FUEL4ME

FUture European League 4 Microalgal Energy

 Partecipanti

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Microalgae are very attractive for the purpose of producing energy-rich molecules as they are photosynthetic organisms that can live in various aqueous environments, such as saline water. This gives them a low water footprint and moreover they do not have to compete with cultivated farmland. Although they are not superior to higher plants concerning photosynthetic efficiency, microalgae do have high growth rates and they provide much higher oil yields than higher plants such as palm, soybean or rapeseed, and do not produce lignocelluloses. Microalgae do not only use sunlight as energy source, but they are also very efficient in using fertilizers and waste streams as nutrient source. They could be used to clean these streams by removal of nitrogen and phosphate and use flue gas as source for carbon dioxide. The potential of microalgae is clear but the technology for producing biofuels from microalgae is still immature. In order to make microalgae as a source for biofuels competitive with fossil fuels, it is important to reduce operational costs and to achieve a positive energy balance (fossil energy input is higher than energy output). The overall aim of FUEL4ME is to establish a sustainable chain for continuous biofuel production using microalgae as a production platform, thereby making 2nd generation biofuels competitive alternatives to fossil fuels. This will be achieved by: 1) Transforming the current 2-step process for algal biomass production into a continuous 1-step process with high lipid content (production process); 2) Development of a continuous downstream process using all components of the algal biomass (conversion process); 3) Integration of production and conversion process. After setting up and proof of concept within controlled indoor conditions, the continuous process will be tested outdoors under real production conditions in four different regions (NL, IL, IT ES). Simultaneous with research on biomass production, a continuous downstream process will be developed. Finally the whole process (both biomass production and conversion into biofuel) will be integrated and subjected to an economic analysis and life cycle analysis. Partners in this project are: DLO-Food&Biobased Research, DLO-Plant Research International, Wageningen University, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Fotosintetica & Microbiologica S.r.l., Biotopic, Evodos B.V., Pursuit Dynamics, FeyeCon Carbon Dioxide Technologies BV, Neste Oil, JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH, IDConsortium S.L.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Microalgae are photosynthetic organisms that produce a variety of energy-rich molecules. A determined consortium is improving the technology to convert their products to biofuels in a process chain competitive with that for fossil fuels.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

One of the most promising sources of biodiesel, microalgae can use fertiliser and waste streams as nutrients while harvesting necessary carbon dioxide (CO2) from flue gas. Further, they have higher oil yields than plants and can grow in salt water, meaning they eliminate competition for land for both food crops and fresh water.

However, the technology to exploit them is immature. The EU is funding the project 'Future European league 4 microalgal energy' (http://www.fuel4me.eu/ (FUEL4ME)) to establish a sustainable production chain that makes second-generation biofuels competitive with fossil fuels.

Scientists are replacing the current two-step batch production process with a continuous one-step process that optimises lipid production under different growth conditions. In order to accomplish this, the team is studying the cellular processes of lipid formation in microalgae. A one-step process has been designed and the detailed engineering design of the pilot plant for outdoor production has been completed.

An integrated continuous downstream conversion process will convert all biomass primarily to biofuels with a small portion of omega-3 fatty acids for food and feed. The first biomass has been produced and the team is evaluating the use of supercritical CO2 for extraction and fractionation of high- and low-value lipids.

Determination of the process chain's sustainability is critical as it is one of the pillars of the project itself. The team has laid out methodologies for the sustainability assessment, including environmental, economic and social perspectives of the whole value chain. The life-cycle analysis has been adapted to reflect the specific considerations of the microalgae process chain.

Dissemination is an important component of the project and will play a significant role in garnering both public and private support. The team has already published four e-bulletins on the project website, and an industrial board and online advisory service have been established.

FUEL4ME plans to establish sustainable processes that will make biofuel from microalgae competitive with fossil fuels and simultaneously valorise fertilisers, waste streams and even CO2 from flue gases. Its success could have major impact on emissions and global climate change.