Day 2 :
Keynote Forum
Arthur J. Ragauskas
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA
Keynote: Next Generation of Low Recalcitrance Plants for BioFuels
Time : 10:00-10:35
Biography:
Arthur Ragauskas held the first Fulbright Chair in Alternative Energy and is a Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Academy of Wood Science and The Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI). In 2014, he assumed a Governor’s Chair for Biorefining based in University of Tennessee’s (UT) Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, with a complementary appointment in the UT Institute of Agriculture’s Department of Forestry, Wildlife, and Fisheries and serves in the US Energy and Environmental Sciences Directorate, Biosciences Division, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His research program is directed at understanding and exploiting innovative sustainable bioresources. This multifaceted program is targeted to develop new and improved applications for nature’s premiere renewable biopolymers for biofuels, biopower, and bio-based materials and chemicals. He is the Recipient of the 2014 TAPPI Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal Award, ACS Affordable Green Chemistry Award and 2017 Green Process Engineering American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Abstract:
The recalcitrance of biomass is one of the greatest difficulties in the overall conversion of biomass to biofuels. To-date this requires costly pretreatment technologies that frequently lead to the generation of fermentation inhibitors and waste streams that need be treated in an environmental acceptable manner, incurring additional costs. The minimization of native biomass recalcitrance is clearly related to tailoring the structure of the starting bioresource (1) over the past decade, we have examined what plant cell parameters are involved in plant recalcitrance and have clearly determined that this is a multi-structural feature involving cellulose ultrastructure/degree of polymerization (DP), hemicellulose content and structure, lignin structure and content, lignin-carbohydrate complexes and plant cell wall accessibility. But it is also clear not all these parameters are of equal importance (2). examining the structural fidelity of ‘wild’ popular resources, we were able to demonstrate that the structure of lignin plays a key component in the overall recalcitrance of this feedstock, of special significance was the nature of inter-unit lignin bonding structures along with the structure of hemicelluloses. Both of these components undergo significant changes when undergoing acidic pretreatments which provide a biomass with increased accessibility and reactivity to cellulose. This presentation will examine the plant cell features and the advances in analytical chemistry needed to examine these features. These advances in the understanding of biomass recalcitrance have now facilitated key advances in accelerated engineering of low-recalcitrance plants that have now been developed in green house and controlled farm sites. In both case, the design of plants with low-reactance cell wall features has been demonstrated which in turn results in higher biofuel yields from a cellulose den construction/fermentation approach. Recommendations are made for next generation of plants will lower costs and improve the overall conversion of biomass to biofuels.
Keynote Forum
Roger Ruan
University of Minnesota, USA
Keynote: Intermittent vacuum assisted thermophilic AD and biorefining technologies for liquid and solid waste utilization and treatment
Time : 10:35-11:10
Biography:
Roger Ruan is the Director of Center for Biorefining and Professor of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering Department at the University of Minnesota, USA and Fellow of American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. He has published over 400 papers in refereed journals, books, and book chapters, and over 300 meeting papers and other reports, and holds 18 US patents. He is also a top cited author in the area of agricultural and biological sciences. He has supervised over 65 graduate students, 110 Postdoctors, Research Fellows, and other Engineers and Scientists, and 12 of his PhD students and 8 other Postdoctors hold university faculty positions. He has received over 160 projects totaling over $40 million in various funding for research, including major funding from USDA, DOE, DOT, DOD, and industries. He has served as Guest Editor and/or Editorial Board Member of Bioresource Technology, etc. and Editor-in-Chief and Chairman of the board for International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
Abstract:
Organic solid and liquid wastes, such as animal manure and food wastes, contain large amounts of energy, nutrients, and water, and should not be perceived as merely waste. Treatment and disposal have been the primary management strategy for wastewater; while recycling, composting, and combustion of non-recyclables have been practiced for decades to capture the energy and values from municipal solid wastes. As new technologies are emerging, alternative options for utilization of both wastewater and solid wastes have become available. Considering the complexity of chemical, physical, and biological properties of these wastes, multiple technologies may be required to maximize the energy and value recovery from the wastes. For this purpose, biorefining tends to be an appropriate approach to completely utilize and therefore treat them. Research has demonstrated that the liquid waste streams have the potential to support crop and algae growth and provide other energy recovery and food production options, while the non-recyclable waste materials and bio-solids can be converted into useable heat, electricity, or fuel and chemical through a variety of processes. In this presentation, new biorefining schemes especially for organic solid and liquid wastes from municipal sources, food and biological processing plants, and animal production facilities have been proposed. Four new breakthrough technologies, namely intermittent vacuum-assisted thermophilic anaerobic digestion (AD), extended aquaponics, oily wastes to biodiesel via glycerolysis, and microwave assisted thermochemical conversion, can be incorporated into the biorefining schemes, enabling complete utilization and therefore treatment of those wastes for the production of chemicals, fertilizer, energy (biogas, syngas, biodiesel, and bio-oil), foods, and feeds, resulting in clean water and a significant reduction in pollutant emissions.
Networking and Refreshments Break 11:10-1140
Keynote Forum
Michael Köttner
Intenational Biogas and Bioenergy Center of Competence IBBK, Germany
Keynote: Grass and cattle manure digestion – a viable feedstock alternative
Time : 11:40-12:15
Biography:
Michael Köttner with a Master’s Degree as an Agricultural Biologist and as a Trained Farmer is professionally involved in biogas and bioenergy technology for more than 25 years. His portfolio ranges from professional services as a Scientist and Farmer in USA and South Africa, adult education, to being a founding Member and CEO (1992 – 2000) in Europe’s biggest biogas association, the German Biogas Association with almost 5000 members today. Since 2000 he is a Consultant, Senior Expert, as well as Managing Director of the International Biogas and Bioenergy Center of Competence (IBBK Fachgruppe Biogas GmbH) and Vice-President of the German Biogas and Bioenergy Society, GERBIO/FnBB e.V. His work focuses on consulting and training in the field of industrial and small scale decentralized biogas technology with manure, plant oil for energy production, wood gas (gasification, pyrolysis) and ecological sanitation in a regional, national and international context.
Abstract:
In Europe, anaerobic digestion (AD) is dedicated to the treatment of organic wastes, eventually in combination with energetic crops. For implementing these systems, favorable promotional measures have been proposed, creating high number of active anaerobic digesters. However, in order to consolidate its role as a favorable tool for sustainable waste management, it is important to decrease the usage of energy crops and substitute it, if possible, with biomass residues. Originating from small-scale farm based anaerobic digestion plants, the landscape of AD in Germany and Europe has changed significantly over the past 20 years. Regarding Germany, this is due to the implementation of generous feed-in tariffs and unlimited priority feed-in for renewable energies. This was regulated in the renewable energy laws of 2004 and 2009. Additionally, starting in the early 2000s, a specific subsidy for energy crop farming was introduced by the EU as an agro-political tool to avoid food overproduction and yet compensate the farmers to keep working their land. Energy crops include maize, corn, whole crop cereal, sugar beets and grass. This resulted in a massive boom in the total numbers of AD plants and the average installed capacity. Especially during the 8 years from 2004 to 2012, more than 6500 new AD plants digesting energy crops were commissioned in Germany alone. Why were energy crops so attractive as a feedstock for AD installations? Well, they have a higher specific gas yield compared to slurry, the necessary agricultural technology is well established and similar to dairy farming and it offers farmers the opportunity to become independent from agricultural price cycles. Major changes in subsidy policies in the German renewable energy law in 2014 and a complete redesign in 2017 threw all cards in the air again. Since 2017, new and existing
AD plants have to compete with all other biomass plants via tender processes. As a direct consequence, expensive feedstocks such as classic energy crops instantly became much less economically viable. Thus, operators are now looking into alternative feedstocks. Increased investment costs for AD plants also factors into economic calculations. The rise took place in recent years due to an elevation in professionalism in the agricultural sector. Additionally, higher safety standards and technical requirements for AD plant equipment contributed to this development. This is where manure and grass can come in. Good quality grass silage offers an impressive specific biogas yield of around 150 m³/t compared to the 200 m³/t of the corn silage, making it a viable and abundant alternative feedstock.
- Biofuels
Green energy and economy
Processes for Bioenergy
Location: Berlin
Session Introduction
Patricia J Harvey
University of Greenwich, UK
Title: Extracting value from non-potable water using halophilic algae: a water-food-energy nexus approach for delivering bioenergy
Time : 12:15-12:45
Biography:
Patricia J Harvey is a Senior Expert in bioenergy value chains, and the water-food-energy nexus, with particular focus on the use of algal and non-food plant systems for the capture of CO2, use of non-potable water and production of green chemicals and biofuels. She is a Coordinator of several projects including: “the CO2 microalgae biorefinery: D-Factory”; a 10 million Euro FP7-funded project “Macrobiocrude”, (EPSRC-funded); Non-food bio-oil supply chains (EU-ACP-funded) aimed at capacity building measures in South Africa, Namibia and Ghana to create sustainable, non-food supply chains; Ecotec21 (EU-Interreg) which installed novel, biofuel-fired CHP technology at the University of Greenwich (UK) using biooils and glycerol; tuning algae for biofuel profitably (NERC, Innovate UK).
Abstract:
Statement of the problem: Global energy consumption will grow by up to 50% by 2035; 60% more food will be needed and global water use for irrigation could increase by 10% by 2050. Glycerol, a new biofuel and by-product of biodiesel manufacture, is planned to be combusted using new engine technology (410kW electrical; 450kW thermal) to provide heat and power at the University of Greenwich UK, provided sufficient reliable supplies of glycerol can be sourced at the right specification. Biofuels, however, can necessitate substantial water inputs depending on feedstock production: by 2030, the global blue biofuel water footprint might have grown to 5.5% of the totally available blue water for humans, causing extra pressure on fresh water resources.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: The blue water footprint of the net energy provided by microalgal biofuels has been concluded to be significantly smaller compared with fuels from other energy crops. Extremophile, halotolerant microalgae such as Dunaliella produce glycerol without the requirement to process lipids to release the glycerol. The potential for commercial glycerol production from Dunaliella was examined in the D-Factory, a €10m, 14-partner, FP7-funded project (2013-2017).
Findings: Dunaliella can be cultivated at large-scale in hypersaline water using solar energy and with minimal fresh water and flue-gas CO2. These algae can be processed for glycerol and a range of high-value products for disease mitigation, and biomass can be used in new food products and in feedstuffs. A demonstration is underway to show the potential for commercialization of algae such as Dunaliella. From this work, the scope to produce commodities such as glycerol from algae is discussed in the context of the water-food-energy nexus and circular economy.
Conclusion & Significance: Awareness of the water-food-energy nexus offers opportunities to utilize algae sustainably for the production of biobased products.
Regina Nogueira
Institute for Sanitary Engineering and Waste Management , Germany
Title: Cost effective production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates biopolymers using mixed microbial culture and industry waste water: An ecofriendly approach
Time : 12:45-13:15
Biography:
Regina Nogueira focuses her research activities on the application of biological processes in water and wastewater treatment and their performance optimization. She has been involved in lab- and full-scale projects dealing with the diversity, dynamics and performance of different microbial populations for various reactor operation parameters, both for biofilms and suspended microbial populations. She has been implementing molecular methods like FISH and real-time PCR for the detection of key microorganisms in wastewater in order to give a fast response to the wastewater operators of the efficacy of their measures. More recently, she is working on the production of biopolymers using industrial wastewater from the brewery and yeast industries using microbial mixed cultures. Her aim is to contribute to the valorization of industrial wastewater and to bring to the market biopolymers with a competitive price.
Abstract:
Statement of the Problem: Plastic and plastic products have become integrated part of our daily life. Even after recycling 5.6 million tons of undegradable plastic waste is produced per year in India which will persist in landscapes. Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) are biodegradable, biocompatible, and have thermoplastic features; and can substitute conventional plastics. PHA biopolymer cost is estimated to be ranging between US$2.25–2.75/lb which is significantly higher than the conventional plastics and is attributed to use of pure cultures, high price of high purity substrates, and usage of batch and fed-batch production modes, thus hampering the wide commercialization and industrialization. To make PHA production economical, cheap industrial waste water like yeast production industries, which are rich in volatile fatty acids can be used. This will serve purpose of reducing the cost of production and waste water conditioning to reduce VFA (volatile fatty acids) content. Use of PHA producing microorganism rich mixed microbial culture will allow bioreactor operation under non-sterile condition reducing costs further.
Objectives: The objective of current study is cost effective production of PHA namely PHB and PHV by using mixed microbial culture (MMC) by feeding yeast industry waste water.
Methodology: To produce MMC, activated sludge was subjected to ecological pressure of aerobic dynamic feeding, in sequencing batch reactor selecting the PHA accumulators. PHA accumulation capacity of MMC was evaluated using batch, fed batch and continuous mode of bioreactor operation using acetate and waste water as feed.
Results: Experiment with waste water produced 71.63 % PHA per dry cell weight (DCW) in batch mode and continuous mode produced 65.38 % PHA per DCW hence yielding 242.21 tons and 296.46 tons of theoretical possible production per year respectively.
Recommendation: We recommend using continuous reactor due to its simplicity and ease of operation and ability to handle large quantity of feed in very small reactor volume.
Khageshwar Singh Patel
Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, India
Title: Studies on Tannin Rich Plants
Time : 14:15-14:45
Biography:
K S Patel has completed his PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, India and Postdoctoral studies from several German Institutes and UC Davis, USA. He continued as an Emeritus Professor in the same University and is now working in medicinal and herbal plant chemistry. He has published more than 100 papers in reputed journals in various fields of analytical chemistry.
Abstract:
Thousands of phenolic compounds are present in plant tissues to protect them from ultraviolet radiation, microbial infections or/and chemical changes. Polyphenols are antioxidants in plants having substantial amount of health benefits. Among the most well-known are the flavonoids, which are a grouping of several thousand of individual compounds. Their concentration and chemical types differ with respect to phylum and plant parts. Hence, in this work, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents in a variety of plant materials i.e. bark, seed pod, seed coat and leaf are identified by using Folin-Ciocalteu and AlCl3 as reagents for spectrophotometric measurements. The concentration of total phenols and flavonoid in term of tannic acid and quercetin in 212 plant materials was ranged from 0.09-5.11 and 0.10-4.23% with mean value (p=0.05) of 1.89±0.15 and 1.18±0.13%, respectively. The total phenolic contents in the barks (n=74), seed pods (n=11), seed coats (n=37) and leaves (n=90) were ranged from 0.010-5.10, 0.94-2.88, 0.09-5.11 and 1.10-4.13% with mean value (p=0.05) of 1.11±0.22, 2.19±0.31, 1.46±0.39 and 2.66±0.14%, respectively. Relatively lower concentration of flavonoids was observed, ranging from 0.11-4.20, 0.21-1.74, 0.10-4.23 and 1.06-3.76% with mean value (p=0.05) of 0.50±0.16, 0.68±0.26, 0.74±0.30 and 1.98±0.14% in the barks, seed pods, seed coats and leaves, respectively. The concentration variations and sources of phenolic compounds in the plant materials are discussed.
Ramachandran Sivaramakrishnan
Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Title: Biorefinery approach of microalgae feedstock for the production of bioethanol and biodiesel
Time : 14:45-15:15
Biography:
Ramachandran Sivaramakrishnan has been working in the production of biofuels from microalgae. He is working as a Senior post-doctroral researcher in the department of biochemistry, Chulalongkorn University. His doctoral studies were about methyl ester production from macroalgae using lipase catalyst. He has been awarded as Junior Research Fellow by Department of Science and Technology, India. He has published Ten research articles in international journals.
Abstract:
Problem
The continued use of fossil fuels depletes the reserves, more than 75% of petroleum based fuels are burnt in the transportation sector. The utilization of global energy is expected to be increased in the future due to increase population and demand. Therefore, there is a need for alternative fuel, which is not only satisfying the need, but also solve the environmental problems. Microalgae feedstocks, a reliable biofuel source, has drawn much attention as an alternative and renewable. This is due to the microalgal species have the excellent photosynthetic efficiencies and the biomass reproducibility potential than any other terrestrial crops. In this study, the integrated approach of ethanol and biodiesel production from algal biomass. This integrated method is to develop the microalgae based biorefinery model.
Abstract
The present study focuses on the biorefinery approach of integrated production of bioethanol and biodiesel from microalgae feedstock. Various pretreatment methods were used to determine the maximum recovery of sugars from Botryococcus sp. The total sugar yield of 84 % was obtained when pretreated by acid hydrolysis. The hydrolysate produced 90 % of ethanol (theoretical yield) after the fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Enzyme catalyzed direct transesterification of biomass was performed using dimethyl carbonate as a solvent and the maximum of yield of 87 % methyl ester yield, 2.6 % glycerol carbonate and 5.6% glycerol dicarbonate was obtained. In the integrated process, the acid hydrolysis was done first, and the sugar extracted biomass was used for the enzyme catalyzed direct transesterification. The obtained hydrolysate was further fermented with S. cerevisiae and at the optimized conditions of fermentation 90 % of ethanol (theoretical yield) was obtained. The direct transesterification of spent biomass produces 92 % of methyl ester yield with 2.1% glycerol carbonate and 4.9% of glycerol decarbonate. Thus, the biorefinery approach of integrated production of ethanol and biodiesel may offer a suitable alternative way to current methods and has the potential application to replace petroleum-based fuels in the future.
Rajiv Chandra Rajak
Indian Institute of Technology, India
Title: Determination of efficiency for enzymatic delignification of lignocellulosics using laccase
Time : 15:15-15:35
Biography:
Rajiv Chandra Rajak, currently pursuing PhD under the guidance of Prof. Rintu Banerjee from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. Mr. Rajak is working in the area of Biomass Deconstruction using biological catalsyt and its role in reducing sugar production.
Abstract:
Biological processes are becoming more competitive and gaining increased attention worldwide due to sustainability and eco-friendly nature. Biocatalyst, such as enzymes produced from microorganisms act as an effective green catalyst for biomass deconstruction. Laccase (oxidoreductase, EC 1.10.3.2) is a multicopper phenol oxidase enzyme that oxidizes electron-rich phenolic and non-phenolic substrates. Lignocellulosics such as Saccharum spontaneum (Kans grass), contains huge amount of carbohydrates in its cell wall and to make this enormous amount more accessible for hydrolysis and to be used further in fermentation, degradation of lignin through appropriate pretreatment process is an essential prerequisite of the complete biofuel production process.
In the present work, laccase obtained from Lentinus sp. has been used for biomass deconstruction. The process was optimized through Response Surface Methodology (RSM) based on Central Composite Design (CCD) to investigate the effects of the different process parameters on biomass pretreatment. The maximum delignification obtained was 81.67% at 6 h of incubation time upon monitoring the initial lignin content of 17.46 %. Highest reducing sugar yield from enzyme-pretreated Kans grass was 500.30 mg g−1 substrate after 5.30 h of incubation time at a low cellulase loading. SEM analysis indicated changes in the surface characteristics, whereas FT-IR shows that the pretreatment condition does not pose any major changes in the chemical nature of cellulose and hemicellulose. This work contributes towards the emergence of greener biomass pretreatment and utilization strategy.