Commercial in confidence – Imperial College London 2008

Biofuels and biomaterial research in the Porter Alliance

Dr Richard MurphyImperial College London

Commercial in confidence – Imperial College London 2008

Structure

• Introduction to the Porter Alliance • Biomass yield• Biomass ‘quality’• Sustainability and policy• Closing remarks

The alliance

Over 130 scientists, engineers, economists and policy experts.

with colleagues at Southampton University, York University and University of Cambridge

Mission

Devise economically, socially and environmentally sustainable routes to the production of energy and materials from plants with a positive impact on climate change and energy security.

Challenges

•

Increase biomass yields•

Reduce threats to and from biomass

•

Increase processable

biomass •

Create optimised processing

•

Create flexible, modular biorefining•

Create integrated delivery pipelines

The integrated biorefinery

Ragauskas

et al. Science

311

(2006)

Backing ligno-cellulosics

•

80% of biomass is in lignin and cellulose•

Perennial crops have low inputs and can support higher levels of biodiversity

•

If we could get at the sugar locked up in cellulose, the current world motor fuel energy consumption (1020

J/yr) might be

met from 125 M ha (10% of global arable land)

The integrated biorefinery

Chain Efficiency~ (25%)

Useful energy0.25 Wm-2

Scope for 2-foldImprovement

Scope for 3-foldimprovement

Overall: scope for 6-fold improvement!

Photosynthetic Efficiency~ (1 %)

Solar radiation100 Wm-2

Dunnett

and Shah J. Biobased

Mater. Bio.

1 (2007)

Consider the whole process chain

BM 1

BM 2

BM 3

BM 4

BM 5

BM 6

FEP 1

FEP 2

FEP 3

FEP 4

FEP 5

PC 1

PC 2

PC 3

PC 4

SC 1

SC 2

SC 3

SC 4

SC 5

BiomassClasses

Front-endProcesses

PrimaryConversions

SecondaryConversions

LEARNING

Costs will improve with R&D and commercialisation

From: The Royal Society report -

Sustainable biofuels 2008

The essential messages

•

There is a lot of headroom to make truly sustainable lignocellulosic

biofuel

•

You must look at integrated processes to achieve this

•

We need to generate knowledge that will guide us in choosing the best processes

Why the optimism ?

1.

Tractable R&D challenges and opportunities

2.

Significant reductions in GHG emissions are possible

3.

Assuring sustainable land use4.

Many countries/regions can participate

Structure

• Introduction to the Porter Alliance • Biomass yield• Biomass ‘quality’• Sustainability and policy• Closing remarks

Biofuel crops and biomass sources are diverse

Recognized

interestWheat (grain and straw) Willows (SRC)Oil seed Rape Poplars (SRC)Sugar Beet MiscanthusSugar cane Biomass forestrySweet sorghum Cassava Forestry/ processing residuesJatropha

Post-consumer ‘waste’

biomass

Future potentialBamboo Coconut

Algae

‘Novel’

(previously uncultivated) species

Approaches to achieving higher yields

Increase yield•

Growth & architecture

•

Duration of production•

Selection & breeding

•

Novel crops•

Carbon capture

Combat risks & limits•

Marginal land

•

Resources •

Climate change

•

Pests•

Diseases

Development pipeline for biofuel crops

Integrated with sustainability and processing knowledge

Generating more mass – Willow as an example

Angela Karp

Realistic UK target

Accelerating biomass yield in Willow

Fewer thick stems

The more axillary

branching

(max)

mutants in Arabidopsis have altered branching. Corresponding

genes map to yield QTL in willow.

E a taM aa g2 40 .0

M A X 15 .1

M A X 41 8 .9

W 11 472 4 .3W 98 82 4 .4

fE a c tM a ac 1 0 44 3 .4

V I_ 5c5 0 .5

fE a tc M a at_ 20 95 8 .4

MxD

ia03LAR

S

MnH

t03LAR

S

MxD

ia06LAR

S

MnH

t05RR

es

VIc

Many thin stems

Unique well established germplasm

collections

Extensiveperennial grasscollections including800 accessions of Miscanthus

@Rothamsted

and IBERS

1,300 accessions of willow (incl. 100 pure species) at Rothamsted

Research

500 diverse poplars capturing wide natural diversity

Example data on poplar locations/yield

-

TSEC-Biosys

Projectfrom:-

Matt Ayott, Gail TaylorSouthampton University

Yield projections and modelling

Productivity map of Populus trichocarpa

genotype ‘trichobel’,

second rotation

EC FP7 Project

Model plants & systems biology

Arabidopsis

Poplar

Maize

Brachypodium

genomics

proteomics

metabolomics

Genediscovery

Targets for molecular breeding

Targets for QTL

high resolution sampling

Data integrationPrediction tools

Knowledge base

New leads for improving biomass yield

The mutated gene is implicated in response to pathogen infection

The mutated gene encodes a UDP

glycosyl transferase

wT wTknockout

knockout

Thorsten Hamann

Structure

• Introduction to the Porter Alliance • Biomass yield• Biomass ‘quality’

and conversion

• Sustainability and policy• Closing remarks

More quantity is only part of the solution

Increased and sustainable yield

•

Optimise cell wall composition–

Systems biology approach

–

High throughput analytics –

Regulating cell wall phenolics

–

Self-processing plants ?

Increased and sustainable yield +

optimised processability

and…

big does not necessarily mean sweet

An example in Willows

Bowles hybrid releases its glucan much more readily than other

varieties, even though it does not produce the greatest mass

Nick BreretonTotal Glucose Yield (g) / Oven Dry Weight (g)

- enzymatic hydrolysis, no pre-treatment

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

Miscanthus 7 monthold

Tora 2yr old Bowles Hybrid 3yr old

High BiomassYielding Willow

Medium BiomassYielding Willow

with Rothamsted

Research

Willows contd.

Natural variation is large

in saccharification

and ethanol potential yield.

NOTE: No pre-treatment, the ‘inherent’

enzymatic sugar release is being investigated here

Jorr 1

Jorr 9

Bowles Hybrid

0

0

0

0

0

0

0 Ethanol ltr ha-1 without Pretreatment

Willow genotype

Cal

cula

ted

etha

nol y

ield

Miscanthus

giganteus

During its annual growth there are large developmental changes in Miscanthus

.

How do these relate to saccharification

?

Pl

a b

c d

e f

g h

July to December

by Muhammad Umer

Ijaz

PhD student, with Rothamsted

Research

Miscanthus

giganteus

contd.

Saccharification

potential (no pre-treatment) changes substantially over the development cycle

Harvesting time influences ease of enzymatic hydrolysis

Harvesting time is dictated by many constraints

Also:-

• variation with internode

• fluctuation in Starch content

Microbes that release sugar from cell walls –

pre-treatment

with Mike Ray, Porter Institute Research Fellow and David Leak and Pietro

Spanu

We use fungi that depolymerise the wood cell wall

Microbial pre-treatment contd.

from pine sapwood

•

Up to 70% of glucan

becomes available for enzymatic hydrolysis

•

Ferments to ethanol without inhibition

• No harmful waste streams

• Low energy inputs

• Little GHG emission

Experimental issues –

Particle size

05

1015202530354045

Gluc

ose

yiel

d/%

ODW

Effect of particle size on glucose yield

>2000 µM

850-2000 µM

420-850 µM

250-420 µM

180-250 µM

100-180 µM

with Dr Mike Ray, Porter Institute Research Fellow

•

NREL recommends 96-168 hours

•

Most papers promoting high-throughput suggest 24 hours as sufficient

Experimental –

Enzymatic hydrolysis

with Dr Mike Ray, Porter Institute Research Fellow

16 24

7296 144 168

0

5

10

15

20

25

0 50 100 150

Gluc

ose

yiel

d/%

ODW

Time/ hours

Effect of incubation time on sugar yield

Pine

Spruce

Willow O

Experimental –

Enzymatic hydrolysis

with Dr Mike Ray, Porter Institute Research Fellow

Structure

• Introduction to the Porter Alliance • Biomass yield• Biomass ‘quality’• Sustainability and policy• Closing remarks

Positively influencing GHG and soil carbon balances

Not all land use change has to be ‘negative’

Understanding ‘Direct’

& ‘Indirect Effects’–

Read (2007)

–

Searchinger

et al + Fargione

et al (2008)–

Galbraith (2005)

from Dr Jem

Woods, Porter Institute

Land availabilityCountry Population Total Land Arable land Land Considered Suitable

for Crop Growth% Suitable % of

suitable used

(2001-2005) -

no constraints -

-

with constraints -

2005(people) (1000 ha) (1000 ha) (1000 ha) (1000 ha) (%) (%)

Brazil 186,831 853,363 58969 239,573 614,064 28% 25%China 1,312,979 934,949 142265 178,228 756,722 19% 80%India 1,134,403 306,140 159712 139,357 166,783 46% 115%Southern AfricaTanzania 38,478 93,819 9118 35,964 57,855 38% 25%South Africa 47,939 122,300 14753 31,154 91,075 25% 47%Mozambique 20,533 79,854 4270 48,043 31,811 60% 9%Zambia 11,478 74,837 5260 22,304 52,533 30% 24%Angola 16,095 123,776 3200 40,383 83,313 33% 8%UK 60,245 24,418 5728 9,888 14,530 40% 58%South East AsiaIndonesia 226,063 189,220 22600 79,444 109,776 42% 28%Malaysia 25,653 33,300 1800 16,495 16,805 50% 11%Total 3,080,697 2,835,976 427,675 840,833 1,995,267 30% 51%World 6,515,000 12,976,000 3,500,000

from Dr Jem

Woods, Porter Institute

Use of LCA in Porter Alliance Biofuels R&D

ENERGY CROPS

Optimising yield

ENERGY CROPS

Optimising yield

FRONT END PROCESSES

Optimising

accessible carbon

FRONT END PROCESSES

Optimising accessible carbon

PRIMARY CONVERSION

Optimising

conversion to biofuel

PRIMARY CONVERSION

Optimising conversion to

biofuel

Sustainability and life cycle analysis

Sustainability and life cycle analysis

MiscanthusMiscanthus

WillowWillow

SwitchgrassSwitchgrass

PoplarPoplar

Sugar cane bagasseSugar cane bagasse

Forest residues Forest residues

Crop residuesCrop residues

FungiFungi

Dilute acid / alkalineDilute acid / alkaline

Ionic liquidsIonic liquids

Mild thermalMild thermal

ThermochemicalThermochemical

Hydrothermal Hydrothermal

Rumen microbesRumen microbes

Steam Steam

Developmental front end processes

Developmental front end processes

Proprietary microbial ethanologens

Proprietary microbial ethanologens

Direct fermentation of oligosaccharides Direct fermentation of oligosaccharides

Butanologenic

recombinant bacteria

Butanologenic

recombinant bacteria

Long chain alkane

/ alkanol

producing organisms

Long chain alkane

/ alkanol

producing organisms

Developmental microbial ethanologens

Developmental microbial ethanologens

• Complexity of R&Dopportunities and possibilities –

use process

systems engineering and sustainability modelling

•

LCA (+ other tools) to find the most environmentally sustainable routes

Uses of LCA in policy –

UK RTFO

•

The UK Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation (RTFO) provides a mechanism to support the use of sustainable biofuels in the UK market

•

It assesses greenhouse gas emissions and other sustainability-linked criteria in an LCA context

•

The first Quarterly Report on this by the Renewable Fuels Agency was published in October 2008see

http://www.renewablefuelsagency.org/

Feedstock transport

Biofuel production

Cultivation & harvest

Cultivation & harvest

Biofuel transport

Waste materialWaste

material

Alternative waste

management

Boundary for monthly carbon intensity calculationPrevious

land use

Alternative land use

Fossil fuel reference system

Assessed separately

Excludes minor sources, from:

• Manufacture of machinery or equipment

• PFCs, HFCs, SF6

Assessed ex post by RTFO Administrator

Biofuel use

Supply chains and boundaries in the UK RTFO process

E4TECH, 2007

UK RTFO 1st

quarterly report

• Biodiesel dominates

•

Major biodiesel suppliers USA, UK & Germany

• Major bioethanol

suppliers Brazil, UK

Note: data is for obligation year to date based on submitted monthly returns to the RFA. Final audit of this data occurs annually and revisions to the data may occur at any point up to that time. RFA will publish a comprehensive end of year dataset

Data here are for whole blended fuel

UK RTFO 1st

quarterly report

The methodology is indicating differential savings in GHGs

– this is expected on the basis of LCA studies

Note: data is for obligation year to date based on submitted monthly returns to the RFA. Final audit of this data occurs annually and revisions to the data may occur at any point up to that time. RFA will publish a comprehensive end of year dataset

UK RTFO 1st

quarterly report

Note: data is for obligation year to date based on submitted monthly returns to the RFA. Final audit of this data occurs annually and revisions to the data may occur at any point up to that time. RFA will publish a comprehensive end of year dataset

Overall GHG savings were 44% vs

a target of 40%

UK RTFO 1st

quarterly report

Note: data is for obligation year to date based on submitted monthly returns to the RFA. Final audit of this data occurs annually and revisions to the data may occur at any point up to that time. RFA will publish a comprehensive end of year dataset

A ‘qualifying environmental standard’

is an existing certification scheme that meets an acceptable number of the seven RTFO sustainability

principles (fuels from ‘wastes’

automatically comply)

Structure

• Introduction to the Porter Alliance • Biomass yield• Biomass ‘quality’• Sustainability and policy• Closing remarks

We also regard Integration as essential to progress

Systems Biology

Knowledge base

Unique resources

Bio energy crops

Optimised bioenergy crops

Processing evaluation

Sustainability

Platform tools & technologies

Integrated Biofuels Refinery

Integration –

people, interests, skills, challenges

Thank you -

see more of us at

•

www.porteralliance.org.uk