Microalgae cofiring in coal power plants: Innovative system layout and energy analysis

This paper investigates the smart integration of a 500 ha microalgae culturing facility with a large scale coal power plant (758.6 MWe): a fraction of the CO2 contained in the coal plant flue gases is used for the algal cultivation, a fraction of the low-temperature flue gas heat available is used for the biomass drying, finally the produced biomass is co-fired in the coal plant. The produced algal biomass represents approximately 1% of the boiler heat input.

[1]  S. Cosentino,et al.  Biomass yield and energy balance of three perennial crops for energy use in the semi-arid Mediterranean environment , 2009 .

[2]  Suresh V. Garimella,et al.  Alternative heat rejection methods for power plants , 2012 .

[3]  Nagamany Nirmalakhandan,et al.  Development of a new airlift-driven raceway reactor for algal cultivation , 2011 .

[4]  Andrew Hoadley,et al.  Dewatering of microalgal cultures : a major bottleneck to algae-based fuels , 2010 .

[5]  W. Short,et al.  A manual for the economic evaluation of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies , 1995 .

[6]  Luz Sánchez-Silva,et al.  Kinetic analysis and thermal characterization of the microalgae combustion process by thermal analysis coupled to mass spectrometry , 2014 .

[7]  L. Laurens,et al.  Microalgae as biodiesel & biomass feedstocks: Review & analysis of the biochemistry, energetics & economics , 2010 .

[8]  Melissa L. Holtmeyer,et al.  Effects of biomass particle size during cofiring under air-fired and oxyfuel conditions , 2012 .

[9]  Xiaohui Zhang,et al.  Evaluation of a biomass drying process using waste heat from process industries: A case study , 2012 .

[10]  Joe L. Outlaw,et al.  The economics of microalgae oil. , 2010 .

[11]  A. Mujumdar.  Handbook of Industrial Drying , 2020 .

[12]  Peter McKendry,et al.  Energy production from biomass (Part 1): Overview of biomass. , 2002, Bioresource technology.

[13]  A. Richmond.  Handbook of microalgal culture: biotechnology and applied phycology. , 2004 .

[14]  Xiaoqian Ma,et al.  Thermogravimetric analysis of microalgae combustion under different oxygen supply concentrations , 2011 .

[15]  Richard L Skaggs,et al.  A GIS cost model to assess the availability of freshwater, seawater, and saline groundwater for algal biofuel production in the United States. , 2013, Environmental science & technology.

[16]  Murat Kucukvar,et al.  A comprehensive life cycle analysis of cofiring algae in a coal power plant as a solution for achiev , 2011 .

[17]  Gerrit Brem,et al.  Assessment of a dry and a wet route for the production of biofuels from microalgae: energy balance analysis. , 2011, Bioresource technology.

[18]  Hiroyo Matsumoto,et al.  Influence of CO2, SO2 and NO in flue gas on microalgae productivity , 1997 .

[19]  M. Mann,et al.  A life cycle assessment of biomass cofiring in a coal-fired power plant , 2001 .

[20]  Michael Hannon,et al.  Biofuels from algae: challenges and potential , 2010, Biofuels.

[21]  V. Moses,et al.  Biotechnology: The Science and the Business , 1991 .

[22]  R. P. Goebel,et al.  Design and analysis of microalgal open pond systems for the purpose of producing fuels: A subcontract report , 1987 .

[23]  Ignasi Palou-Rivera,et al.  Energy consumption during the manufacture of nutrients for algae cultivation , 2013 .

[24]  Y. Chisti,et al.  Recovery of microalgal biomass and metabolites: process options and economics. , 2003, Biotechnology advances.

[25]  David M. Blersch,et al.  An economic assessment of algal turf scrubber technology for treatment of dairy manure effluent , 2006 .

[26]  Saikat Chakraborty,et al.  A kinetic study of pyrolysis and combustion of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris using thermo-gravimetric analysis. , 2013, Bioresource technology.

[27]  André Faaij,et al.  Techno-economic assessment of micro-algae as feedstock for renewable bio-energy production , 2013 .

[28]  Jian Li,et al.  An economic assessment of astaxanthin production by large scale cultivation of Haematococcus pluvialis. , 2011, Biotechnology advances.

[29]  L. Baxter.  Biomass-coal co-combustion: opportunity for affordable renewable energy , 2005 .

[30]  Prabhata K. Swamee,et al.  Explicit Equations for Pipe-Flow Problems , 1976 .

[31]  George G. Zaimes,et al.  Microalgal biomass production pathways: evaluation of life cycle environmental impacts , 2013, Biotechnology for Biofuels.

[32]  F. Salih.  Microalgae Tolerance to High Concentrations of Carbon Dioxide: A Review , 2011 .

[33]  G. Shelef,et al.  Microalgae harvesting and processing: a literature review , 1984 .

[34]  Philip Owende,et al.  Biofuels from microalgae—A review of technologies for production, processing, and extractions of biofuels and co-products , 2010 .

[35]  E. Becker.  Microalgae: Biotechnology and Microbiology , 1994 .

[36]  Xuewu Zhang,et al.  Biodiesel Production by Microalgal Biotechnology , 2018, Renewable Energy.

[37]  Navid R. Moheimani,et al.  Sustainable biofuels from algae , 2013, Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change.

[38]  Frank Kreith,et al.  Principles of sustainable energy systems , 2013 .

[39]  Chao Gai,et al.  Combustion behavior and kinetics of low-lipid microalgae via thermogravimetric analysis. , 2015, Bioresource technology.

[40]  Miguel Olaizola,et al.  Microalgal removal of CO2 from flue gases: Changes in medium pH and flue gas composition do not appear to affect the photochemical yield of microalgal cultures , 2003 .

[41]  René H. Wijffels,et al.  Scenario evaluation of open pond microalgae production , 2013 .

[42]  R. Wijffels,et al.  An Outlook on Microalgal Biofuels , 2010, Science.

[43]  W. Cong,et al.  Evaluation of power consumption of paddle wheel in an open raceway pond , 2014, Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering.

[44]  Nigel W.T. Quinn,et al.  A Realistic Technology and Engineering Assessment of Algae Biofuel Production , 2010 .

[45]  Arnaud Hélias,et al.  Life-cycle assessment of biodiesel production from microalgae. , 2009, Environmental science & technology.

[46]  A. Kiperstok,et al.  Comparative energy life-cycle analyses of microalgal biomass production in open ponds and photobioreactors. , 2010, Bioresource technology.

[47]  Danièle Revel,et al.  IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation , 2011 .

[48]  K. L Kadam,et al.  Environmental implications of power generation via coal-microalgae cofiring , 2002 .

[49]  Keat-Teong Lee,et al.  Microalgae biofuels: A critical review of issues, problems and the way forward. , 2012, Biotechnology advances.

[50]  David Thompson,et al.  UTILIZATION OF CARBON DIOXIDE FROM COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF VALUE-ADDED PRODUCTS , 2006 .

[51]  Helena M. Amaro,et al.  Advances and perspectives in using microalgae to produce biodiesel , 2011 .

[52]  M. Demirbas.  Biofuels from algae for sustainable development , 2011 .

[53]  R. Andersen,et al.  Algal culturing techniques , 2005 .

[54]  D. Allen,et al.  Energy-water nexus for mass cultivation of algae. , 2011, Environmental science & technology.

[55]  L. Lardon,et al.  Life-cycle assessment of microalgae culture coupled to biogas production. , 2011, Bioresource technology.

[56]  Daniele Spinelli,et al.  Life-Cycle Assessment of Microalgal-Based Biofuels , 2014 .

[57]  M. Borowitzka.  High-value products from microalgae—their development and commercialisation , 2013, Journal of Applied Phycology.

[58]  Frederic P. Miller,et al.  IPCC fourth assessment report , 2009 .

[59]  D. Vandamme.  Flocculation based harvesting processes for microalgae biomass production , 2013 .

[60]  T. Franco,et al.  Microalgae as feedstock for biodiesel production: Carbon dioxide sequestration, lipid production and biofuel quality , 2010 .

[61]  Tim Coole,et al.  Explicit Friction Factor Accuracy and Computational Efficiency for Turbulent Flow in Pipes , 2013 .

[62]  Sonia Heaven,et al.  A review of the harvesting of micro-algae for biofuel production , 2013, Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology.

[63]  David Chiaramonti,et al.  Characterization of microalga Chlorella as a fuel and its thermogravimetric behavior , 2013 .

[64]  David Chiaramonti,et al.  Review of energy balance in raceway ponds for microalgae cultivation: Re-thinking a traditional system is possible , 2013 .

[65]  Jian Ma,et al.  Technoeconomic Analysis of Microalgae Cofiring Process for Fossil Fuel-Fired Power Plants , 2011 .

[66]  Teresa M. Mata,et al.  Microalgae for biodiesel production and other applications: A review , 2010 .

[67]  Takayuki Takeshita,et al.  Competitiveness, role, and impact of microalgal biodiesel in the global energy future , 2011 .

[68]  J. Benemann,et al.  Look Back at the U.S. Department of Energy's Aquatic Species Program: Biodiesel from Algae; Close-Out Report , 1998 .

[69]  Enrico Bonari,et al.  Long-term evaluation of biomass production and quality of two cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) cultivars for energy use , 2009 .

[70]  Ozcan Konur,et al.  The scientometric evaluation of the research on the algae and bio-energy , 2011 .

[71]  Bruce E. Rittmann,et al.  Photosynthetic bioenergy utilizing CO2: an approach on flue gases utilization for third generation biofuels , 2015 .

[72]  Q. Hu,et al.  Life-cycle analysis on biodiesel production from microalgae: water footprint and nutrients balance. , 2011, Bioresource technology.

[73]  Lauro André Ribeiro,et al.  Surveying techno-economic indicators of microalgae biofuel technologies , 2013 .

[74]  Charles A. S. Hall,et al.  What is the Minimum EROI that a Sustainable Society Must Have , 2009 .

[75]  Bruce Jefferson,et al.  The impact of algal properties and pre-oxidation on solid-liquid separation of algae. , 2008, Water research.

[76]  Edwards Robert,et al.  Well-to-Wheels Analysis of Future Automotive Fuels and Power Trains in the European Context - Report, Version 3c , 2011 .

[77]  J. Pittman,et al.  The potential of sustainable algal biofuel production using wastewater resources. , 2011, Bioresource technology.

[78]  Arash Tahmasebi,et al.  Thermogravimetric study of the combustion of Tetraselmis suecica microalgae and its blend with a Victorian brown coal in O2/N2 and O2/CO2 atmospheres. , 2013, Bioresource technology.

[79]  D. Cordell,et al.  The story of phosphorus: Global food security and food for thought , 2009 .

[80]  R. N. Singh,et al.  Development of suitable photobioreactor for algae production – A review , 2012 .

[81]  Maria J Barbosa,et al.  Microalgal production--a close look at the economics. , 2011, Biotechnology advances.

[82]  Steven G. Hall,et al.  An analysis of energy consumption for algal biodiesel production: Comparing the literature with current estimates , 2014 .

[83]  John R. Benemann,et al.  Microalgae for Biofuels and Animal Feeds , 2013 .

[84]  Mark A. White,et al.  Environmental impacts of algae-derived biodiesel and bioelectricity for transportation. , 2011, Environmental science & technology.

[85]  D. R. Stull.  JANAF thermochemical tables , 1966 .

[86]  Takuya Oda,et al.  Integration of energy-efficient drying in microalgae utilization based on enhanced process integration , 2014 .

[87]  Jun Zhu,et al.  Anaerobic digested dairy manure as a nutrient supplement for cultivation of oil-rich green microalgae Chlorella sp. , 2010, Bioresource technology.

[88]  Sam W. Wood,et al.  A Review of Greenhouse Gas Emission Factors for Fertiliser Production. , 2004 .

[89]  E. A. Ehimen,et al.  Energy Balance of Microalgal-derived Biodiesel , 2010 .

[90]  Ayhan Demirbas,et al.  Biodiesel from oilgae, biofixation of carbon dioxide by microalgae: A solution to pollution problems , 2011 .

[91]  Yusuf Chisti,et al.  Constraints to commercialization of algal fuels. , 2013, Journal of biotechnology.

[92]  Vincent Mahieu,et al.  Well-to-wheels analysis of future automotive fuels and powertrains in the european context , 2004 .

[93]  Richard T. Sayre,et al.  Microalgae: The Potential for Carbon Capture , 2010 .

[94]  A. Demirbas,et al.  Sustainable cofiring of biomass with coal , 2003 .