,000 ~500 Costs pa + 270,000-60,000 Forecast reduction in glycerol price from circa 10p/kWh to around 7p/kWh, as a consequence of additional refinery capacity Glycerol CHP would still be marginally more expensive to operate than the current arrangements. 02/04/2013
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Dunaliella sp Halophyte ~50-85% biomass (dw) as glycerol Biomass doubling time in h A Ben-Amotz: ~40 tons glycerol d -1 km -2 NBTEilat 1 st Energy Crisis 1975, Glycerol Algal Farm, 500 hectares in Sinai 02/04/2013
02/04/2013 NBT Eilat
Productivity CO 2 source, nutrients Lake / raceway Seasonality/cropping Energy inputs Ecosystem
Glycerol pg/cell Glycerol synthesis in response to 250 osmotic shock 200 150 100 culture transfer 4M NaCl 3M NaCl 2M NaCl 50 No added NaCl 0-20 20 60 100 140 180 220 Time (min) 02/04/2013
The biorefinery