Objectives and Challenges
- Integrate the full production chain of algae to biofuels, using wastewater nutrients and residual biomass energy and CO2 as main inputs.
- Demonstrate that, using an innovative pond enhancement, the algae culture up to 10 ha can have a yield of biomass production close to 100 ton/ha/yr.
- Harvest and transform the algae biomass for the production of biodiesel to feed an engine test bed, and evaluate the extraction of some additional chemicals by innovative methods to obtain value-added chemicals with known markets.
- Implement a new concept for co-digestion of about 5000 m3/d of wastewater, together with algae residue, as well as other extraction by-products, to produce CH4 and CO2.
- Upgrade the biomethane for vehicle fuel to power up to 200 cars.
- Obtain the necessary CO2 to reach the enhanced algal yield from gases of external biomass combustion (i.e, sludge from a wastewater treatment plant located in the area), together with internal biomass combustion (digestate from residual algae and wastewater solids), or other agricultural residues.
- Take advantage of the thermal energy from biomass combustion gases for drying and/or generate electricity to power the system.
Simplified All-gas flow diagrams; Alternative I: Post lipid extraction and Alternative II: pre lipid extraction.