Outlook on microalgae production chains

Maria Barbosa & René Wijffels

Socio-economic aspects of microalgae production chains • Public acceptance and risks incl. GM algae • Business models

Separation / recovery Extraction

Process integration and Sustainability Assessment

Cultivation Biorefinery Product development

Characterization of biomass components / functional properties

Product Cell disruption Harvesting

Different products

Biomass ● Nutraceuticals ● Fish feed

Fine chemicals (DHA, EPA) Pigments Fertiliser Protein Oil

Roadmap industrial algae production Ec

onom

ic A

naly

sis

Alg

aePA

RC P

ilot

faci

litie

s

Alg

aePA

RC B

iore

finer

y

Econ

omic

and

Mar

ket

Ana

lysi

s

Cha

in d

evel

opm

ent

F

ood/

Feed

spe

cial

ities

Prod

uct

deve

lopm

ent

Cha

in d

evel

opm

ent

Com

mod

ities

2010 2015 2020 2025

Econ

omic

and

M

arke

t Ana

lysi

s

LCA

Econ

omic

and

Mar

ket

Ana

lysi

s

Dem

onst

ratio

n Com

mod

ities

Dem

onst

ratio

n

Com

mer

cial

izat

ion

Spe

cial

ities

Mat

urity

Product costs

Scale

Production chain analysis

Market development

AlgaePARC Innovation Center

Resources ● Efficient use of sunlight ● Reduction of energy

input

● Use of residual nutrients

Strains ● Robustness ● Product accumulation

Implementation ● Scale-up ● Biorefinery ● Chain Analysis

From basic to applied research

Economic Feasibility

Market value > production costs

Production costs

• Biomass production costs

• Biorefinery costs

Biomass Production costs: Model

Netherlands Saudi Arabia Canary Islands Turkish Riviera South Spain Curacao

Culture temperature Daily Dilution

Mixing day/night) Operation days per year

...

Light Intensity Electricity costs

Taxes Labor

€ / Kg biomass

CAPEX & OPEX

NER

Sensitivity Analysis

Areas to focus

Output

Location

Cultivation System

Empirical data

Specific parameters

Input

Projections with AlgaePARC pilot facility data: • Photosynthetic Efficiency

• Operational strategy: Chemostat & Turbidostat • Biomass concentration

• Dilution rate • Gas flow rates (flat panels and degasser in tubulars)

Results: Projections 100 ha

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Raceway pond Stackedtubular

Horizontaltubular

Flat Panel

€·kg-1

The Netherlands

Curaçao

South of Spain

Turkish Riviera

Canary Islands

Saudi Arabia

Biorefinery

Biorefinery costs 1 – 1.5 €/kg biomass

Production costs

• Biomass production costs

• Biorefinery costs

Economic Feasibility

Market value > production costs

Product Selling price € /ton

Biofuel Biokerosene 500 Biochar 150

Biochemical

Biopolymer 2,500 Biolubricant 2,000 Biopolymer additivies 3,000 Coating 5,000 Paint 10,000 Bulk Chemical 1,000

Food/Feed Protein 1,000 Lipids 950 Carbohydrates 750

Food aditives Poly-unsaturated fatty acids 75,000 Functional Protein 3,000 Pigments 1,100,000

Cosmetics Antioxidants 30,000 Glycolipids, Phospholipids 6,000

Market Analysis

Biopolymer 2500 €/Ton

Biolubricant 2000 €/Ton

Biopolymer additives

3000 €/Ton

Chemical

Paint additives 10,000 €/Ton

Bulk chemical 1000 €/Ton

~2300€/Ton biomass

Proteins 32%w

Satured FA 7%w

Waxes 3.7%w

Unsatured FA 18%w

Glycerol 3%w

Carbohydrates 19%w

Ash/minerals 8%w

Energy

Labour Pigments

6%w

Coatings 5,000 €/Ton

Bulk chemical 100 €/Ton

Biopolymer 2500 €/Ton

Antioxidants 2.5%w

Product distribution

Microalgae

Lipids 35%w

Food additives 75,000 €/Ton

Food/Feed 950 €/Ton

Food/feed production

~8100€/Ton biomass Satured and mono-unsatured FA

16%w

Poly-Unsatured FA 9%w

Antioxidants 2.5%w

Food additives 30,000 €/Ton

Food additives 30,000 €/Ton

Food/Feed 750 €/Ton

Food additives 1,100,000 €/Ton

Product distribution Energy

Labour

Microalgae

Proteins 32%w

Carbohydrates 19%w

Ash/minerals 8%w

Pigments 6%w

Lipids 35%w

Costs for

production and biorefinery

€/kg biomass

0123456789

10

Netherlands

Saudi Arabia

Market combinations vs costs

Business cases within reach on basis of projected costs of biomass production and biorefinery

● Increase product range and volume

● Reliability : quality and quantity

Scale up still needs to be realized

Further reduction in cost is required for commodities

Conclusions

Further reduction in cost

Few industrial strains: Plug bug

*Wijffels & Barbosa (2010) . Science. 379: 796-799.

• Productivity

• Down time

• Energy (temperature, cell

disruption, location of product)

Process chain: impact of species

Socio-economic aspects of microalgae production chains • Public acceptance and risks incl. GM algae • Business models

Separation / recovery Extraction

Process integration and Sustainability Assessment

Cultivation Biorefinery Product development

Characterization of biomass components / functional properties

Product Cell disruption Harvesting

Safi et al., 2014, Algal Res

Socio-economic aspects of microalgae production chains • Public acceptance and risks inc. GM algae • Business models

Separation / recovery Extraction

Process integration and Sustainability Assessment

Cultivation Biorefinery Product development

Characterization of biomass components / functional properties

Product Cell disruption

Harvesting Species

Rykebosch et al.2013. Algal res.

CM: chloroform/methanol HI: hexane/isopropanol H: Hexane

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

% Cell wall % reducing sugars

GrowthStress

Socio-economic aspects of microalgae production chains • Public acceptance and risks inc. GM algae • Business models

Separation / recovery Extraction

Process integration and Sustainability Assessment

Cultivation Biorefinery Product development

Characterization of biomass components / functional properties

Product Cell disruption

Harvesting

Neochloris oleaobundans

growth

stress

Neochloris oleaobundans

Growth phase

Further reduction in cost

Few industrial strains: Plug bug

*Wijffels & Barbosa (2010) . Science. 379: 796-799.

• Productivity

• Downtime

• Energy (temperature, cell

disruption, location of product)

Cultivation process strategies • Mass transfer

• Night vs day

• Operational strategy

Biorefinery • Validation of first cost estimations

• Identification of major cost factors

Where is the breakthrough ?

From economical analysis Combination of improvements Multidisciplinair approach

Industrial partners Arke, Avantium, BAM, BASF, BAS, Biogas Fuel Cell, BioOils, Biotopic, Bodec, Caglar Dogal Urunler, Cellulac, Cropeye, Desah, Drie Wilgen, DSM, Dyadic, Eco Treasures, Evodos, EWOS, ExxonMobil, Feyecon, Fitoplancton Marino, Fotosintetica & Microbiologica, GEA-Westfalia, Heliae, IDConsortium, Imenz, Infors, Lankhorst, LifeGlimmer, MFKK, NATAC, Neste Oil, Holcim, Nijhuis, Omega Algae, ONVIDA, OTEC, OWS, Paques, POS Bioscience, PNO, Prominent, Proviron, Rhodia, Rodenburg Biopolymers, Roquette, Sabic, Simris Alg, SPAROS, Suriname Staatsolie, Synthetic Genomics, Total, Umwelt-Technie, Unilever, VFT

Academic partners Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Cambridge University, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Cranfield University, CSIC, ECN, Ege University, Frauenhofer, INRA, Joanneum Research, Qingdao Institute of BioEnergy and Bioprocess Technology, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen,Technical University Delft, Thomas Moore Kempen, Uni Research, Universität Bielefeld, Universidad de Antofagasta, University of Bergen, University of Huelva, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, University of Utrecht, VITO, VU Amsterdam, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster

Maria.barbosa@wur.nl www.AlgaePARC.com

mailto:Maria.barbosa@wur.nl

Outlook on microalgae production chainsSlide Number 2Different productsRoadmap industrial algae productionSlide Number 5From basic to applied researchEconomic Feasibility��Market value > production costs Slide Number 9 BiorefinerySlide Number 12Slide Number 13Slide Number 14Slide Number 15Market combinations vs costsConclusions Further reduction in cost Process chain: impact of speciesSlide Number 20Slide Number 21Further reduction in cost Where is the breakthrough ?Slide Number 24