By: Prof. Nasrin Moazami

IROST, IRAN

Algae-to-fuel economics can be improved by realizing higher value uses of the algae biomass. Biomass composes of over half of algae product, and their potential uses in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and biomass power generation far surpass their value as animal feed.

Proposed carbon-cap-and-trade programs may bring additional revenue. 

Out of 147 microalgae that were evaluated in our last work, Strain Nannochloropsis PTCC 6016 proved to be suitable microalgae for large scale production, due to its high biomass and oil content. This strain was isolated from mangrove forests in the northern part of the Persian Gulf (26° 32' N, 53° 56' E), Iran. ( Moazami et al., 2011, 2012).

Based on the criteria for land selection, we have decided to base the cultivation system at the Queshm Island in Persian Gulf.Alternatively, other location were screened based on the established criteria ; the Abassak Island in Bushehr ,Jask and Chabahar.

The Persian Gulf and Oman Sea coastline is a particularly hot, dry and saline region with large tracts of land that are non arable. Regarding the constant source of sunlight in the coastline of Persian Gulf and Oman Sea Algae can be cultivated year round .The emissions from a gas power generating station that was made up of 25 MW electricity provide enough carbon dioxide to cultivate large quantities of algae without transportation across long distances.

Temperature ranges from 18 to 32 ºC. The average yearly temperature was about 25 ºC.

The Technology

The cultivation process was done in an open pond with sea water. Cultivation processes are broken up into blocks called fields .Each field is almost 100 hectare contains the reactor beds, algae inoculation and nutrient source, CO₂ source, circulation pumps, and harvest sumps.

Each field contains 300 x 3000 m² reactor beds. Carbon dioxide is taken from a gas fired power plant.

Nannochloropsis PTCC 6016 cell aggregate by ability of auto flocculation and thus sedimentation, which allows concentrating the culture 10-20 times. In high pressurized homogenizer 90% of the lipids were extracted from the algae leaves. The broken cells then separate into lipid, water, and biomass layers in a gravity clarifier. The remaining water and biomass mixture is partially separated in the clarifier as well. The moist biomass cake enters the dryer.

This dry biomass can then be use for bioactive compounds extraction and sold as livestock.

The strain Nannochloropsis  PTCC 6016 has the capability to produce around 240 tons /hectare/ biomass and 120, 000 L  of  Algae oil .

In this project we are using naturally sourced strain of algae isolated from Persian Gulf, the production plant does not undertake research on genetically modified strains of algae species biofuels production.