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A perspective on gaseous biofuel production from micro-algae generated from CO2 from a coal-fired power plant

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  • Jacob, Amita
  • Xia, Ao
  • Murphy, Jerry D.

Abstract

There are significant resources of coal on the planet. It is likely that a lot of this coal will be combusted. A 1GWe coal power plant operating at 35% electrical efficiency and a capacity factor of 75% produces 6.77 million tonnes of CO2 per annum. A closed cultivation system with a carbon capture efficiency of 80% allows production of 2.69Mt of micro-algal (volatile solids), in a foot print of 19,200ha for a tubular photo-bioreactor (PBR) and 34,000ha for a Flat Plate PBR. An open system (raceway pond) at a carbon capture efficiency of 50% produces 1.68Mt of micro-algal (volatile solids) and requires a footprint of 52,303ha. Employing a three stage sequential process (combining dark fermentation, photo fermentation and anaerobic digestion) to produce bio-hydrogen and bio-methane from the micro-algae could potentially generate 35% of the primary energy in the coal in the form of renewable gaseous fuel if a closed system of cultivation is used. This is sufficient to fuel 600,000 cars per annum. In the cultivation of micro-algae, pumping and circulation is a considerable parasitic energy demand. The ratio of energy output (gaseous biofuel) to energy input (pumping and circulation) is less than 1 for all the three cultivation systems assessed, ranging from 0.71 for raceway ponds to 0.05 for a tubular PBR. If coal powered electricity is the source of this parasitic energy then a tubular PBR system produces more CO2 than the CO2 captured by the micro-algae.

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  • Jacob, Amita & Xia, Ao & Murphy, Jerry D., 2015. "A perspective on gaseous biofuel production from micro-algae generated from CO2 from a coal-fired power plant," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 396-402.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:appene:v:148:y:2015:i:c:p:396-402
    DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.03.077
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wu, Wei & Wang, Po-Han & Lee, Duu-Jong & Chang, Jo-Shu, 2017. "Global optimization of microalgae-to-biodiesel chains with integrated cogasification combined cycle systems based on greenhouse gas emissions reductions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 63-82.
    2. Soleimani, Reza & Abooali, Danial & Shoushtari, Navid Alavi, 2018. "Characterizing CO2 capture with aqueous solutions of LysK and the mixture of MAPA + DEEA using soft computing methods," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 664-675.
    3. Ding, Lingkan & Chan Gutierrez, Enrique & Cheng, Jun & Xia, Ao & O'Shea, Richard & Guneratnam, Amita Jacob & Murphy, Jerry D., 2018. "Assessment of continuous fermentative hydrogen and methane co-production using macro- and micro-algae with increasing organic loading rate," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 760-770.
    4. Sudhakar, K. & Mamat, R. & Samykano, M. & Azmi, W.H. & Ishak, W.F.W. & Yusaf, Talal, 2018. "An overview of marine macroalgae as bioresource," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 165-179.

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