Algae Mass Cultivation Systems

Michael A. Borowitzka

BEAM - Australian Algae Research Network

The cultivation of algae for biofuels requires very large scale cultivation systems which also must be extremely low cost.
USA 18,690,000 bbl.day-1 (2009) = 2,971,472,555 L Canada 2,151,000 bbl.day-1 (2010) = 341,981,672 L Australia 946,300 bbl.day-1 (2009) = 150,449,678 L US Jet Fuel use in 2009 was 7.6 x 1010 L

Current Commercial Production Systems

Current Commercial Culture Systems

Extensive ponds (Dunaliella) Central Pivot Ponds (Chlorella) Raceways (Spirulina, Chlorella, Dunaliella, Nannochloropsis etc) Tanks (aquaculture species) Fermenters (Crypthecodinium) Big bags (aquaculture species) Tubular Photobioreactors (Haematococcus, Chlorella)

Dunaliella salina plant at Hutt Lagoon Western Australia (Cognis)

 Google Earth

Raceway Ponds, Earthrise Spirulina Production Plant, California

NatureBeta Dunalialla plant, Eilat, Israel

curtesy Ami Ben Amotz

Cyanotech production plant, Kona, Hawaii Reddish ponds = Haematococcus; other ponds = Spirulina

Algae Wastewater Treatment Pond Christchurch, New Zealand

Centre Pivot Ponds, Taiwan Chlorella, Taiwan

Cascade System, Trebon, Czech Republic

Haematococcus plant operated by Algatech Ltd, Kibbuz Ketura, Israel

Chlorella Photobioreactors System Roquette GmbH Kltze, Germany

Photosynthetically active volume 600 m3 19 + 6 reactors Total Area 12,000 m2 500 km of glass tubing 20 staff

Production = 50 t year-1

Prawn hatchery, at Al Naif, Saudi Arabia

Basic Comparison of Systems

Capital Cost Shallow Ponds Raceway Ponds Cascade System Tubular PBR Fermenter
1

Running Cost 3

Productivity ()

Reliability2 ()

depends on land cost 2 depends in part on species (note: each system has only a limited number of species which can be grown) 3 potentially cheaper as no light is required

Open vs Closed
Open Capital Cost Operating Cost Lower Lower Closed Higher Much Higher

Operating Energy
Temperature Control Salinity Control pH Control O2 concentration Water Requirement Cell density Cell Damage Risk Contamination Productivity (long term)

Lower
None Limited Yes High Very High Up to ~ 1 g L-1 Low Yes

Much Higher
Possible Easy Yes Higher Less Higher High Yes About 2x open

Productivity

Ash-Free DW

Lipid

CaCO3

Pleurochrysis carterae productivity in raceways Perth, WA

Pleurochrysis carterae

Pilot Scale Karratha, Western Australia

Long-term productivities in 1000L Biocoil in Perth, Western Australia

Alga Isochrysis (T.iso) Productivity (kg dry wt.day-1) 0.6-1.0

Pavlova lutheri
Teraselmis chuii Tetraselmis suecica Chatoceros gracilis Skeletonema costatum
* Not yet optimised ** Culture unstable

0.6-0.9*
1.0-1.2 0.5-1.0 0.5-0.8* 0.05-0.1**

Annual Lipid Productivity

Chlorella (Kltze, Germany) ~ 13 t ha-1 year-1 Our alga (Karratha, Australia) ~ 36 t ha-1 year-1

100,000 bbl algal oil production (~ 10% of Australias daily consumption)

Productivity (g afdw m-2 day-1) Total Pond Area (ha) Total Water (GL year-1)

20 30

653 436

3.9 2.6

40

327

2.0

Assumes: 30% lipid content, 2 m year-1 evaporation, and 80% recycling of water after harvesting

Which System?
Depends on location (climate, land availability & cost) Depends on species (shear tolerance, salinity tolerance, temperature tolerance)

THANK YOU!

Murdoch University, University of Adelaide, Muradel Pty Ltd Algae Biofuels Pilot Plant, Karratha, Western Australia