%0 Journal Article
%T Sustainable Algae Biodiesel Production in Cold Climates
%A Rudras Baliga
%A Susan E. Powers
%J International Journal of Chemical Engineering
%D 2010
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2010/102179
%X This life cycle assessment aims to determine the most suitable operating conditions for algae biodiesel production in cold climates to minimize energy consumption and environmental impacts. Two hypothetical photobioreactor algae production and biodiesel plants located in Upstate New York (USA) are modeled. The photobioreactor is assumed to be housed within a greenhouse that is located adjacent to a fossil fuel or biomass power plant that can supply waste heat and flue gas containing as a primary source of carbon. Model results show that the biodiesel areal productivity is high (19 to 25£żL of BD/m2/yr). The total life cycle energy consumption was between 15 and 23£żMJ/L of algae BD and 20£żMJ/L of soy BD. Energy consumption and air emissions for algae biodiesel are substantially lower than soy biodiesel when waste heat was utilized. Algae's most substantial contribution is a significant decrease in the petroleum consumed to make the fuel. 1. Introduction In 1998, an amendment to the U.S. Energy Policy Act (EP Act) of 1992 triggered the rapid expansion of the US biodiesel industry. This act required that a fraction of new vehicles purchased by federal and state governments be alternative fuel vehicles. The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 further mandated the production of renewable fuels to 36 billion gallons (136 billion liters) per year by 2022, including biodiesel. Crops such as soybeans and canola account for more than three quarters of all biodiesel feedstocks in the U.S. [1]. About 14% of U.S. soybean production and 4% of global soybean production were used by the U.S. biodiesel industry to produce fuel in 2007 [1]. The use of oil crops for fuel has been criticized because the expansion of biodiesel production in the United States and Europe has coincided with a sharp increase in prices for food grains and vegetable oils [2]. The production of biodiesel from feedstocks that do not use arable land can be accomplished either by using biomass that is currently treated as waste or by introducing a new technology that allows for the development of new feedstocks for biodiesel that utilize land that is unsuitable for food production. Microalgae have the potential to displace other feedstocks for biodiesel owing to its high vegetable oil content and biomass production rates [3]. The vegetable oil content of algae can vary with growing conditions and species, but has been known to exceed 70% of the dry weight of algae biomass [4]. Microalgae could have significant social and environmental benefits because they do not compete for
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijce/2010/102179/