Quantitative sustainability analysis of third generation biofuels using process data from microalgae biorefinery

Microalgae biorefineries have been proposed as an important strategy for enhancing the economic profitability of bioproducts, which depends on the biotechnological potential of each species, associated with environmental conditions and technological approaches. The biorefinery concept applied to microalgae also implies valorization of residual biomass, converting it into biofuels and/or high value compounds. This study aimed to analyze the biochemical composition and the technical and economic feasibility of a biorefinery based on Phaeodactylum tricornutum cultivated in an outdoor pilot-scale bubble-columns photobioreactor, under natural conditions in Chile, for production of biofuels and high-value compounds. P. tricornutum biomass has a potential biochemical composition for using in an integrated biorefinery approach, mainly in order to optimize the environmental and economic feasibility of the process. Three different scenarios were proposed for the production of biofuels and high-value compounds. The most profitable scenarios were those that considered fucoxanthin and protein production and commercialization, due to the high price of these compounds on the market. The production of biomass as a raw material exclusively targeted for biofuel production showed itself not to be feasible under the conditions considered in the analysis. Furthermore, the assumption of economies of scale was shown to be a critical factor for the biomass price and feasibility of this approach. Technical and economic analysis is essential to identify economic bottlenecks and opportunities for addressing a microalgae product portfolio to the different market scenarios, in order to assist decision-makers and propose improvements in the cultivation and downstream processes.As biorrefinarias de microalgas foram propostas como uma estratégia importante para aumentar a rentabilidade econômica dos bioprodutos, as quais dependem do potencial biotecnológico de cada espécie, associado às condições ambientais e as abordagens tecnológicas. Esse conceito implica na valorização da biomassa residual, convertendo- a em biocombustíveis e/ou compostos de alto valor. Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar a composição bioquímica e a viabilidade técnico-econômica de uma usina de biorrefinagem baseada em Phaeodactylum tricornutum cultivada em um fotobiorreator de colunas de bolhas, em escala piloto ao ar livre sob condições naturais no Chile, para produção de biocombustíveis e compostos de alto valor. A biomassa da P. tricornutum tem uma composição bioquímica com potencial para uso em uma abordagem integrada de biorrefinagem, principalmente para otimizar a viabilidade ambiental e econômica do processo. Foram propostos e analisados 3 cenários distintos para a produção de biocombustíveis e compostos de alto valor, sendo os mais rentáveis aqueles que consideraram a produção e comercialização de fucoxantina e proteína, devido ao alto valor desses compostos no mercado. A produção de biomassa exclusivamente para a produção de biocombustíveis, mostrou-se não ser viável nas condições consideradas na análise. A hipótese de economia de escala foi um fator crítico para o custo de produção da biomassa e viabilidade dessa abordagem. A análise técnico-econômica e essencial para identificar gargalos econômicos e oportunidades para abordar o portfólio de produtos de microalgas para os diferentes cenários de mercado, a fim de auxiliar os tomadores de decisão e propor melhorias nos processos de cultivo e downstream

Environmental assessment of industrial production of microalgal biodiesel in central-south Chile

Biofuels from microalgae have the potential to replace fossil fuels, without competing with other products derived from crops. This study aims to perform a cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment of the industrial production of microalgal biodiesel, using an autochthonous Chilean Phaeodactylum tricornutum strain, considering 1 MJ of biodiesel as the functional unit. For the compilation of the Life Cycle Inventory, real experimental data were obtained from the pilot-scale cultivation in a photobioreactor (PBR) module located in the city of Concepción, in Chile. The scale-up to the industrial plant considers that PBR modules are of the same size as those used in the pilot-scale. The Life Cycle Impacts Analysis considered the ReCiPe 2016 Endpoint (H) V1.00 method. Results show that the whole process contributes to a total of 5.74 kgCO2eq per MJ of biodiesel produced. PBR construction materials and energy consumption are the main contributors to the life cycle environmental impacts. The sensitivity analysis shows that energy consumption, water reuse and transportation distance of seawater from ocean to the industrial plant are the critical parameters that most affect the overall environmental performance of the system. The rate of water reuse is particularly critical to the global warming potential. Results also show that the valorization of co-products is an important aspect to improve the environmental performance of microalgal biodiesel production. Therefore, this study supports the decision-making process in biofuel production to promote the development of sustainable pilot and large-scale algae-based industry.publishe

Determination of the chemical composition of Eucalyptus spp. For cellulosic pulp production

Funding Information: Funding: This research was partially supported by CAPES (Coordination for the Development of Higher Level Personnel). This work was also partially supported by Base Funding—UIDB/EQU/ 50020/2020 and Programmatic-UIDP/50020/2020 Funding of the Associate Laboratory LSRE-LCM— and UIDB/00511/2020 of the Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, LEPABE—funded by national funds through FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC). This work was also supported by national funds through FCT, under the Scientific Employment Stimulus Institutional Call (CEECINST/00102/2018) and partially supported by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry—LAQV, financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020) and IF/01381/2013/CP1160/CT0007, Investigador FCT program, with financing from the European Social Fund and the Human Potential Operational Program. T.A.S.V. is grateful to the Erasmus Mundus program.The chemical composition of wood is important to assess the quality of this raw material for the industry of cellulosic pulp production. The purpose of this work was to determine the chemical composition of Eucalyptus spp. grown for cellulosic pulp production. Ten Eucalyptus spp. clones with six years of age, located in the municipality of Itamarandiba, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were used. Quantification was obtained for extractives, monosaccharides, uronic acids, acetates, lignin, ash and the phenolic composition of the extracts. In average, clones showed around 2.7% extractives, with a predominance of polar compounds soluble in ethanol and water; 27.7% lignin and 0.3% ash. Glucose was the main sugar detected (64.2%), followed by xylose (19.3%). The main components of the extractives were steroids, fatty acids and aromatic acids, followed by smaller amounts of substituted alkanoic acids, fatty alcohols, glycerol derivatives and triterpenes. The ethanol–water extracts presented total phenol contents ranging from 321.4 to 586.6 mg EAG/g of extract, tannins from 28.1 to 65.1 mg catechin/g of extract and flavonoids from 73.6 to 256.9 mg catechin/g of extract. Clones with a higher holocellulose amount and a lower lignin content showed a higher potential for cellulosic pulp production. These findings are important for the development of high-quality wood based on important traits for the pulp and paper sector.publishersversionpublishe

Potential of Phaeodactylum tricornutum for Biodiesel Production under Natural Conditions in Chile

Diatoms are very diverse and highly productive organisms, found in a wide variety ofenvironments. This study aims to analyze the growth and lipid composition ofPhaeodactylum tricornutum,cultured in an outdoor pilot-scale bubble column photobioreactor under natural conditions in Chile forbiodiesel production.Results showed thatP. tricornutumcultures reached their highest biomassconcentration (0.96±0.04 kg m−3) after 14 days of culturing, at the stationary phase, with avolumetric productivity of 0.13 kg m−3d−1. Biomass samples showed a total lipid content of9.08±0.38 wt %. The fatty acid methyl ester analysis revealed a composition of 24.39% C16-C18 fattyacids, 42.34% saturated fatty acids, 21.91% monounsaturated fatty acids and 31.41% polyunsaturatedfatty acids. These findings suggest thatP. tricornutumoil can be used as an alternative raw materialfor the production of biodiesel capable of meeting international quality standards.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Impact of Chemical Composition on <i>Eucalyptus</i> Wood Clones for Sustainable Energy Production

The energy potential of wood biomass is significantly shaped by its chemical composition. Analyzing the chemical composition of wood biomass and understanding the correlations between these parameters and wood combustibility are essential stages in the selection process of Eucalyptus clones tailored for firewood production and energy generation. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of chemical composition on the direct combustibility of Eucalyptus clones. We examined the structural chemical composition and conducted proximate analysis, including fixed carbon, volatile material, and ash, to investigate the relationship between proximate composition and wood combustibility parameters. Our findings revealed significant correlations between wood chemical composition and combustibility parameters. In particular, lignin content, ethanol-soluble extractives, and xylose demonstrated inverse relationships with the parameters of maximum combustion rate, combustion characteristic index, and ignition index. Conversely, holocellulose content, cold-water-soluble extractives, and glucose exhibited direct correlations with the same combustibility parameters. Furthermore, fixed carbon and volatile matter contents demonstrated direct and inverse correlations, respectively, with ignition temperature. These findings have significant implications for enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of biomass energy production

Biotechnological potential of Phaeodactylum tricornutum for biorefinery processes

Microalgae are a rich source of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, among other components, and thus, are considered to be the next generation biomass. However, in order to enhance the economic viability of its industrial production, all biomass components need to be valorized, requiring a multi-product biorefinery. Thus, this work proposes and conceptually analyses biorefinery processes for valorizing Phaeodactylum tricornutum for biofuels and high-value compounds, based on real data from a pilot-scale process. The algal biomass was biochemically characterized and the production was scaled-up to an industrial approach to analyze three biorefinery configurations, based on a 18 ton·year−1 of microalga biomass. The biomass revealed a composition of 7.85 wt% carbohydrates, 38.40 wt% proteins, 9.08 wt% lipids, 0.86 wt% fucoxanthin and 5.19 wt% biosilica. The biorefinery process addressed for biofuels production has an estimated annual production of 1.72, 0.35 and 1361 m3·year−1 of respectively biodiesel, bioethanol and biomethane. The biorefinery addressed for high-value compounds yields 0.18, 0.93 and 6.95 ton·year−1 of respectively fucoxanthin, biosilica and protein. The biorefinery designed for valorizing full microalgae biomass, showed to be more beneficial for promoting a circular economy. Biorefinery approach is useful for making sound and profitable decisions regarding microalgae bioproducts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Núcleos de Ensino da Unesp: artigos 2013: volume 2: metodologias de ensino e a apropriação de conhecimento pelos alunos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP