Pollutants-to-Products

(P2P)GPRC-CRI microalgae research and technology

Abigail Adebusuyi, PhD

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In brief

• Introduction• Projects• P2P microalgae technology • Summary

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About P2P• A GPRC-CRI initiative (started in 2007)• Goal

• “To develop environmentally sustainable technologies to turn pollutants into useful products using natural processes”

• Partners• Industry (20) and government (5) partners• Including oil/gas, forestry, environmental and engineering companies

• Funding• Total funding of $3.5M ($2.3M from NSERC)

• Projects • Based on the goal of the P2P initiative• Currently four projects• Focus on carbon capture by microalgae

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Meet the people• Core (2011)

• Dr. Weixing Tan – Principal Investigator• Dr. Abigail Adebusuyi– Research Associate• Dr. Bruce Rutley – Director of CRI• Bob Hall – Manager, CRI Innovation Services • Aurele Lemay – Technician

• GPRC Faculty members • Dr. Phil Johnson, Dr. Les Rawluk, Dr. George Ding, Dr. Ali Al-Asadi, Dr. Georgia Goth

• GPRC Staff members Mr. Rick Scott, Ms. Audrey Wells

• GPRC Students

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What we do• White Spruce Reforestation

(since 2000)• Enhancing sustainable reforestation• 40 M Sw seedlings planted in

Alberta each year• Better seedlings through better

conditioning in nursery• Increased survival by >2-3%, saving

$1 M for industries• Increased growth – more wood &

carbon sequestration• Near completion

• Partners• Canadian Forest Products• Manning Divers. For. Pro.• Pacific Regeneration Tech. • Tolko Forest Products• Vanderwell Contractors• Weyerhaeuser Canada• Alberta Assoc. of Colleges &

Technical Institutes (legacy)

Planted white spruce seedling

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What we do• Turning waste water to wood fiber

(since 2008)• Collaboration with Alberta Rural Organic

Waste to Resources Net work (AROWRN)• Sustainable wastewater cleaning

technology • Nutrients (N, P, minerals) and water in

effluent wastewater to fertilise hybrid poplar trees

• Diverting effluent from natural watercourses

• Using trees and soils to clean wastewater• Enhancing tree growth & carbon

sequestration• Ongoing but as a minor GPRC project

• Partners• Ainsworth Engineering• Aquatera Utilities Ltd.• Canadian Wood Fiber

Center• County of Grande Prairie• Alberta Assoc. of Colleges &

Technical Institutes (legacy)

Planted hybrid poplar tree

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What we do• Enhancing oilsand landscape

reclamation through winter planting• New project (2012)• Sustainable oilsand reclamation• Large areas of disturbed wetland from

oilsand operation• Unsatisfactory reforestation due to lack of

access in summer and too wet condition• Winter planting to help access wetland• No previous study on wetland at

operational level• >95% survivability in the 1st year• 3 years project ending in 2015

• Partners• Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance

(ConocoPhillips Canada, Shell Canada, Statoil, Suncor Energy Inc., Nexen Inc., and Total E&P Canada)

• AB Sustainable Development• AB Environment• Next Gen. Reforestation• Global Restoration Corp.

Planted black spruce

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What we do• Bio-Capture of CO2 & Air

Pollutants Using Microalgae (since 2007)

• Sustainable air cleaning technology• Microalgae -

• aquatic plants that utilize CO2

• >100 times more efficient than most land plants

• Flue gas from sources (a boiler or power generating plant) fed directly to algae

• Most of the CO2 and air pollutants removed by algae

• Microalgae biomass used for valuable products

• Partners• ConocoPhillips• EnEco Systems Inc• Woodmere Nursery• Rheaume Engineering• Pond Biofuels• Converted Carbon

Technologies

Chlorella vulgaris

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happiness-one-quote-time.blogspot.com

P2P microalgae technology: Tests and trials

• Low productivity• Production of high quality biomass• Tendency for microalgae processes to crash • Require lots of research • Limited funding for research and development• Commercialization

• High capital cost• Challenging market to enter

• Many large development ventures• Various technologies• No clear commercial successes

“Trouble creates a capacity to handle it”—Oliver Wendell Holmes

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What we are up against!!!

Cellana’s patented ALDUO™ process

Heliae’s TechnologyAlgenol’s Direct to ethanol technology

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In the beginning (table top system)

Now - developing 5-panel 10- row beta -model

Completed alpha ‘ PBR (2-row single panel-model

Moving up – alpha – PBRSingle row

P2P microalgae technology: Progress snapshots

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Where we live

Carbon Capture Solarium

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P2P microalgae technology: Success

• Innovative technologies• Microalgae production system

• Automated photobioreactor system• Increase in microalgae productivity• Efficient use of sunlight energy• Portable hybrid systems for use in

any climate• Two patents

• “Sun Tracking Growing Systems for Photosynthetic Organisms”

• “Method and Apparatus for Reducing Foam Formation in a Circulating Nutrient Systems Having Gas Introduction”

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P2P microalgae technology: Success

• Nutrient formulation• Stoichiometrically balanced

medium (Trade secret)• Increase in growth yield• Facilitate pH stability• Reduce “culture crash”

• Cheap medium components• Reduce cost of microalgae

production

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Selling P2P microalgae technology• Strategy

• Directs technology development• World class business development team

• Commitment from industry partner • PBR demonstration• Nutrient formulation • Consultation services

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Marketing focus• Specific targets for commercialization

Nutrients

WaterReuse H2O & nutrientsCO2 & Pollutants

Directly fromSource

Sunlight

AlgaeHarvesting &Separation

• Biofuels (Gas&Diesel)• Animal Feeds• Human Foods /Proteins• Health/Natural Supplements• Pharmaceutical Products• Cellulose

O2

Inputs Outputs

MicroalgaeProduction Systems

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What next?

• Applied Research activities• Optimization of microalgae production systems• Nutrient recycling• Microalgae harvesting• Microbial control in photobioreactor systems

• Path to commercialization

What to remember

• P2P• Great potential• Four projects with major focus on

microalgae technology• Reasonable achievements• Targeted commercialization of

specific technologies• Opportunities

• Open to additional collaborations• Have expertise to share

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In closing…

• Thanks to all our partners +• Comments and questions?