This presentation was given at an official Committee of the Regions side event title 'From biomass to bioenergy, materials and products: boosting the EU’s bio-based economy through cross-border collaborationon' on the 10th Oct in Brussels, Belgium

1. Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

2. The Bioeconomy Vision
http://bridge2020.eu/
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

3. The Land Debate
Bioeconomy outputs will ultimately be constrained by
land availability.
Need to maximise land productivity through waste
reduction and efficient integration of biomass
processing.
Algae offer the potential of efficient carbon capture and
conversion of solar energy to bio-based products
including transport fuel largely disconnected from land
issues.
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

4. Global algae projects
AlgaePARC – Wageningen
University
National Alliance for
Advanced Biofuels
and Bioproducts
San Diego
Centre for Algal
Biotechnology
National Renewable
Energy Laboratory
Algal Fuel
Consortium
Algae
Cluster
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

5. How far can down the value chain can algae go?
Source: A UK roadmap for algal technologies
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

6. Commercial Potential?
Images Courtesy of Algenol & Sapphire Energy
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

7. Algae: Fundamental Questions?
Which fuel should be
the target?
What production
system?
Can fuels be produced
cost competitively?
Can fuels deliver the
required GHG savings?
Can fuels be produced
sustainably?
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

8. Algae in NWE: Fundamental Questions?
Is algae a reasonable
energy technology
pathway for North West
Europe?
What energy targets
make sense?
Is the market support
sufficient?
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

9. 19 partners
14 observers
7 EU member states
How?
• Transnational
network
• Share knowledge
develop best
practice.
What?
• Environmental
impact
• Technical and
economic
feasibility
• Opportunities and
barriers analysis
Why?
• Climate change
• Environmental
benefits
• Energy security
• Economic
development
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

10. Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

11. The Project
WP1
Cultivation
• Data collection
• Best practice sharing
• Outreach
WP2
Analysis
• Economic Modelling
• Life Cycle Analysis
• Regulation and Policy
WP3
Dissemination
• Smart
information
and data tools
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

12. Cultivation of macroalgae in NWE
Aiming to improve on each phase
of the seaweed cultivation process
by sharing knowledge between
partners:
Produce seedlings in
purpose-built hatcheries
Grow biomass at sea
and monitor
environmental
parameters at the same
time
In a standard
manner to
compare and
improve
reliability of
data
Communicate: workshops, on-site
demonstration, technical manuals, etc.
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

13. Mass cultivation of microalgae in NW Europe
6 pilot-scale facilities for the cultivation and
downstream processing of microalgae:
–
–
–
–
Photobioreactors to 32,000 litres
Open ponds, mobile MaB-floc reactor
Controlled environment labs for characterising biomass
Harvesting / disruption / conversion technologies
Focus on mass cultivation using liquid and
gaseous waste streams.
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

14. Summary
The EnAlgae project has brought together a
significant network of Algae experts.
The level of information exchange could only be
achieved through transnational collaboration.
Stand alone energy production is economically
challenging – consider integration options or
higher value outputs.
Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy

15. Sustainable Pathways for Algal Bioenergy