Algae for Food and Fuel – Presentation given at KMFRI in Kisumu, Kenya
June 13, 2011
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2nd Generation Biofuels, 3rd Generation Biofuels, Algae, Biofuels, energy, Fish waste, Other, Renewable Energy | Tagged: 2nd Generation Biofuels, Algae, algae biomass, algae for food, algae fuel, algae-oil, bio-diesel, bio-reactor, biodiesel, developing countries, energy, fish, Fish waste, Fishwaste, micro-algae, Renewable Energy, spirulina, Tony Piccolo ABS - Aquatic Biofuel Specialist | 
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Posted by Tony Piccolo - Aquatic Biofuel Specialist
Don’t blame it on the sunshine – Just blame it on the increased fuel prices.
May 14, 2011
A major highway from Nairobi to Thika (approximately 50km) is being built by China’s Wu Yi Company, Sinohydro Corporation Ltd and Shengli Engineering Construction. This highway is to join the two cities of Nairobi and Thika, north of Nairobi.
An article on the Daily Nation on Thursday 12 May, 2011 claims that there will be delays on the completion of the highway which had an expected completion date of February 2012. It is the increase in fuel prices that is being blamed for the delays in completing the highway which is expected to ease traffic in the congested city.
The KSh27 Billion Highway will cost the government even more claims the Roads Permanent Secretary Mr. Michael Kamau due to structural delays, and due to the increase in fuel prices. “If this project is delayed and the fuel prices continue behaving the way they are doing, then we have serious challenges on the amount of money we are going to pay on the variation on price,”
Surely in a country with over 160,000km of roads (paved and unpaved) and so highly dependent on oil imports (over 80,000 bbl/day – 2007 est)[1] this should’ve been foreseen and budgeted, before construction of the highway even began.
So why suddenly is the increase in fuel prices being blamed for the delays and for the increase in cost? Is this simply and excuse for the delay?
Perhaps its time Kenya looks at fuel alternatives. It has an enormous potential to produce its own fuel through the growth and production of algae oil by using photo bio-reactors. Not only will the algae absorb and store CO2 (carbon dioxide) in its cell as it grows[2] which will contribute to mitigating climate change, but it will also make Kenya free of oil imports. Micro-algae require sunshine, CO2 , and waste water to grow and thrive, Kenya has an abundance of all these ingredients.
Tony Piccolo – Aquatic Biofuels Specialist, Kisumu-Kenya
[1] http://www.cia.org
[2] 1 tonne of algae can store up to 2 tonnes of CO2
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Posted by Tony Piccolo - Aquatic Biofuel Specialist
Canada joins the algae race with a $5M project
June 8, 2010
While the United States and BP are desperately trying to cap the crude oil spurting out from the BP platform in the Gulf of Mexico, Canada is preparing to set up its first major algae to oil pilot plant. $5M project (US$4.7 million), have been awarded by the Government of Canada to grow, harvest and produce algal-oil in Nova Scotia.
The new algae project brings Canada in line with other countries that are also investingating the potential of algae, these beign primarily the US, but also counties in Europe like, Spain, Italy and Germany.
The National Research Council (NRC), and the Institute of Marine Sciences are the main actors in the project and they are in a unique position because they are using local species of algae, eliminating the risk to the environment. Sixty-four species have been collected and studied so far, twenty-four of these species have been brought into cultivation and about six have exceptional oil yields.
The pilot plant which should be located in Ketch Harbour Marine Research Station and will produce 50,000 litres as well as producing valuable by-products like nutriceuticals or high protein animal feed.
Some of the companies NRC will collaborate with include
- Ocean Nutrition Canada in Halifax;
- Menova Energy Inc. of Markham, Ontario;
- POS Pilot Plant from Saskatoon;
- and the international consortium Carbon2Algae Solutions (C2A)
Tony Piccolo – Aquatic Biofuels Specialist, Rome-Italy
Picture: Courtesy of Wikipedia
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Posted by Tony Piccolo - Aquatic Biofuel Specialist
Aquatic Biofuels – New Options for Bioenergy
June 6, 2010AQUATIC BIOFUELS – New Options for Bioenergy
Copies of my Dissertation can be purchased through dissertation.com for $US 17 by clicking either the image on the left or the link above.
Tony Piccolo – Aquatic Biofuels Specialist, Rome-Italy
Leave a Comment » | 2nd Generation Biofuels, Algae, Biofuels, Fish waste, Renewable Energy | Tagged: 2nd Generation Biofuels, Algae, algae biomass, algae fuel, algae-oil, bio-diesel, bio-reactor, Biofuels, catfish, developing countries, energy, Fish waste, micro-algae, open ponds, photo bio-reactor, Renewable Energy, Tony Piccolo ABS - Aquatic Biofuel Specialist | Permalink
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Five key strategies for algae biofuels commercialization
June 18, 2009
What are the 5 most important strategies to look out for when wanting to commercialise algae biodiesel or biocrude?
Production needs to be faster, lipids and algae cells need to be fatter, the cost of production needs to be cheaper, the extraction process needs to be easier and better, and lastly but very important is that valuable co-products need to be produced.
According to a study done on algae biofuels/biomass market: Algae 2020 (460 pages, June 2009), these five key stratgies emerged as approaches to help producers to reduce costs and accelerate the commercialization of algae biodiesel.
1: Faster. As a first strategy for most algae biofuels producers is to identify algae species that have a high oil content, that will also grow quickly to produce biodiesel, biocrude and drop-in fuels. Growth of algae is tied to CO2 sequestration so the more CO2 can be sequestered from nearby emitters the faster the algae will grow.
2: Fatter. Algae are especially interested in utilizing algal species with a high triglyceride (TAG) oil content for biodiesel and biocrude production. Obviously the more oil content the more diesel can be produced.
3: Cheaper. Based on the examination of several algae business and economic models, the study finds the estimated costs to produce algae oils and algae biodiesel today range from $9 to $25 per gallon in ponds, and from $15 to $40 in photobioreactors (PBRs).
4: Easier/Better. The study has identified algae producers are now employing easier and better methods of producing algae for biodiesel, biocrude and drop-in fuels.
5: Co-Product Fraction Marketing Strategies. Even with algae species with up to 50% oil content, the additional 50% biomass remains. This biomass fraction contains valuable proteins for livestock, poultry and fish feed additives valued from $800 up to $2500 per ton. As fish-feed an interesting concept would be to feed the biomass to fish (tilapia for example) and then produce fish fillets, fish meal, and fish-oil from which another bio-diesel can be produced
Tony Picclo – Aquatic Biofuels Specialist, Rome – Italy
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European Algae Biomass Association (EABA)
June 4, 2009
The 1st European Algae Biomass Association (EABA) Conference and General Assembly meeting of the Association was held in Florence, Italy, June 3-4th, 2009.
However the outlook was not as optimistic as one would like to think, or as optimistic as the US outlook. General indicative timeframes claim that it will take 10-15 years to commercilize algae, the Executive Director Mr. Raffaello Garofalo pointed out that this is in fact indicative and that there is still alot of research to be done, which part of EABA’s mandate. He also went on to say that at present, producing biodiesel from algae costs 10 to 30 times the cost of making biodiesel from traditional feedstocks. By-products it seems are going to be what makes algae oil production viable in the shorter term. Those highly valued products will make the price drop and make algae oil competitive with other feedstocks.
Mr. Garofalo also added that the new association has 54 members representing science and industry and aims to be a platform for creating full algae-based production chain, from biofuels to animal feed to nutrients.
This outlook strongly contrasts with the more positive scenario and assessment made by some US companies who claim they can commercialize in 3 to 4 years.
- Sapphire Energy has projected that it will reach 1Mgy in production in 2011 and 100Mgy by 2018.
- Solazyme has projected reaching 100 Mgy by 2012 or 2013.
- Biofields has projected production in Mexico of 250 Mgy by 2013 based on the Algenol process.
- PetroAlgae has indicated it expects to reach commercial scale production (below 100Mgy) in 2011.
- Aurora Biofuels has projected the development of “$1.30 at the gate” fuel by 2013
Which of the 2 scenarios do you think is more realistic? The US who have been working on algae to oil production since the 1970′s or the EU whose research is much more recent ?
The US have been speeding up their science and technology on algae for oil/biodiesel production and as the Algae Biofuels World Summit concluded in San Francisco on March of this year. The technology is now in place to commercialize algae as fuel it is the patent laws that are holding everything back. Certain companies have perfected certain branches of extraction, harvesting, CO2 sequestration etc, but have patented the technology and are not sharing their discoveries. This is slowing up the process, but within 4-5 years the US should be able to go commercial.
So will it take 2 to 3, 4 to 5 or 10 to 15 to commercialize algae oil?.
What do you think? Please write your views and opinions below, or contact me directly via e-mail by clicking here
Tony Picclo – Aquatic Biofuels Specialist, Rome – Italy
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Glycerin – Important by product of the biodiesel production industry
March 6, 2009
Glycerin an important by-product, produced from the production of bio-diesel is currently further being enhanced and could become a new source of income for bio-diesel producers.
Glycerin is colourless, odorless, slimy liquid which is used for pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic purposes. Up to now market conditions have impeded this valuable by product to be sold commercially, however, world wide researchers and experts are looking at ways to enhance the product and find more ways to utilise it in order to make it economically and commerciably viable.
Aquafinca in Honduras which produces biodiesel from the waste of its 100 tonne catch a day already commercialises its by product glycerin, extracts it from its biodiesel plant and sells it separately as extra revenue.
Zhiyou Wen, an assistant professor of biological systems engineering with Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is developing a technology that will use glycerin to aid in the production of algae that produce omega-3 fatty acids.
Wen’s technology focuses on glycerin as a carbon source, which is used to grow a microalgae species that produces omega-3 fatty acids.
According to WBI (Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative) other uses of glycerin could be, as direct fuel or to be used in the production of plastics.
Tony Piccolo – Aquatic Biofuels Specialist, Rome-Italy
Leave a Comment » | Algae, Biofuels, Fish waste | Tagged: 2nd Generation Biofuels, Algae, algae biomass, bio-diesel, Fish waste, glycerin | Permalink
Posted by Tony Piccolo - Aquatic Biofuel Specialist
Biofuel from fish waste – sink or swim?
December 15, 2008Volume 2 issue 5 of Biofuel International Online features my article on fishwaste to biodiesel. The article outlines the basic processes of extracting fishoil from the residues and wastes of the fishing sector and how to convert them into biodiesel.
It can be viewed by clicking here on the Biofuel International webpage, however if you are not a full subscriber you may not be able to see the full article. I have therefore also attached it to this posting for your convenience. Just click on the image below and you will be directed to the article in pdf format.
I am currently working on a paper on the actual processes of converting fishoil to biodiesel and the mechanisms and costs involved. Please bookmark or subscribe to this website for updates on aquatic biofuels.
Tony Piccolo – Aquatic Biofuel Specialist, Rome-Italy
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Bill Gates to fund algae fuel production
October 12, 2008After the failed attempt at investments into Sapphire Energy for Pacific Ethanol, Mr. Gates is once again putting money where his mouth is and investing once again with algae oil producers Sapphire Energy this time for algae fuel.
It all began in 2007 when Sapphire Energy stated they were able to obtain a successful product “Green Crude” from algae. Processing this green crude could yield chemical gasoline equivalents, diesel and even jet fuel.
The investments received by Sapphire will help them reach thier daily target of 10.000 barrels of algae fuel and smoothen commercial scale production by 2011-2012. No information was given on what the technology will be used, whether it will be photo bio-reactors but judging by what the large coroprate companies are investing in it will most likely be photo bio-reactors as opposed to open pond biofixation process, that yes do require major invesments but do give higher yields.
Tony Piccolo – Aquatic Biofuel Specialist, October 12, Rome
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Posted by Tony Piccolo - Aquatic Biofuel Specialist
Aquatic Biofuel Specialist
