Business Intelligence On

Microalgae Production For CO2

Sequestering Applications Report

Date: 20 December 2010

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Table of Contents

1. CO2: ............................................................................................................................................. 4

1.1. Energy Related CO2 Emissions by region:.............................................................................. 4

1.2. CO2 Market: ........................................................................................................................... 6
1.3. CO2 Sequestration “Technologies” or utilization: ................................................................. 8
1.3.1. Indirect Sequestration ....................................................................................................... 8
1.3.2. Direct Sequestration .......................................................................................................... 9
1.4. Green House Gas (GHG) mitigation options and CO2 sequestration: ................................. 13
1.5. CO2 Storage cost: ............................................................................................................ 14
1.6. CO2 Transport: ................................................................................................................. 15
2. Micro Algae Biofixation Processes: ........................................................................................... 16

2.1. Algal Productivity: one of the strongest argument.............................................................. 16

2.2. Key performance parameters of microalgae biofixation systems ....................................... 17
2.3. Other element or parameters.............................................................................................. 17
2.3.1. Harvesting ........................................................................................................................ 17
2.3.2. Climatic resources/ Temperatures: ................................................................................. 18
2.3.3. Global area suitable for practical production of microalgae –open ponds for waste
treatment: ..................................................................................................................................... 19
2.3.4. Water Price & availability: ............................................................................................... 20
2.4. Technico-economic performance of microalgae production for wastewater treatment ... 21
3. Micro Algae Biofixation Models: ............................................................................................... 22

3.1. Open ponds .......................................................................................................................... 22

3.2. Photo Bio Reactors (PBR) ..................................................................................................... 24
3.3. Photo Bio Reactors versus Raceway ponds ......................................................................... 26
3.4. Photo Bio Reactors versus Raceway ponds: Production cost .............................................. 31
4. Micro Algae Valorization and commercial application: ............................................................ 32

3.5. Biofuels................................................................................................................................. 34
3.6. Human nutrition................................................................................................................... 36
3.7. Animal nutrition ................................................................................................................... 37
3.8. Animal feed (pets and farming) ........................................................................................... 38
3.9. Cosmetics ............................................................................................................................. 38

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 3.10. High Value Molecules........................................................................................................... 38
3.10.1. Fatty acids: .................................................................................................................. 38
3.10.2. Pigments Colorants: .................................................................................................... 38
3.10.3. Stable Isotope:............................................................................................................. 39
5. Annexes: .................................................................................................................................... 40

5.1. Microalgal species and their products and application areas (modified from Pulz and Gross
2004) 40
5.2. Capital costs of raceway ponds for a productivity of 30 g/m2/day ..................................... 41

Table of Figures
Figure 1: Energy-related CO2 Emissions by regions in a Business-as-Usual Scenario ............................. 4
Figure 2: Stationary Emissions of CO2 in Metric tons per annum ........................................................... 4
Figure 3: CO2 Enhanced oil Recovery ...................................................................................................... 9
Figure 4:CO2 Enhance Coalbed Methane Production ........................................................................... 10
Figure 5: The present carbon cycle (volumes and exchanges in billions of tones of carbon) ............... 13
Figure 6: Transport costs in US$/tCO2 by distance................................................................................ 15
Figure 7: Locations with suitable climatic conditions encompass areas with annual average
temperatures of 15°C or higher ............................................................................................................ 19
Figure 8: Global areas suitable for practical production of microalgae on wastes (in pink) ................. 19
Figure 9: Percentage of inhabitants served by adequate (non water stressed) water supply in 2000 20
Figure 10: A scaled version of the 1,000m2 algae pond (Pond Depth: 20 cm, volume of 200 m3 or
200,000 liters)........................................................................................................................................ 23
Figure 11: Concept of Mera Pharmaceuticals for a microalgal-based microalgal-based carbon capture
and sequestration scheme .................................................................................................................... 32

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Table of Tables
Table 1: Carbon Market Value in 2005 and 2006 (Volume, Value, Average Price) ................................. 6
Table 2: Comparison of some centrifugal methods of harvesting of microalgae: ................................ 18
Table 3: Performance of some pressure and vacuum filters used in harvesting of microalgae: .......... 18
Table 4: Theoretical resource potentials by continent in 2020 [million ton of algae or CO2 avoided per
year] based on total waste N nutrient available (only areas with 15 °C annual average temperature of
are included).......................................................................................................................................... 20
Table 5: Productivity assumption: 100 ton/ha/y for a site > 100 Ha ( 0 to €100,000 /ha) ................... 21
Table 6: Opened ponds inclined systems characteristics and limits ..................................................... 22
Table 7: Opened ponds Open raceway systems characteristics and limits .......................................... 23
Table 8: Electricity used for 1,000 m2 ponds in kWh............................................................................. 24
Table 9: Photobioreactors Characteristics, limits and productivity by types (Tubular, Flat, and Axenic)
............................................................................................................................................................... 24
Table 10: Parameter of Photo bioreactor facility versus Raceway ponds ............................................ 26
Table 11: Productivity of Photo bioreactor facility versus Raceway ponds .......................................... 28
Table 12: Micro-algae Productivity in Open Ponds ............................................................................... 29
Table 13: Micro-algae Productivity in photobioreactors (PBR) ............................................................. 30
Table 14: Micro-algae PBR versus Raceway ponds : Production Costs ................................................. 31
Table 15: microalgae valorization and commercial application by alga types (Arthrospira, Chlorella,
Dunaliella sauna, Aphanizomenon, Haematococcus) ........................................................................... 32
Table 16: Comparison of annual expected amount of biodiesel produced per acre of Outdoor Facility
(OTF) versus Laboratory ........................................................................................................................ 34
Table 17: Comparison of some sources of biodiesel: ............................................................................ 34
Table 18: Oil content of some microalgae ............................................................................................ 36
Table 19: General composition of different human food sources and algae (% of dry matter) ........... 36

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