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The green answer to world fuel needs?
19 January 2009
A world leading expert in renewable biofuel technologies is heading to Adelaide with the latest news on a fuel production technology that could trigger a global revolution in biofuel production, providing a critical alternative to fossil fuels and help address greenhouse gas emissions.
South Australia is a strong contender in this research to advance the development of microalgae for biofuel production. Dr John Benemann, who has worked in the area of microalgae biofuels in the United States for over 30 years, has been appointed as a specialist advisor to the Future Fuels Consortium™ comprising the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), Flinders University, CSIRO and major project sponsor SANCON.
Dr Benemann will present a public seminar on Wednesday, 21st January at 3 p.m. at the SARDI Aquatic Sciences Centre Lecture Theatre, 2 Hamra Ave, West Beach. Dr Benemann will be introduced by Dr Ian Chessell, Chief Scientist for South Australia. The seminar is being hosted by the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology and the Future Fuels Consortium™.
“Microalgae biofuels could become a significant alternative to fossil fuels, but we still must make a major effort to advance the technology to make algae biofuels technically practical and economically feasible,” said Dr Benemann. “Such renewable energy sources must be developed to allow for the long-term sustainability of our economies, ecosystems and societies - and the research in South Australia is making exciting progress.”
Dr Benemann, who participated in the US Department of Energy’s Aquatic Species Program and prepared the final report on this activity, has served on the Carbon Sequestration Project Peer Review Committee (U.S. Dept. of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory) also managed the International Network on Biofixation of CO2 and Greenhouse Gas Abatement with Microalgae operating under the International Energy Agency Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme. He is a director of the recently formed Algal Biomass Organization, an international industry association.
Dr Benemann will discuss South Australia’s potential to produce algal biodiesel feedstock and the challenges still faced by researchers in developing a sufficiently low-cost technology to produce microalgae biofuel economically, including stable cultivation at high productivity and harvesting.
By off-setting production costs with high value co-products such as nutraceuticals, and co-processes such as waste water treatment, the vision of algal biofuels could be realised in the nearer term, he said.
As an example of the potential of microalgae for biodiesel production, it has been estimated that only 0.4 million hectares of land using seawater is required to replace Australia’s current biodiesel needs, compared to 20 million hectares of canola growing on agricultural land and using freshwater resources.
Further information: Dr Sasi Nayar, leader Algal Production Group, SARDI, 8207 5321 or nayar.sasi@saugov.sa.gov.au or SARDI Communications 8303 9433. Additional information can be viewed under SARDI's Aquaculture section of the website.
