Microalgae represent a potentially huge opportunity in offshore renewable energy generation and storage. Microalgae produce energy rich biofuels year round in marginal environments at rates in excess of 10 times that of plants. If microalgae could be cultured and maintained remotely a huge quantity of biofuels could be produced economically without displacing conventional agricultural products. The thrust of this project is demonstrating the feasibility of a marine based bioreactor capable of producing, extracting and purifying glycerol from the microalgae species, Dunaliella tertiolecta.

Dunaliella tertiolecta, a saltwater microalgae species, has been shown to dedicate the majority of its fixed CO2 to extracellular glycerol production. The leakage of glycerol across the cell membrane into the growth medium raise the possibility of extracting glycerol while maintaining a healthy algae culture – a major necessity for economical biofuel production from microalgae. Although not conventionally considered a biofuel, METEL, in collaboration with Sea Change LLC (SCG), has found that glycerin (C3H8O3) is an ideal, renewable feedstock for the production of transportation fuels with low SOx/NOx emissions. additional oxygen in cylinder to improve the combustion efficiency of the diesel fuel and unlike many other diesel fuel oxygenates has an excellent energy to cost ratio (Table 1).

SCG has exploited these properties to produce low-cost, low-emission marine fuel emulsions. If this project is successful, the emulsions would also be renewable. Glycerin carries additional oxygen in cylinder to improve the combustion efficiency of the diesel fuel and unlike many other diesel fuel oxygenates has an excellent energy to cost ratio (Table 1).

METEL-2014P784

Washington, DC 20590 USA

Castine, Maine 04420 USA

Castine, Maine 04420 USA