Global Algal Research and Collaboration
ID: 3620

Abstract: This panel provides a venue for international Algal Research and Collaboration programs. There are a number of Algal research projects that span across the globe. This panel provides an opportunity to provide an overview the research being undertaken and the benefits and challenges of global collaboration.

Innoventures Canada Presentation Speaker: Quinn Goretzky – I – CAN, Project Manager

Scientists through Innoventures Canada (I-CAN) are working towards creating a system that would convert carbon dioxide diverted from industrial facilities into valuable products using Earth’s oldest plant life – micro-algae. The first stage of this multi-stage project has been completed.

I-CAN is a non-for-profit consortium of ten Canadian research corporations who have joined together for key strategic projects. The CARS project – Carbon Algae Recycling System proposes to feed flue gas (CO2, NOx, etc.) directly from industry into ponds to feed the growth of the micro-algae, which would then be harvested and processed into value-added products such as ethanol, bio-diesel or fertilizer.

The comprehensive research program is taking a two-pronged approach. The biological piece of this puzzle will identify a strain of algae that thrives on the specific chemical composition for flue gas, at a target temperature, given the angle of sunlight in Canada. On the engineering side, the researchers have already determined that neither the existing photobioreactor nor the open pond systems would deal with large enough volumes of C02. I-CAN partners researchers are now developing a hybrid covered pond system that maintains the consistent environment required by the chosen strains of algae.

I-CAN has also decided to seek collaborations with scientists, companies or agencies that can provide critical technology to move forward the CARS project.



Stephen O'Leary

Second generation renewable energy sources including microalgal biofuels have recently been the subject of heightened interest as a green alternative to traditional fossil fuels. Biofuels produced from renewable resources are the key to future energy sustainability and have the highest potential for carbon neutrality. Algae have drawn a great deal of attention as a biofuel feedstock due to the predicted capacity of some species to produce oil at per hectare yields 20 times greater than traditional agri-crops do today. In addition, microalgae have a considerable growth requirement for carbon dioxide and large-scale cultivation systems provide the potential for the sequestration of CO2 emissions from point source producers.

Cost-effective industrial-scale production of algal biofuels in Canada (and the rest of the world) will require the overcoming of a number of biological and engineering hurdles.

The development of closed photobioreactor (PBR) technologies designed for efficient mass algal cultivation in northern temperature and solar conditions will be foremost among these. In addition, improvement in technologies surrounding the harvesting and processing of algal biomass, as well as the conversion of lipids and non-lipid residues to energy products and other high-value compounds will be necessary to reduce the overall cost of operation, which is currently a barrier to commercialization. At the same time, highly specialized algal strains with desirable oil content and lipid profiles, but also possessing high productivity and robustness to cultivation will need to be identified and optimized for industrial production. Ultimately, it is the biology of the best species and strains that will make microalgae a cost-effective feedstock for renewable fuel production; and the same biology will drive the design and development of cultivation and processing equipment.

This multi-party project, involving federal research institutes, academic laboratories and industrial partners, will aid in the development of a Canadian capacity to produce renewable fuels from microalgae by achieving the following objectives:

• Development of a commercial algal bioreactor for biodiesel production

• The screening and identification of microalgae strains for use in biofuel production and optimization of their cultivation conditions

• Optimization of algae processing and conversion technologies for producing renewable fuels (biodiesel, green hydrocarbons, ethanol, syngas, methane, etc.) from algal lipids and non-lipid biomass

Beyond the above stated objectives, this study will generate empirical data necessary to accurately assess the likelihood of an algal biofuels production system becoming environmentally and economically viable in a Canadian environment. Costs of production, environmental impact, and life cycle analysis of algal biofuels will be evaluated as part of this program and these evaluations will be updated and refined as the research and associated technology development move forward.





Moderator: Quinn Goretzky, Alberta Research Council (United States)

Presenter 1: Carbon Algae Recycling System
Quinn Goretzky, Alberta Research Council, (United States)  [Confirmed]

Presenter 2: AAFC-NRCan-NRC National Bioproducts Program, Theme 4: Establishing a Canadian Capacity to Produce Biofuels From Microalgae 
Stephen O'Leary, National Research Council of Canada, (Canada)  [Confirmed]

Presenter 3: Lifecycle Assessment of Advanced Biofuel for Aviation  
Thomas Byrne, Byrne & Company Limited, (United States)  [Confirmed]

Presenter 4 (if necessary): {Presenter4PresentationTitle} 
{Presenter4FirstName} {Presenter4LastName}, {Presenter4CompanyName}, ({Presenter4Country})  [{Presenter4InviteStatus}]

Panel Organizer:
Quinn Goretzky, Alberta Research Council, (United States)

Why should your submission should be selected for this year’s program?
To move the algal industry forward, companies, research groups and individuals will have to share knowledge or establish collaboration linkages (contracts, etc.). This panel provides an opportunity for those wanting to pull resources to share.