Biomass Conversion to Value added Fuels, Chemicals and Products

D.K.SharmaCentre for Energy Studies

Indian Institute of Technology DelhiNew Delhi-110016

AGENDA

• Energy scenario in the World

• Biofuels options

• Biomass Conversion Technologies

• Research work in the area of biofuels

• Future Scope

• Conclusions

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• Fossil fuels supply about 80- 90% of theprimary energy world over.

• The fossil fuels generated in millions ofyears have been exhausted in 250-300years and may be ultimately depleted oneday.

• The combustion of fossil fuels alsogenerates lot of CO2 – A Green House gas,responsible for Global Warming.

Our Fossil Fuel Dependency

Meeting the Challenges of Climate Change- UNFCC, IPCC- Paris Meet

in Dec.2015• Under Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) or voluntary

goals for reducing carbon footprints India has pledged to reduce 35 % emission from 2005 levels by 2030. Present Govt. intends to add 175 GW renewable energy including 100 GW of solar energy by 2022.

• Energy sector emissions account for 2/3rd of the global carbon footprint growth. ( HT 22/10/2015).

• Climate Action Tracker which includes Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research feels that even if all the promised cuts are included even then the temperatures may rise by 3-3.5 Deg. C. A 2 Deg. C rise may entail a sea level rise by 4 feet.( TOI 24/10/2015).

• US, EU, Russia, China & Japan are major contributors to green house gas emissions : Industrial Revolution 1850 –to date.

• There is an increasing thrust on Biosequestration of CO2 by growing more treesto arrest the ill effects of global warming.

• Fuel Wood Farming by growing the faster growing trees such as Poplar or ShortRotation Forestry are common examples.

• Woody Biomass supplies about 80-90% of energy needs in some of theunderdeveloped countries.

Unique role of biomass:

• Fossil fuels such as Oil and Natural Gas supply not only fuels but also feedstocksfor Chemical, Petrochemical, Fertilizer, Pharmaceuticals etc. industries.

• Therefore, their this role cannot be totally replaced by other renewable sourcesof energy which can supply only energy.

• Biomass energy sources have real potential to heighten energy security inregions without abundant fossil fuel reserves, to increase supplies of liquidtransportation fuels and to decrease net emissions of carbon into theatmosphere per unit of energy delivered.

• First Generation biofuels- Ethanol from wheat starch, sugar crops, vegetable oiletc.

• Second Generation biofuels- Biodiesel from oilseeds- soybean, palm, sun flower,Jatropha, Pongamia oil and biogas.

• Third Generation biofuels- Biodiesel from microalgae, ethanol, biogas etc. Frommicroalgae, macroalgae, aquatic biomass etc. Ethanol from agroresidues, switchgrass etc.

• Future Generation biofuels- Hydrogen from algae, hydrolysates, glucose etc.Fuels from pyrolytic oils, coprocessing of fuels, nano fuels.

• R&D work is required on the biomass conversion engineering on the same scaleas was done in the semiconductor, electronics, telecommunication etc.Industries.

• Vital Breakthroughs

Biomass to

Energy

Bioethanol

Biodiesel

Biogas

Gasification of biomass

Liquefaction of biomass

Algal Biodiesel

Biohydrogen

Biomass based

electricity generation

Sources of Biomass

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Biomass Conversion Options

• Availability of biomass may be one of the major issues in planning anystrategies for biomass utilization.

• However production of biomas by Photosynthesis is one of the best options forthe Biosequestration of Carbon Dioxide . The growing of Switch grass or Guineagrass may have a potential through C4 pathway of Photosythesis.

• Assuming that with the advancement of research in agriculture, botany,physiology, photosynthesis, genetic engineering, tissue culture and otherbiotechnological or horticulture techniques. Plenty of biomass can be madeavailable on the lands or as aquatic biomass, then a selection of technologies forBiomass Conversion may be made.

• There are three main routes which are available for biomass conversion to otherValue Added Chemicals, fuels, and other products. These are

1) Chemical Conversion

2) Thermochemical Conversion

3) Biochemical Conversion

Global biofuel production in 2016 (https://www.statista.com/statistics/274163/global-biofuel-production-in-oil-equivalent/ accessed on June 01, 2018)

The total global biofuel production is increasing and this reached almost 82 billion metric tons of oil equivalent.

US 35,779 thousand metric tons of oil equivalentBrazil 18,552 thousand metric tons of oil equivalent

Germany 3,198 thousand metric tons of oil equivalentIndonesia 2,828 thousand metric tons of oil equivalentArgentina 2503 thousand metric tons of oil equivalent

The US is having one of the highest bioenergy capacity in the world. About 13, 764 megawatts in 2015 with almost 41 % of total biofuel production world over.

Global biofuel production increased from 9.4 million metric tons oil equivalents in 2000 to 74.8 million metric tons oil equivalents in 2015.

Global Biodiesel Production in 2016 (

https://www.statista.com/statistics/271472/biodiesel-production-in-selected-countries/ Accessed on June 01, 2018)

USA : 5.5 Billion liters ( May reach 1 Billion gallons by 2025, Tax incentives.Brazil : 3.8 Billion litersGermany : 3 Billion litersIndonesia : 3 Billion litersArgentina : 3 Billion liters etc.Export of biodiesel

Global Bioethanol production in 2017 (in million gallons)(https://www.statista.com/statistics/281606/ethanol-production-in-selected-countries/ accessed on June 01, 2018):

US 15800

Brazil 7060European Union 1415China 875Canada 450

India ( eighth) 280

Biogas Programme

MAJOR AIMS

• Sanitation

• Cleaner Fuel

• Good Manure

• Lighting

• Motive Power

• Enrichment through scrubbing off carbon dioxide

Top 5 countries producing biogas(https://worldbioenergy.org/uploads/WBA%20GBS%202017_hq.pdf

accessed on June 13, 2018).

World Bioenergy Association (www.worldbioenergy.org).

ChinaUSAThailandIndiaCanadaEU produces almost half ( 28.9 billion NM3) of the total biogas produced in the world ( 58.7 billion NM 3 ).Average growth of 11.2 % between 2000 and 2014.

Development of Integrated Processes for Obtaining Bioethanol from Agroresidues

Acidic and enzymatic hydrolysis of agroresidues for production of ethanol

• Dilute and Conc. HCl and H2SO4 hydrolysis – Pre-hydrolysis followed by main hydrolysis - 1980

• Lignin utilization – Phenolation (1989), Polyurethanes, Aromatics, Aerobic- Anaerobic - Co-culture -Biodegradation of lignins ( Mixed Culture ): 1990s.

Recovery of lignins from black liquor Value added chemicals and fuels from lignins

Hydrocarbons and Alcohols from Petrocrops

[Latex bearing plants]

[Calotropis procera, Croton bonplandianum, Tabernaemontana divaricata.

Biogas from spent residues etc.

Photosynthesis extends up to hydrocarbon biosynthesis -Triterpenes

Hydrocracking/cracking of terpenes to obtain petroleum like hydrocarbons

Biodegradation of latex to lower hydrocarbons

Pittosporum resiniferum

Copaifera multijuga

Pine

Calotropis procera

Eucalyptus -Triterpenes

Co-cracking of biomass with Plastics, [HDPE, Polypropylene, Bakelites, PVC], petroleum vaccum residues, Bituminous coal

Enzymatic hydrolysis of Agroresidues and Fruit wastes for production of ethanol

• Production of Cellulase enzyme [SSF process].• Use of Tween 80 in the enzymatic hydrolysis of the LCB, • SEM studies on cellulase enzyme – Mechanism of enzymatic hydrolysis• Production of superactive cellulase enzyme through symbiotic co-culturing

of fungi• Studies on the identification of signaling molecules for the induction of

cellulase enzyme• Proteomics studies on the metabolism during biosynthesis of cellulase

enzymes• Use of organic acids in the hydrolysis of biomass- -Oxalic acid • Production of lesser inhibiting compounds

Co-cracking of biomass with Jatropha curcas oil

Kinetics studies and use of catalysts, GC-MS ,NMR studies of products

• Creaking of Jatropha oil with HDPE and Petroleum Vacuum Residue [Catalysts- ZSM5+SiAl, ZSM5, Ni-Mo/SiAl and FCC catalysts]

Kinetics studies and product characterization

Collaboration with Prof. M: Crocker; Center for Applied Energy Research,University of Kentucky; USA:

• JO + HDPE ZSM5+SiAl Biogasoline + Green Diesel

Synergism/Activation energy (C7-C11) 43-45% (C12-C22) 49%

• VR + HDPE FCC catalyst Green Diesel

Synergism/Activation energy 70%

• JO + Bagasse

Aliphatic oil + Asprin + Amentadine +Etamiphylline (Drug sources)

• [Deoxygenation, Decarboxylation and H- Exchange reactions ]

• Kinetics studies : 3-4 phases of cracking reactions between the degradationmoieties.

• Bond cleavages and reaction controls – Reaction engineering , Kinetics controls.

• Cracking of JO to obtain Biofuels using HZSM5 catalyst /Ni-Mo-SiAl as catalysts

• 10% increase in Liquid products/ biofuels production

• Process intensification studies

Co-hydrocracking of petroleum vacuum gas oil with

Jatropha oil

Collaboration with Indian Oil Corporation, R and D centre, Faridabad

[2 patents including a US PATENT]

Use of carbon (Tea leaves) based Ni-Mo catalyst – Green Catalyst

Use of pea pods and Jatropha leaves for catalyst preparation.

Production of Biodiesel – Comparison of the use of Acid catalyst and Lipase enzyme

Comparison of fuel characterisitics of green diesel and biodiesel

Production of Biodiesel from algal species

Scenedesmus obliquus, Chlorella vulgaris, Chlamydomonasrheinhardtii, Botryococcus braunii etc.

Co-culture of Green algae and Blue green algae :

Studies of the N-exchange between algae, signaling molecules, metabolomics, lipidomics, etc.

• Proteomics studies on the Metabolic systems during N-, S-, P- etc.

Stress for enhancing the yield of Lipids from green algae.

.

• Studies on the algal microbial fuel cells :

Use of green algae and cyanobacterium

• Hydrocarbons and lipids from Botryococcus braunii

Development of cost effective nutrient media

Biosequestration of CO2 using algae and chemoautotrophs

q

• Production of biogas from

(a)Spent residue of Petrocrops and

(b)Spent residues from biodiesel production

H2 production :

• H2 production from co-metabolism of Rhodospirrulumrubrum and Scenedesmus obliquus

• Production of H2 from spirulina sp. and its use in carbonfuel cells

Scale of the consumption of fossil fuels in the World :

• Daily consumption of oil and liquid fuels in the world is about 96 million barrels per day- IEA market report

• Total world coal consumption – 21 million tonnes/ day

• Total world gas consumption-110 trillion cubic feet

• Since the scale of consumption of fossil fuels in the world is huge , therefore, there may be a need to generate biomass at a very huge scale which would require lot of land area and water resources

• Vertical farming.

Conclusions

There is a need to grow more biomass by avoiding the food versus fuel

There is a need to develop a super active cellulase enzyme possibly through co-culturing of different fungi and bacteria. All the five acohols should be fermentedto obtain ethanol – Reducing reaction Time.

Potential petrocrops may be exploited to obtain peroleum like fuels , alcoholand biogas.

There is a wide scope of developing more catalysts for co-cracking of biomass,seed oils and plastics etc. to obtain biogasoline, green diesel and value addedchemicals.

There is a need to study the symbiotic interactions between green algae andcyanobacterium, photosynthetic bacteria etc. for the N-exchange between themicrobes and for the production of hydrogen.

Co-culturing of chemoautotrophic bacteria with acidogenic green algae may help in the biosequestration of CO2 especially by using acidic wastewater from mines or industries

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