Understanding the Tools for the Next Green Revolution

Magazine: The Bioenergy International
Publication month: February 2012
Article title: "Understanding the Tools for the Next Green Revolution"
Article author: Markku Björkman
Translation and abstracts edited by: Piercarlo Michelin and Claudia Teslaru (Class 3 ° C)
Institute: Liceo "Tito Lucrezio Caro" - Cittadella

ABSTRACT

At the beginning of this year, the 9th International Biofuels Conference was held in Berlin, where it was the current biofuel development sector and the legal structure in international markets, but the key theme was above all the sustainability of the biofuels. 
In this context, the Italian professor Mario Tredici promoted the use of microalgae as a source of renewable energy.
Through the treatment of algae, grown in photobioreactors or in outdoor ponds, oil is obtained in quantities in excess of 10 to 20 times compared to traditional crops. They are easily cultivable even in non-fertile soils, do not need clean water, thanks to fertilizers they reach a 100% efficiency, have a high growth rate and can be modified by genetic engineering.
However, in the case of photobioreactors their treatment is expensive due to the high energy required and the cultivation in open environments is made difficult by the impossibility of keeping the ecosystem at the required levels.
This is why the promising microalgae technology is still under study and development in order to achieve optimal results.
The prospects for the production of oil and protein from microalgae are to be used in the food and biofuels sectors, becoming part of the renewable energy mosaic and thus making their small part to safeguard the planet.

NINTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIOFUELS
FUELS OF THE FUTURE: UNDERSTAND THE TOOLS FOR THE NEXT GREEN REVOLUTION

The international biofuels sector is facing today a new challenge, which covers virtually all industrial phases, from the cultivation of raw materials to processing and trade. This seems to be evident to all those about 500 international participants who took part in the 9th International Conference on Biofuels, "Fuels of the Future", on 23 and 24 January 2012 in Berlin, Germany. The event was organized by the German Bioenergy Association (BBE) and the Union for the Promotion of Oil and Protein Cultures (UFOP). Bioenergy International will present a more detailed and broader look at these issues and at the conference as a whole in our next issue.

Considering the relevance of the challenges described above, the "Fuels of the Future" was once again an ideal platform for discussing the rules defined by Germany and the expected regulatory structure at European level and in other countries.
Alongside the discussions and presentations regarding the current field of developments and the legal structure in international markets, the key issue at the Berlin conference was the sustainability of biofuels, still quite "mysterious", and new topics like the use of microalgae culture for applications in biofuels.

Huge potential

Mario Tredici, professor at the University of Florence, in Italy, and President of the European Algae and Biomass Association, gave a complete idea about the metric used in the algae industry under the heading "Processes, Projects and Perspectives of Production of Algae ". The cost of production and the low energy demand for each kilogram collected have attracted particular attention.
According to Professor Tredici, understanding algae also means understanding the tools for the next green revolution.
"Today we are witnessing a growing interest in algae culture, mainly towards the improvement and development of technologies for its large-scale cultivation for energy purposes," said Tredici.
He believes that algae have enormous potential. In particular, the cultivation of marine species is very promising and has numerous advantages, for example, does not require fertile soil, clean water, pesticides or herbicides for their production and the ability to combine the production of algae with the treatment of water drain from, for example, the food industry.
"In addition, in our climate, we can produce ten to twenty times more oil than the culture of traditional oil products. In the current context, characterized by serious environmental problems and malnutrition in many parts of the world, a second green revolution is necessary to save humanity from an inexorable decline, which will be supported by the integration of different technologies, among which the culture of microalgae marine can find a place, "he said.

But, there are obstacles

However, it also indicated numerous obstacles and limitations that currently prevent the industrial exploitation of algae for the production of feed, food and biofuels.
"Photobioreactors, closed systems for growing algae, suffer from the high energy costs needed for mixing and cooling, while large-scale crops in outdoor ponds, which have a more favorable net energy ratio, they are unstable ecosystems that are difficult to maintain at the desired levels for long periods, "said Tredici.

Higher oil yields

According to this Italian algae expert, the techniques for nutrient and CO2 supply, for the mixing, recollection and treatment of biomass in an energy-efficient manner are still under study and development.
"Despite these obstacles and although the microalgae are not better than higher plants in terms of photosynthetic yield and productivity, microalgal cultures remain some of the most attractive sources of feed, food and biofuels of new generation, since microalgae can be grown in saline or sea water on non-arable land and can use fertilizers with an efficiency of almost 100% ", explained Tredici.
He referred to the fact that algae are able to achieve oil and protein yields much higher than traditional crops and, being equipped with very fast growth rates, they are easier to improve through genetic and metabolic engineering.

The group of researchers

Professor Tredici coordinates a young group of researchers from the Italian Department of Agricultural Biotechnology in Florence on the development of photobioreactors and on the culture of microalgae for applications in food, feed and biofuels.
He has been a technical advisor to the International Network on CO2 Biofixation and the Destruction of Greenhouse Gas with Microalgae, a consultant of the Institute for Natural Energy of Hawaii and of the International Energy Agency, and a member of the Expert Group of Biodiversity and Environmental 'ESFRI (Strategic Forum for Research Infrastructures).

Cope with penalties?

The strength of this Berlin conference lies in the active participation of all the major companies that are able to update themselves with the latest advances and in particular address the needs of the industry - an industry-wide conference for the sector.
With the "Fuels of the Future" conference, BBE and UFOP offered a fair platform for the international biofuels sector and involved interest groups to exchange views and to transfer information from 2002.
Alongside the debates on current industry developments, the two main issues were the sustainability of biofuels and the legal basis in international markets.

Germany in the lead

Germany has already transformed the last EU directive into a national law. Agricultural commercial enterprises as primary suppliers of biomass and processors.