Sea Lettuce - Energy production from marine biomass (Ulva lactuca)

The “Energy production from marine biomass” – is a multidisciplinary national Danish research initiative bringing together 4 research groups to develop a method for producing liquid, gaseous and solid biofuel from the marine algae Ulva lactuca.

 
A by-product from combustion is CO2 which aggravate the projected global climate change. Reduction of CO2 emissions is therefore a high political priority implemented in national and international policy. Reduction in the CO2 emissions can be achieved by switching the energy production from fossil fuels to renewable energy or e.g. by storing CO2 in submerged storages. Alternatively the CO2 can be seen as a resource for biomass production. By using aquatic algae for biomass production we can solve the contradictory and apparently incompatible demands of increasing energy production combined with a mandatory reduction in CO2 emissions. Algae use seawater as a growth medium and light as energy source and combined with CO2 uptake the algae essentially recycle the carbon dioxide from the power plant’s flue gases into a renewable energy product.

The project aims at conducting the necessary research and development for designing and developing a pilot scale production facility that integrates algae growth basins at power plants for the production of bioethanol, biogas and solid biofuel.

The project gives focus on the following research tasks:
  • Utilization of CO2 from flue gas by Ulva lactuca
  • CO2 capture by Ulva lactuca
  • Dry matter production of Ulva lactuca farmed in basins
  • Characterisation of Ulva lactuca biomass
  • Conversion of Ulva lactuca biomass to bioethanol with subsequent methane (biogas) production from the residuals
  • Conversion of Ulva lactuca to methane
  • Harvest technology
  • Physical and chemical analyses of the Ulva lactuca dry matter
  • Conditioning of the Ulva lactuca dry matter for fermentation, combustion or gasification
  • Cost calculation of dry and wet Ulva lactuca as a biomass resource
  • Evaluation of the use of dry algae as a fuel in power plants, including effects on combustion, corrosion, use of residues, flue gas cleaning and emissions
  • Possibilities for integration of algae fuel production and power plant operation.

  
SeaLettuce

Illustration: Ulva lactuca

Participants:
The project involves a consortium of 4 research groups: Risø DTU Biosystem Division, TI (Danish Technological Institute), DMU (The National Environmental Research Institute) and DONG Energy.

Role:
Risø DTU Biosystem Division is dealing with characterization of biomass, conversion of Ulva lactuca to bioethanol and methane and characterization of residuals. DMU is mainly responsible for studying through growth experiments how the algae respond to concentration and quality of CO2. TI is examining harvest technologies and conditioning of the harvested biomass. DONG Energy is leading the work package on integration of algae production in power plants.

Resources:
PSO Programme (2008-1-0050)

Duration:
2008-2010 

Employees involved:
Anne Belinda Thomsen (head), Henrik Bangsø Nielsen (biogas production) Ingelis Larsen (HPLC), Annette Eva Jensen (characterization), Tomas Fernqvist (pre-treatment), Zsófia Kádár (ethanol fermentation)

Student projects:
A series of student projects are offered in connection to the project.



 

Page updated  by   08.10.2010