With oil prices reaching $105 a barrel for the first time since 2008,
the biofuel industry is looking more attractive every day. As global
demand rises and petroleum supplies diminish, countries are turning to
algae for energy security.
In smaller countries, like Croatia, where oil demand is low, and emission
standards are poor, algae biofuel has the potential to significantly
reduce reliance on foreign oil.
CCRES ALGAE TEAM
works on
Biodiesel from Microalgae
The oil from the algae can be used for any combustion process. An even wider range of use for algae oil is obtained by the transesterification to biodiesel. This biodiesel can be blended with fossil diesel or can be directly driven as pure biodiesel B100.
Biodiesel from microalgae has a comparable quality as rapeseed methyl ester and meets the standard EN 14214. At biodiesel production about 12% glycerin is produced as a by-product. This glycerin is a valuable resource for the production of algae in closed ponds, the heterotrophic processes. Thus, the entire algae oil can be used as fuel.
The oil from the algae can be used for any combustion process. An even wider range of use for algae oil is obtained by the transesterification to biodiesel. This biodiesel can be blended with fossil diesel or can be directly driven as pure biodiesel B100.
Biodiesel from microalgae has a comparable quality as rapeseed methyl ester and meets the standard EN 14214. At biodiesel production about 12% glycerin is produced as a by-product. This glycerin is a valuable resource for the production of algae in closed ponds, the heterotrophic processes. Thus, the entire algae oil can be used as fuel.
Fish Food
Algae provide a natural solution for the expanding fishing industry:
High-protein fish food
Replacement for existing fish meal production
Algae have nutrients of many young fishes available
The fishing industry recorded an annual growth of over 10% and, according to experts, will beat the global beef consumption in 2015.
The Technology developed by CCRES offers the opportunity to deliver part of the needed proteins for fish farming on the resulting algal biomass.
Algae provide a natural solution for the expanding fishing industry:
High-protein fish food
Replacement for existing fish meal production
Algae have nutrients of many young fishes available
The fishing industry recorded an annual growth of over 10% and, according to experts, will beat the global beef consumption in 2015.
The Technology developed by CCRES offers the opportunity to deliver part of the needed proteins for fish farming on the resulting algal biomass.
Protein for the food industry
The demand for high-quality protein for the food industry has been growing rapidly over the years.
The big growth opportunities are:
Weight control
Fitness and Sports Nutrition
Food supplements
The market volume in the protein sector is continously growing and at the rate of US $ 10.5B in 2010 and according to experts, will steadily increase to approx. $25B until 2030.
The demand for high-quality protein for the food industry has been growing rapidly over the years.
The big growth opportunities are:
Weight control
Fitness and Sports Nutrition
Food supplements
The market volume in the protein sector is continously growing and at the rate of US $ 10.5B in 2010 and according to experts, will steadily increase to approx. $25B until 2030.
“There is intense interest in algal biofuels and bioproducts in this
country and abroad, including in US,Australia, Chile, China, the European
Union, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, and others,” says Branka Kalle, President of Council Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES).
Advantages algae has over other sources may make it the world’s favored biofuel. Algae
could potentially produce over 20 times more oil per acre than other
terrestrial crops.Algae avoids many of the environmental challenges
associated with conventional biofuels.Algae does not require arable land
or potable water, which completely avoids competition with food
resources.
“The Asia Pacific region has been
culturing algae for food and pharmaceuticals for many centuries, and
these countries are eager to use this knowledge base for the production
of biofuels,”says Zeljko Serdar, President of CCRES.
Without sustained high prices at the pump, investment in algae will likely be driven by demand for other products. In the short term, the growth of the industry will come from governments and companies seeking to reduce their environmental impact through carbon collection.
Without sustained high prices at the pump, investment in algae will likely be driven by demand for other products. In the short term, the growth of the industry will come from governments and companies seeking to reduce their environmental impact through carbon collection.
CCRES ALGAE TEAM
part of
Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)
Despite great advances in the energy generation, human industry continues to rely largely on fossil fuels as the main source of its everyday energy requirements. While electricity can be generated with clean energy sources like wind, solar, hydroelectric, and geothermal energy, it cannot be effectively used to power large industrial systems or most means of transportation, such as ships, trains, or trucks. Indeed, some, like air travel, seem likely to remain entirely outside the realm of these renewable energy sources for the foreseeable future; planes do not fly on electricity. Furthermore, electricity cannot be stored efficiently for future use, it must be used as it is generated. Most industrial processes consume large amounts of energy or generate extremely high temperatures and require an inexpensive fuel source with a high energy content to operate efficiently; thus, fossil fuels were the best alternative for powering these systems, until now.
OdgovoriIzbrišiIt is also well known that the main disadvantages to the extensive use of fossil fuels are the continued emissions of GHGs generated when they burn and the depletion of worldwide fossil fuel reserves due to their non-renewable nature. Algae is a viable alternative that eliminates these problems while providing enough energy to power large scale industrial processes and means of transportation. By generating algae the carbon cycle is completed and the oxygen consumed during combustion is replaced, helping to restore the atmospheric gas balance that is upset by the continued use of fossil fuels. Algae can also be stored and transported for future use at a different location, and can be continuously and sustainably produced.
Algal biomass can produce the same amount of energy as the equivalent amount of coal, and can be refined to produce higher grade fuels such as diesel and ethanol among others. Implementing Algae Production Systems in a large scale can provide enough energy to replace fossil fuels used in most industrial processes and means of transportation, which account for the vast majority of GHG emissions. Algae is the only fuel alternative that is renewable, clean, portable and can be produced industrially with high yields to offset and reverse the negative effects of fossil fuels on the environment. CCRES ALGAE TEAM