MICROALGAE CULTURE (4) BIO301 Dr Navid Moheimani Prof Michael - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

MICROALGAE CULTURE (4) BIO301 Dr Navid Moheimani Prof Michael Borowitzka

Flask Cultures

Flask Cultures

Carbuoy

Tubular Airlift Reactor

Commercial-Scale production Systems

Open ponds

Hutt Lagoon; WA

Whyalla; SA

Dunaliella & β -Carotene • β -Carotene formation depends on (a) total irradiance and (b) salinity • Optimum salinity for growth ~ 22% NaCl • Optimum salinity for β -Carotene formation > 30% NaCl • Nutrient limitation

Chlorella production - Taiwan

Chlorella production - Indonesia

Rores - Kolar, Karnataka, India

Spirulina Production Ponds, India

Earthrise Spirulina plant – Calipatria, California Curtesy – Ahma Belay

Ash-Free DW Lipid CaCO 3 Pleurochrysis carterae productivity – Perth, WA

Tank Culture - Hawaii

Cascade System – Trebon, Czech Repiblic

Closed Photobioreactors

Covered Ponds USA

Bag culture in Aquaculture Hatchery Bag Culture -

Haematococcus ‘tube’ culture in Israel Bag Culture - Israel curtesy – Ephraim Cohen

1000 L pilot-scale BIOCOIL at Murdoch University

Pilot Biocoil – Luton, UK

Comercial Haematococcus plant: Israel

Pilot CO 2 bioremediation plant operated by Greenfuel Technologies Corporation, USA at MIT.

Haematococcus plant operated by Algatech Ltd, Kibbuz Ketura, Israel

Alveolar panels

Capital Running Cell Relia- Cost Cost Yield bility Shallow Ponds * (1) ** (2) * * Raceways *** (2) *** ** ** Cascade *** (2) System **** ** **** Tubular Photobioreactor ****** **** *** **** Fermenter ***** (3) ******* ****** ***** 1 Depends on land & water cost as very large pond area required; 2 The range of species which can be cultured is very limited; 3 Heterotrophic culture is VERY much cheaper as no light required.

Algal Physiology, Bioreactor Design, Biochemistry & Engineering & Molecular Process Biology Control Light supply, Gas Photosynthetic efficiency, exchange, Turbulence, Secondary metabolism, Temperature control, ‘Stress’ tolerance, Materials, Harvesting, Strain improvement Downstream processing New applications, Economics marketing, formulation, packaging

Isolation & Screening • Algae strain result of a 20 year isolation & screening programme • Strains isolated from WA saline water sources and screened for suitability for large scale production • Detailed studies on growth, limits to growth and lipid production of most promising spp

Shear tolerance Rapid Growth Non-sticky High lipid content Grows in selective environment Temperature optimum Tolerate high O 2 High photosynthetic efficiency Heavy and large cells Ability to tolerate high irradiances Weak or no cell wall Salinity Lipid composition Ideally can release oil ( Botryococcus braunii )

Why the Pilbara? • Sunshine & Climate • Land • Water • Sources of CO 2 • Infrastructure • High local demand for diesel

Rio Tinto Power Station Algae Pilot Plant (0.01 km 2 )

100,000 bbl algal oil production (~ 10% of Australia’s daily consumption) 6.53 km 2 Algae Pilot Plant (0.01 km 2 ) 2 km 3.25 km

100,000 bbl algal oil production (~ 10% of Australia’s daily consumption) 6.53 km 2

Comparison of lipid productivity Lipid productivity t.ha -1 .y -1 Soybeans 0.44 Safflower 0.77 Sunflower 0.95 Rapeseed 1.18 Oil Palm 5.89 Our Alga in Pilbara, WA ~36.00