Algae Feeds Bio-Sequestration Project

Australia’s first large scale Algal Research and Development Facility at James Cook University, Douglas Campus, Townsville will open on 20 November 2009, while Anglo Coal has been named as the latest partner with MBD for its bio sequestration project. Eco Generation explains what this is all algae energy business is all about.

Article from EcoGeneration magazine:

Geo-sequestration, or storage of carbon dioxide underground, is the most commonly known carbon capture and storage solution; however, companies are developing alternative and more lucrative solutions to lower emissions and power the future.

Lucy Rochlin caught up with MBD Managing Director Andrew Lawson to discuss the potential for bio-sequestration in 2010 and beyond.

MBD Energy uses algae to recycle captured industrial flue-gas emissions, converting them into oils suitable for manufacture of high grade plastics, transport fuel and nutritious feed for livestock. The process also produces algae meal which can be used as biomass for electricity production or feed for livestock. The algae meal makes up 65 per cent of the end product, and has the potential to create over 10 MW of power from a small scale algal synthesiser plant. MBD is currently developing a business model for electricity generation using algae meal.

Bio-sequestration

In the bio-sequestration process, also known as bio carbon capture and storage (bio CCS), carbon is treated as part of a carbon cycle.

The conversion of carbon into oil and meal draws emissions that would usually be emitted to the atmosphere. The process also creates other carbon based products that can be used as useful forms energy. The alternative geo-sequestration process uses 50 per cent more coal to extract and liquefy the CO2, before injecting it into the ground. Furthermore, no useful forms of energy are produced.

Mr Lawson sees a parallel between our storage of carbon and rubbish disposal in Australia.

“The last 200 years have seen landfill fill up with pollution and rubbish. This option is increasingly becoming more expensive and unsustainable. Recycling has started to reduce the quantity of landfill, by recycling rubbish into new, useful and sustainable products. Geo-sequestration is the landfill of the 21st century, while bio CCS seeks to provide a solution for the next millennia that is sustainable.”

The algal synthesiser

The algal synthesiser is an algae farm, in which greenhouse gas is cooled using cooling tower water, and then fed to the algae. Additional nutrients are added to the farm to complete the algae’s diet.

The algae selected are local strains that are high in oil and protein, and double their mass every 24 to 48 hours. Fifty per cent of the algae is harvested each day, dewatered and crushed to yield oil and nutritious meal. In this process, 100 per cent of the algae is used. The algae strain is also matched to the type of oil required.

MBD has focused on oil for fuel and plastic – however strains rich in Omega 3 and other high value oils have been identified for future investigation.  The remaining meal is 50 – 70 per cent protein, and when blended with carbohydrates, provides a drought proof feed for livestock and aquaculture, year round.

Implementation

The algal synthesiser may be retrofitted to a majority of existing CO2 emitting industrial facilities provided there is sufficient space for installation of the modular and compact array of transparent tubing – the component at the heart of the process. The synthesiser can also be integrated into new emissions producing infrastructure and located on buffer land adjacent to the emitter.

MBD plans to harness the use of the greenhouse flue gas from an emitter’s smoke stack rather than the significantly more expensive and still-to-be-developed pure CO2 capture solution, geo-sequestration. MBD’s process is commercial, and reduces the complexity, risk, cost and timeframe of transforming an emitter to a low carbon footprint operator.

MBD’s projects

Full scale plants at Loy Yang, NSW and QLD

MBD has developed a fully operational research and development facility and is currently moving to develop full scale display plants at a number of Australia’s major coal-burning power stations at Loy Yang A in Victoria, Eraring Energy in New South Wales, and a large Queensland-based emitter.

The company has also completed additional works at the Townsville-based research and development facility, and is in the process of inoculating the growth systems. Originally launched in 2008 by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, the new facility will be re-launched by Ms Bligh on 20 November as the largest micro algae research and development facility in the world.

The bio-carbon capture and storage demonstration projects

MBD is also participating in a joint demonstration project that will aim to bio-sequester more than 25 per cent of emissions by 2020 in three high-emitting regions in Australia: Gippsland in Victoria; south Queensland; and Western Australia. The projects are privately funded, commercial projects. The other companies involved include Lawrie Co, Ignite Energy Resources, Plantstone Technology, CO2Australia, New Forests, Spectrum Renewable Energy, Soil Carbon Australia and Licella.

“Biology has provided nature with ready-made filters – MBD’s bio carbon capture and storage demonstration projects will harness these filters to demonstrate the commercial viability of speedily cleaning the air, improving water quality, and improving food outputs by ‘closing nature’s loops’,” says MBD Managing Director Andrew Lawson.

International Support

MBD’s discussions in China and India in October 2009 were expected to result in the finalisation of several sites to develop bio-sequestration commercial demonstration projects.

“Both of these countries have severely depleted soils and looming food security concerns and both are heavily dependent on coal for the near future. To a large extent, the battle against climate change will be won or lost in these countries,” says Mr Lawson.

Bio-sequestration – a viable climate change solution

Kyoto and the majority of subsequent investigation and world discussion have focused on transferring to a low carbon environment through geo-sequestration. However, policies that stabilise sequestrations through oceans and forests are also of key importance.

MBD considers that bio-sequestration has previously been marginalised as a solution to climate change in Australia.

Mr Lawson suggests that this is because bio-sequestration necessitates the difficult task of a comprehensive reassessment of the carbon cycle. While the geo-sequestration proposes to store carbon, it is far less simple to track a path from greenhouse gases to fixation in oils, cellulous and other derivatives.

However Mr Lawson says that regardless of their complexity, it is these processes that will provide commercial long term sustainable solutions and optimise the energy/resource balance.

Bio-sequestration – the benefits

Sustainable: Generation of fuel and feed from waste greenhouse gases

Clean: Lower emission fuel and feed

Green: Algae made all the oil on earth over millions of years – MBD is cutting this process down to one day. The process enables the mineral oil to be maintained in underground reservoirs and the CO2 in the atmosphere and from industry to be harnessed for fuel.

Bio-sequestration and the CPRS

MBD believes that the CPRS legislation needs to be built on a clear and definite central basis – where any technology that has a net reduction in atmospheric CO2 is supported.

“The legislation should recognise all forms of sequestration or reduction in the physical greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere,” says Mr Lawson.

The company considers that bio-sequestration has the potential to offer a commercially viable solution for large scale reduction of carbon emissions to the atmosphere.                      

Source: www.ecogeneration.com.au and www.mbdenergy.com