The MacroAlgaeBiorefinery - sustainable
production of bioenergy carriers and high value
aquatic fish feed from macroalgae
- the MAB3 project
Anne-Belinda Bjerre Teknologisk Institut
2nd Danish Macro Algae conference and workshop
Algae
More than 1500 species in
the Danish sea waters all
with different chemical
compositions.
Transportation fuel from algae
Macroalgae: High
contents of
carbohydrates (45-65%)
Microalgae: High
contents of lipids (2535%)
The MacroAlgaeBiorefinery : MAB3
Title: Sustainable production of 3G energy carriers (ethanol,
butanol og biogas) and fish feed from macroalgae (Laminaria
digitata and Saccharina latissima)
 Project period: 1st of March 2012 - 1st of March 2016
 Financied by the Danish Strategic Research Council
(20,4 mill. DKK total budget på 24 mill. DKK)
 12 Partnere fra Denmark, Irland, Italy, Germany
 Education of 4 ph.d. and 2 post students
 Coordinator Danish Technological Institute v/ Anne-Belinda
Bjerre)
Partners
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Danish Technological Institute (Coordinator)
Århus University (AaU) (2 institutes)
Danish Techical University (DTU) (3 institutes)
Ireland University
Hamburg University
Sienna University
Orbicon
DONG Energy
Aller-Aqua
Vitalys
Dangrønt
Novozymes participates as affiliated partner (delivery of enzymes
and participating in the advisory board)
Introduction to MAB3
2. Objectives
Objectives of the presented project are to develop new technologies in laboratory and
pilot scale leading to a sustainable production and further conversion of two brown
macroalgae i.e. Saccharina latissima and Laminaria digitata into three energy carriers bioethanol, biobutanol, and biogas - and a protein rich fish feed supplemented with essential
amino acids. S. latissima and L. digitata will be produced from only CO2 and natural resources,
in that way making energy and food supply in a sustainable way. The whole production chain
will be evaluated by and followed up by sustainability tools (e.g. LCA), a thorough feasibility
study and a business plan for a full scale demonstration project.
The Macro Algae Biorefinery
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
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:
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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.
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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.
The project
Best practical methods, processes and technologies will be tested
and optimised to meet these goals
MAB3: Financed by the Danish Strategic Research Counsil
WP8:
Management
WP1: Cultivation and
harvesting
WP2: Pretreatment and storage
WP3: Liquid biofuels.
Ethanol and butanol
WP4: Gaseous biofuel
and amino acids
WP5: Fish feed
WP6: Sustainability and feasibility
WP7: Dissemination
New Danish research project: MAB3
The macroalgae Biorefinery for 3G energy carriers
 Development of cultivation and harvesting technologies of macroalgae
 Optimisation of pretreatment technologies for dewatering, drying and
storage
 Development and optimisation of pretreatment technologies (enzymatic) for
further conversion to monomeric sugars, including liquefaction (viscosity
reduction)
 Development of new fermentation processes for sugar conversion to three
energy carriers i.e. ethanol, butanol and biogas
 Small scale production of essential amino acids from excess sugars by
specially designed microbes
 Development and test of fish feed from energy residues supplemented with
essential amino acids
 Sustainability, feasibility and LCA analyses of whole product chain
 Development of a business plan for next phase EUDP application
Chemical composition of macro-algae: the ocean’s food storage
Storage
Cell walls
Brown seaweed
Laminarin (β-1, 3 glucan)
Alginate, fucans, cellulose
Red seaweed
Floridian starch (amylopectin like glucan)
Agar,
carrageenan,
cellulose
xylan,
Green seaweed
Starch
Mannane,
cellulose
xylan,
ulvane,
 The polysaccharides are normally present in poly-salt forms, with
various counter ions (Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+) which affect its
solubility, gelling and stiffness.
 The salts with monovalent cat-ions are completely water soluble,
giving rise to viscous solutions and gels.
How brown algae are composed
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Brown Algae lack real, distinct, secondary cell walls (no lignin).
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The cell walls in brown algae thalli are made up mainly of cellulose “microfibrils” or fibrils forming a felty network.
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The fibrils are rarely ordered in parallel manner as in higher plants or even
some green algal species.
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In brown algae, these felty fibre networks are layered and embedded in a
polysaccharide matrix.
More 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
Ethanol
fermenting
strains
Fermentation
Filtration and
destillation
Protein (s)
Ethanol (l)
State of the art: Screw pressing as pretreatment
Mass balance of Ulva lactuca
100 kg wet Ulva
48 kg pressed Ulva
15 kg DM (85% water)
3,6 kg ash (21%
d.b.)
52 kg press liquid
1,5 kg DM
1,2 kg ash
13,5 kg DM (72% water)
2,4 kg ash (17% d.b.)
About 1/3 of the ash is
removed by the press liquid
DM= dry matter =(solid organic matter + ash)
Bjerre et al (2012)
Algae 2012, Bodø Conference
Screw 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:
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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
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Washing and screw 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.
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Brown algae lack real, distinct, secondary cell walls (no lignin).
– Pretreatment conditions (prior to enzymatic hdrolysis) are less severe
than for lignocellulosic biomass materials:
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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
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Danish Strategic research council, Programkomiteen for
Bæredygtig Energi og Miljø for financial support
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Project partners for co-financing the project
Novozymes for delivery of free enzymes and chairing the
advisory board
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Thank you for your attention
 Web-site about MAB3 www.mab3.dk
 Contacts about MAB3:
Anne-Belinda Bjerre: [email protected]
Karin Svane Bech: [email protected]
Annette Bruhn: [email protected]