Projects

Algae-to-Biofuels

Research has shown that algal biodiesel could displace substantial volumes of diesel for heating and transportation (Chisti, 2007: 304). Microalgae have a high lipid (oil) content; they reproduce rapidly, they can be grown on non-agricultural land; they don’t compete with food, feed, or fiber production; and they utilize large amounts of CO2 gas and 'waste' nutrients from farm or municipal sources.

Substantial federal and private dollars are being invested in microalgae research and development to address the barriers to commercialization of this fuel pathway. VSJF has allocated a portion of VBI funds for R&D to address these barriers in the Vermont context. 

 Keys to Algae Market Development

1.     Identification and cultivation of Vermont native microalgae species: The US Department of Energy states (in their Algal Biofuels Roadmap) it is essential to identify and develop native algae species adapted to unique environments (e.g., algae suited for cold weather).

• General Systems Research of Burlington is working to isolate native species and use a rapid screening method of lipids quantification.
• Carbon Harvest Energy of Burlington is testing the effects of flue gas condensate on different microalgae species to identify those that will thrive in the presence of ‘waste’ CO2

2.     Growth experiments for microalgae - leading to optimal conditions for increased growth: Microalgae grow under varying conditions (e.g., lighting, temperature), and different gases and feedstocks are proposed to aid and accelerate growth.

• Carbon Harvest Energy is testing the suitability of flue gas on selected species in order to determine the optimal conditions for commercial algae cultivation.
• University of Vermont College of Engineering (Dr. Jeffrey Marshall) is designing novel flow control devices in order to optimize algae growth rate through enhanced vertical mixing without increasing the energy cost necessary to produce the flow.

3.     Photobioreactor system development, optimization and commercialization: Open air raceway ponds are unlikely to work in the Northeast due to climate and temperature. Developing photobioreactors that will work in the Vermont context is critical.

• Carbon Harvest Energy is constructing a pilot scale tubular photobioreactor to be integrated with their landfill gas-to-energy and aquaculture project in Brattleboro.
• Algepower Inc, of Montpelier has built a prototype photobioreactor consisting of a series of cradles for growing algae in an enclosed facility.

4.     Algae oil (and co-product) extraction and processing, leading to biofuel production: A variety of methods exist for extracting algae from their growth media and for extracting oil from algae. Finding a cost effective, ‘green’ approach is key.

• Green Mountain Spark of Burlington proposes to use a photochemical process to separate oil from algae and turn that oil into a biofuel in the same photobioreactor.

Education, Outreach & Network Development

• In March 2010, VSJF, University of Vermont (UVM) and Vermont EPSCoR co-hosted the "Algae & Energy in the Northeast" conference. The 2-day event was held on the UVM campus and brought together fifteen speakers (scientists and educators from around the US) and 120 participants from the Northeast to delve into these leading issues of the algae-to-biofuel pathway:

1. Overcoming challenges to algae feedstock production in the Northeast
2. Algal harvesting, lipid (oil) extraction, and biofuel conversion
3. Uses and markets for algal oil and by-products