The MacroAlgaeBiorefinery - sustainable

production of bioenergy carriers and high value

aquatic fish feed from macroalgae

- the MAB3 project

Anne-Belinda Bjerre, Teknologisk Institut, Denmark Lars Nikolaisen, Teknologisk Institut, Denmark 16th November 2012. Workshop in Nordic Algae Network and Blue Bio, Ås, Norway

Algae

More than 1500 species in the Danish sea waters all with different chemical compositions.

Title: Sustainable production of 3G energy carriers (ethanol, butanol og biogas) and fish feed from macroalgae (Laminaria digitata and Saccharina latissima) Ø Project period: 1st of March 2012 - 1st of March 2016 Ø Financied by the Danish Strategic Research Council (20,4 mill. DKK total budget på 24 mill. DKK)

Ø 12 Partnere from Denmark, Irland, Italy, Germany

Ø Education of 4 ph.d. and 2 post docs

Ø Coordinator: Danish Technological Institute v/ Anne-Belinda Bjerre

The MacroAlgaeBiorefinery : MAB3

Partners

  Danish Technological Institute (Coordinator)   Aarhus University (AaU) (2 institutes)   Technical University of Denmark (DTU) (2 institutes)   National University of Ireland, Galway   University of Hamburg   University of Siena   Danish Shellfish Centre   Orbicon A/S   DONG Energy A/S   Aller Aqua A/S   Vitalys I/S   Dangrønt Products A/S

Novozymes participates as affiliated partner (delivery of enzymes and participating in the advisory board)

Biorefinery

Definition:

Integrated and combined processes for the conversion of biomass into a variety of food, feed, chemicals, biomaterials, and energy – at the same time maximising the value of the biomass and minimising the waste

Transportation fuel from algae

Microalgae: High contents of lipids (25-35%)

Macroalgae: High contents of carbohydrates (45-65%)

History of bio-ethanol (fuel ethanol) production in USA , the driver in biorefinery development

Ethanol Production in US

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All 1G ethanol

In MAB3, fish feed (protein) will be the value added product, derived from production of energy carriers e.g. ethanol or biogas

Introduction to MAB3

Hypothesis:  1) Two brown macroalgae can be upgraded to energy carriers (either bioethanol, buthanol or biogas or combinations hereof) by conversion of 80% of the fermentable sugars, leaving behind a concentrated solid fraction rich in protein and (for liquid biofuels also) lipids, which can be used for fish feed.  2) A substantial amount (90%) of the remaining, undigested sugars i.e. the C5 sugars can be converted to additional value-added amino acids (isoleucine and arginine) for fish feed supplement.

Best practical methods, processes and technologies will be tested and optimised to meet these goals

The project

MAB3: Financed by the Danish Strategic Research Counsil

WP1:  Cultivation and  harvesting

WP2:  Pretreatment and  storage

WP3:  Liquid  biofuels.Ethanol  and  butanol

WP4:  Gaseous biofueland  amino acids

WP5:  Fish  feed

WP7:  DisseminationWP6:  Sustainability and  feasibility

WP8:  Management

How brown algae are composed   Brown Algae lack real, distinct, secondary cell walls (no lignin).

  The cell walls in brown algae thalli are made up mainly of cellulose “micro-

fibrils” or fibrils forming a felty network.

  The fibrils are rarely ordered in parallel manner as in higher plants or even

some green algal species.

  In brown algae, these felty fibre networks are layered and embedded in a

polysaccharide matrix.

Gentle pretreatment technologies will be needed for disrupting the biomass before enzyme hydrolysis

Production of ethanol (or butanol) and protein from algae biomass

Pretreatment

Enzymatic hydrolysis

Fermentation

Filtration and destillation

Ethanol (l) Protein (s)

Ethanol fermenting strains

Auger pressing of Laminaria digitata from August harvest 2012

Ethanol production from Chaetomorpha linum testing different pretreatment conditions

Schultz-Jensen et al 2012, in preparation

Ball milling most efficient

pretreatment method for

ethanol production (19 g/100g)

Conclusions:

  Brown algae are fine substrates for ethanol production due to high contents of polysaccharides. Challenges are:

–  Identification of most suitable enzyme mixtures for fully hydrolysis to monomeric sugars

  Washing and auger pressing were efficient pretreatment methods for water and salt removal in green algae, new test on brown algae have been performed.

–  Room for improvement e.g. by enzyme treatment.

  Brown algae lack real, distinct, secondary cell walls (no lignin). –  Pretreatment conditions (prior to enzymatic hydrolysis) are less severe

than for lignocellulosic biomass materials:   Ball milling was the most effective pretretment of Chatamorpha linum prior to

SSF with Baker’s yeast fermentation in combination with Celluclast and Novozym 188.

–  Improved yields are expected using more targeting enzymes and other microorganisms during fermentation.

Acknowledgements

  Danish Strategic Research Council, Programkomiteen for Bæredygtig Energi og Miljø, for financial support

  Project partners for co-financing the project   Novozymes for delivery of enzymes and chairing the

advisory board

Thank you for your attention

§  Web-site about MAB3 www.mab3.dk

§  Contacts about MAB3: Anne-Belinda Bjerre: ANBJ@dti.dk

Karin Svane Bech: kasb@dti.dk Lars Nikolaisen: LSN@dti.dk

Annette Bruhn: anbr@dmu.dk