Camino de perfección (1902) de Pío Baroja

FUAS institution: HAMK/LUAS

Contact person/ project coordinator: • Maritta Kymäläinen (HAMK)

• Silja Kostia (LUAS)/Mona Arnold (VTT)

Started: 1.3.2010

Ended: 31.12.2012

Financier: TEKES

Total budget of the entire project, including all partners

(in Euros):

ca. 940,000€

The budget of the entire project in your UAS (in Euros):

120,000€ Number of students’ RDI-credits: 45 List of the project personnel in your UAS:

• Maritta Kymäläinen (proj.manager) • Laura Kannisto (proj.engineer) • Heli Hiltunen (project and thesis

worker)

• Tuomo Viitaja (thesis worker) • Miriam Meyer (exchange student from

LIST oF PRoJECT PARTnERS RESE- ARCH InSTITU- TIon EDUCATI- on InSTI- TUTIon PUbLIC SECToR CoMPAny non- PRoFIT oRgAnI- SATIon oTHER 1 VTT, Technical Research Centre of Finland (Mona Arnold) x

2 UH, University of Helsinki

(Martin Romantschuk) x

3 SYKE, Finnish Environment Institute

(Kristian Spilling)

x 4 LUAS, Lahti University of Applied Sciences (Silja Kostia) x 5 HAMK University of Applied Sciences (Maritta Kymäläinen) x 6 University of Waterloo (Bill Andersson) x 7 Kemira Oyj x 8 Envor Biotech Oy x 9 Ekokem Oy x 10 LHJ Group Oy x 11 Gasum Oy x 12 Kujalan Komposti Oy x 13 PHJ, Päijät-Hämeen Jätehuolto Oy x 14 Clewer Oy x

15 Neste Oil Oyj x

16 Wärtsilä Finland Oy x

17 Sybimar Oy x

Purpose

The main goal was to design and validate a new integrated concept of bio- waste-to-energy utilisation based on algae, biodiesel and biogas production. The aim was to develop a process requiring minimal external energy involv- ing efficient utilisation of all side streams generated in addition to the main fuel streams, i.e. biodiesel and methane.

First, the aim was to identify the most potential waste streams for algae culti- vation, and, also, to evaluate their role in anaerobic digestion (i.e. biogas pro- duction) as co-substrate with algal reject. After identification the growth of the selected algae species had to be determined in the waste streams in order to confirm the suitability of the waste streams for algae cultivation. The fo- cus was on the detailed productivity analysis including quantitative produc- tion rates (biomass and lipid/triacylglycerol), yields, carbon and oxygen bal- ances in specific conditions, to provide algae production data e.g. for the mod- elling of new integrated concepts. Besides the data from algae cultivation, the biomethane production potential of the algae and its rejects had to be deter- mined. The data was used for the material and energy balances established for the selected process concepts as input-output models. Furthermore, tech- no-economic performance and greenhouse gas emissions of several different integrated algae to biofuel process concepts were evaluated.

Project design, methodology and approach

The project was executed at five different research institutes and universities. The algae cultivation was studied experimentally at laboratory and pilot scale at VTT, UH and SYKE. HAMK was responsible for the biogas production studies (on laboratory scale) and LUAS for the selection of waste streams based on their composition (analytical and theoretical work). Based on the data obtained in the experimental studies, modelling and techno-economic evaluation of dif- ferent process concepts were performed at VTT.

Findings

The results suggest that continuous, nitrogen limited, mixotrophic algal culti- vation could be a promising strategy to produce lipid for biofuel feedstock. Al- though caution is needed in extrapolating lab scale results to large scale, these experiments were essential for scaling up, process techno-economic model- ling and life cycle analysis.

It was seen that in general industrial waste waters require pre-treatment be- fore using them for algae cultivation. Also, composting waste water needs to

Light intensity studies proved that in Southern Finland there is sufficient amount of light for algae growth from February to October. For winter time, dark fermentation can be implemented using waste carbohydrates as the car- bon source for the algae.

Residual algal biomass after lipid extraction act as a good biogas feed, whereas – due to a strong and sturdy cell wall structure – pre-treatment can be recom- mended to increase the biodegradability and methane production rate when digesting native algal biomass. Addition of Kemira’s BDP-chemical stabilized the AD process which was beneficial at high organic loadings. Algal biomass is a suitable co-substrate in AD plants but requires careful control of the am- monia concentration.

Under the used process and economic assumptions, the considered cases are unprofitable, mainly due to high electricity consumption by cultivation and harvesting, and capital investment costs. The GHG emission estimates of all considered concepts also clearly exceed the target values set in Biofuel target 2018 – EU directive.

Research limitations/implications

Algae are very diverse biomass and prospected to play an important role in to- morrow’s bioeconomy. The multifaceted project showed its potential for inte- gration with waste and waste water management. However it also confirmed that for the realization of profitable not subsidised production systems, the costs of cultivation must be reduced. Technology development is still need- ed in this sector. In addition, besides oil for biofuel, other useful substanc- es such as proteins must also be extracted from the algae and these fractions need to be commercialized.

originality/value

The research on algae cultivation for biofuel production based on waste streams is a novel approach for waste utilization and nutrient recycling. As the results showed, the overall concepts cannot yet be seen as profitable but the situation may change drastically already in the near future, as technolo- gy is developed and the value of the products will increase. For the compa- nies involved, the results obtained give the first indication which is the most critical points of these concepts in Finnish conditions.

Presentations at Scientific Conferences and Publications, by 1.4.2013

Tikka, M., Kymäläinen, M., Hytönen, E., Arnold, M. ja Kostia, S., Levät ja- lostavat jätevirroista energiaa, Kemia-Kemi 6/2012, p. 28-29.

Kymäläinen, M., Advanced biogas production from various sources. Abstract and oral presentation for International Workshop on Biofuel, 5th _Novem-

ber 2012, Manav Rachna International University (MRIU), Faridabad, India. Silja Kostia, Marika Tikka, Kalle Valkonen, Antti Kautto, Pekka Järvelin and Martin Romantschuk, Testing waste streams for algae cultivation. Ab- stract and oral presentation for International Workshop on Biofuel, 5th No- vember 2012, Manav Rachna International University (MRIU), Faridabad, In- dia.

Abstract submitted for NORDIWA 2013 – 13th _{Nordic Wastewater Conference:}

Mona Arnold, Kristian Spilling, Maritta Kymäläinen, Yanming Wang, Anne Ojala and Marika Tikka, Algae for Wastewater.

Students’ theses

(available at www. theseus.fi)

Hiltunen Heli, 2011. Biogasification Potential of Some Algae Species. Bach- elor Thesis. HAMK University of Applied Sciences. http://urn.fi/URN:N- BN:fi:amk-2011120917801

Järvelin Pekka, 2011. Microalgae – Energy Production and Wastewa- ter Purification: Three Scenarios for Microalgae Cultivation in the Kujala Waste Management Center. Bachelor Thesis. LUAS. http://urn.fi/URN:N- BN:fi:amk-2011120817701

Viitaja Tuomo, 2012. Mikrolevien metaanituoton tehostaminen (in Finnish). Bachelor Thesis. HAMK University of Applied Sciences. http://urn.fi/URN:N- BN:fi:amk-2012122020237

ConnECT Co-creation of network modes