Lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions for an ethanol production process based on genetically modified cyanobacteria: CO 2 sourcing options
[6];
- School of Industrial and Systems Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA USA, Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee Roorkee India
- Algenol Biotech Fort Myers FL USA, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA USA
- Algenol Biotech Fort Myers FL USA
- Hendrix Engineering Solutions, Inc. Calera AL USA
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA USA
- School of Industrial and Systems Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta GA USA
Abstract Algal biofuel production requires CO 2 , electricity, and process heat. Previous studies assumed CO 2 sourcing from nearby coal or natural gas power plants. This may not be viable at a large scale or for the long term. The diurnal algal growth cycle imposes additional system design challenges for CO 2 delivery. For ethanol produced by cyanobacteria in photobioreactors, we design onsite systems that provide heat, power and CO 2 (CHP‐CO 2 ), fueled by natural gas or biomass. Meeting the CO 2 requirement produces excess electricity, which can be sold back to the grid. The scale of the CHP‐CO 2 can be reduced by night‐time capture and refrigerated storage of CO 2 . The lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 1 MJ ethanol are about −19 g CO 2 e for biomass CHP‐CO 2 , and +31–35 CO 2 e g for natural gas CHP‐CO 2 options, compared with +19 g CO 2 e for the direct use of coal flue gas, and 91.3 g CO 2 e for 1 MJ of conventional gasoline. This work evaluates the energy and GHG implications of onsite CHP‐CO 2 for algal ethanol production and other CO 2 sourcing options. Combined heat and power (CHP) facilities, fueled by natural gas or biomass, could be co‐located with algal ethanol production, capturing and utilizing carbon dioxide to make biofuel, and thus providing an essentially stand‐alone biofuel operation, free from the constraints of co‐location with anthropogenic sources. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- EE0007690
- OSTI ID:
- 1640248
- Journal Information:
- Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining, Journal Name: Biofuels, Bioproducts & Biorefining Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 14; ISSN 1932-104X
- Publisher:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
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