Go Ahead for Algae/Aviation Fuel Research & New National Carbon Neutral Program

A University of Queensland-led global consortium which aims to produce environmentally friendly aviation fuel from algae is one of four research projects awarded a total A$6.48 million in State Government funding this week. And we clarify the new Federal Government policy with its National Carbon Offset Carbon Neutral Program.

In reference to last week’s article on voluntary offsetting, here’s the latest word from Government:

“It is still the Australian Government’s policy that Greenhouse Friendly will finish on 1 July 2010. The National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) will come into effect on 1 July 2010.   

“The NCOS Carbon Neutral Program, due to commence on 1 July 2010, will enable organisations or products to be certified as carbon neutral under the conditions set out in the NCOS. Upon certification as carbon neutral, organisations will enter into an agreement with the Program Administrator allowing them to use the NCOS Carbon Neutral logo, similar to the current Greenhouse Friendly logo.

“The NCOS Q&A for business page on our website may also be of assistance:

http://www.climatechange.gov.au/government/initiatives/carbon-offset/for-business.aspx

This from Julian Henschke, Acting Assistant Director | Offsets and Voluntary Action Policy,Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Canberra.

UQ Reports:

UQ wins $6.5 million for groundbreaking research projects

A UNIVERSITY of Queensland-led global consortium that aims to produce environmentally friendly aviation fuel from algae is one of four UQ research projects awarded a total $6.48 million in State Government funding this week.

The grant means UQ’s St Lucia campus will become the base for world-first avgas research, which has Boeing,National and International Research Alliances Program. Funding is going to two of UQ’s algae-sourced biofuel projects, and two medical projects – one on dengue fever, and one on repairing spinal cord damage.

The UQ projects receiving funding are:

• $2 million for Professor Lars Nielsen’s Queensland Sustainable Aviation Fuel Initiative, which aims to create avgas from algae, in work being done at UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.

• $1.48 million for Associate Professor Ben Hankamer’s research into high-efficiency microalgal biofuel systems that aims to produce a range of biofuels through “photo-bioreactors”.

Premier Anna Bligh said the avgas project offered huge environmental benefits and funding meant the consortium would locate its globally significant research in Brisbane.

“Queensland is set to become the home for cleaner, greener, renewable jet fuel,” she said.

Aviation accounted for two per cent of global greenhouse emissions and this could grow to three per cent without further action.

“We’re leading the way on aviation biofuels research,” Ms Bligh said. “With a growing focus on making our skies greener, this is big business and good for jobs and the environment.”

Professor Nielsen said biofuel that was safe to use and could be produced sustainably in quantities that could feed jets’ enormous appetites was the holy grail of the global aviation industry.

It also needed to be cheap — if not cheaper to produce — than fossil fuels.

Professor Nielsen said 18,000 aircraft were in operation globally, and another 25,000 were due to enter service within 20 years.

Local partners in the avgas project include Mackay Sugar, Brisbane-based IOR Energy, James Cook University and Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

Dr Hankamer said the $1.48 million NIRAP funding to the Institute for Molecular Bioscience would help develop biodiesel, methane and hydrogen from low-cost, high productivity microalgal photo-bioreactors.

“A photo-bioreactor is basically a sealed aquaculture system that brings in sunlight to provide the energy that algae need to grow,” he said.

Earlier research by the same team successfully increased green algae’s solar energy conversion efficiency and made production more efficient by refining growth conditions and photo-bioreactor design. It also studied how each strain of algae works best.

Dr Hankamer said the new funding would attract a further $2 million in industry and UQ support, enabling the researchers to launch a $3.5 million project to test the economic feasibility of scaled-up new-generation algal energy systems.

The consortium backing the project includes global engineering and construction company Kellogg Brown & Root Pty Ltd, Neste Oil Corp, Cement Australia Pty Ltd, North Queensland and Pacific Biodiesel Pty Ltd, the University of Karlsruhe, the University of Bielefeld and UQ.

Dr Hankamer said algae captured CO2 as it grew, which offered the potential for offsetting CO2 emissions.

“Algal bioreactors have the potential to assist Queensland in meeting its renewable energy and CO2 emissions reduction targets,” he said.

The deployment of algae-based systems also eliminated competition with agricultural crops.

“One of the big concerns about traditional biofuel crops is that arable land and fresh water are limited and are needed for food crops,” he said.

“In contrast, algal bioreactors can be located on non-arable land, essentially eliminating competition with food production. The fact that many strains of energy-producing algae can be grown in saline or waste water is an added benefit.”

The high capital costs and less-than-optimal yields of current bioreactors was a problem.

“This project will improve bioreactor design and improve the breeding of high-performance algae to minimise system costs and increase yields,” Dr Hankamer said.

“These improvements will assist the rapidly expanding ‘green jobs’ sector and contribute to the production of clean fuels, on a likely five to 10-year timescale.

“With its abundance of sunshine and land, Queensland is an ideal location to develop a biofuel and bio-commodity industry based on algae.”

Source: www.uq.edu.au