Cellulosic Ethanol: Beyond Corn and Sugarcane
Michael R. Ladisch and Eduardo Ximenes
Laboratory of Renewable Resources EngineeringAgricultural and Biological Engineering
Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, IN 47907
http://engineering.purdue.edu/LORREand
Mascoma CorporationLebanon, NH
www.mascoma.com
BECA, Medellin, ColombiaAugust 5, 2011
Acknowledgements
Colombia-Purdue Institute for Advanced ScientificResearch ( https://engineering.purdue.edu/CPIASR )
Center for Research and Innovation in Energy(C11EN) – Sergio Montoya, CEO
Bolivar Group, S.A.S. – William Bolivar, CEO
Purdue University Global Policy Research Institute (GPRI)Colleges of Agriculture and Engineering
Kimberly Clark CorporationMascoma CorporationUS Department of Energy GO18103
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World Energy Use: World Energy Use: 13% is Renewable
International Energy Agency (IEA) 2008.
Coal
(Sergio Montoya, Jose Roberto Moreira, Michel Dwyer, BECA, 2011)
Brazilian vs World Energy MatrixBrazilian vs World Energy Matrix
Source: MINISTÉRIO DE MINAS E ENERGIA - Brasil, 2008
RenewableRenewable
Non RenewableNon Renewable
Brazil
World
Colombian AgricultureCurrent and Future
Current: coffee, cut flowers, bananas, rice, tobacco, corn, sugarcane, cocoa beans, oilseed, vegetables
Future: Biodiesel from palm. Oil from algal biotechnology (Lucia Atehortua, U. Antioquia )Ethanol from sugar cane, 300,000 gal / day, 8%
mandateEthanol from cellulose (sugar cane bagasse)
(Sergio Montoya, William Bolivar, Fitzroy Beckford, Phillipe Conil BECA, 2011)
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Current Experience from US and Brazil(Michael Dwyer, Jose Roberto Moriera, BECA, 2011)
Corn: Approaching 15 Billion Gals / YrLimited by madated use (10 or 15%) and economicsCorn fiber, stalks, leaves (cellulose)
= more ethanolSugar cane
Approaching 7 billion Gal / YrBagasse, stalks, leaves (cellulose)
= more ethanol
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Technology / Cost Determines Timing of Cellulose Feedstock
VacuumCrystallize
Centrifuge
Multi-StageEvaporationClarifyMill
Raw Sugar
Syrup~65oBrix
Juice10-15oBrix
Water
Sugarcane
Bagasse - Cellulose
Sugar Manufacture at a Sugarcane FactorySugar Manufacture at a Sugarcane FactoryFrom Eggleston, USDA ARS, 2008
Molasses
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Energetic Potential of SugarcaneSugar vs Cellulose
http://bioenfapesp.org
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appmx $80. Sugar cane = $100. Oil
2/3 of energy is in cellulose fraction
Red Ocean / Blue Ocean
Red Ocean : is where every industry is today: there is a defined market, defined competitors, and a typical way to run a business in any industry.
Blue Ocean: On the other hand, is where everyone would like to be. It is where you create uncontested markets and capture new demand, is where you break the value-cost trade-off and is where you make the competition irrelevant.
Chan Kim & Renee Mauborgne, Blue Ocean Strategy, 2005
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Agricultural Markets in the AmericasWhat can be done?
GrainSugar
Vegetable Oils
Cellulosic Biomass
Food(People)
Feed(Animals)
LiquidFuels Chemicals
EthanolBiofuel
OrganicMolecules
AcidsAldehydes
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Blue Ocean Strategy ThinkingRed Ocean
Components of plant cell walls 2/3 is made from sugars
AshExtractives
Lignin
Cellulose
Hemicellulose(need special yeast to convert to ethanol)
AshExtractives
Lignin
Cellulose
Chapple, 2006; Ladisch, 1979
Fermentable glucose sugar obtained from cellulose in 1819 (Sergio Montoye, Beca, 2011)
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David Dayton, NREL, IEA, 2007
Production: Biochemical vs. Chemical Conversion
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Blue Ocean Strategy Thinking
Max Ethanol Yields from selected FeedstocksHardwoods
PoplarRed
MapleCorn
Stover Switchgrass
Cellulose 43.8 41.0 34.6 33.2
Xylan 14.9 15.0 18.3 21.0
Arabinan, Mannan, Galactan 5.6 0.0 2.5 3.2
Acetyl 3.6 4.7 na 2.5
Extractives 3.6 3.0 10.8 10.2
Protein na na na 5.7
Lignin 29.1 29.1 17.7 17.9
Ash 1.1 1.0 10.2 3.7
Total % 101.7 93.8 94.1 97.4
Ethanol Theoretical Yields assuming 100% hydrolysis, 100% fermentation
Est max gal / dry ton biomass 124 108 107 111Kim et al, 2008
Old biochemical conversion technology:Conversion of Cellulose to Ethanol requires many steps
6 Combustion orGasification
54321
CO2
Co-products
Pretreatment Hydrolysis FermentationFeedstockPreparation
Feedstock
Catalysts
Enzymes
Microbes(Yeast, Bacteria)
Separations
Fuel
ResidueEnergy
Acid Hydrolysis of Cellulose
C
C*
Gn GDegradation Products
k1
k2
k3k4
K
k2, k3, >> k1 k4, k3 same magnitude
Degradation products include organic acids that catalyze further hydrolysis and degradation
High temperatures (140 to 200 C), Short times (5 to 50 min)
PretreatmentAvoids Side-reactions during Cellulose Pretreatment
C
C*
Gn GDegradation Products
k1
k2
k3k4
K
k2, k3, >> k1 k4, k3 same magnitude
G = glucose sugar
17
Amorphous Region
CelluloseLignin
Hemicellulose
Pretreatment
Pretreatment gives enzyme accessible substrate
Crystalline Region
Mosier et al, 2005
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Teeri 1997
Ref: Himmel, M. et al NREL (2000)
Cellulase from Trichoderma ressei: Multiple synergistic components
Endoglucanase CBHHuang et al, 2008
Fermentation Scale-up: Making Mash from Cellulosic Material
Untreated, 150 g / L
Pretreated and Processed, Pre-fermentation
Enhances ability to mix / ferment slurries
Pretreatment
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Blue Ocean Canvas
Enzyme Hydrolysis
Overcoming the recalcitrance of cellulosic biomass
• Most costly• Greatest potential for R&D-driven cost reduction• Advances necessary & sufficient to create cellulosic biofuels industry, generically enablingfor all fuel molecules
• Ultimate advances in fuel production from soluble sugars or other intermediates will not enable a cellulosic biofuels industry
Improved fuels, fuel production
Cellulosicbiomass
Reactive Intermediates:e.g. Sugars, Syn gas
Fuels
• Advances usually fuel-specific
We Would Have a Cellulosic Biofuels Industry Today…If it Were not for the Recalcitrance of Cellulosic Biomass
Lynd et al, 2005
Cost of catalyst roughly doubles feedstock cost unacceptable for a commodity product
0.00
0.10
1.00
10.00
Est
imat
ed C
ellu
lase
Cos
t($
/gal
EtO
H)
1990 1995 2000 2005
The Cost of Cellulase Enzyme (50% of total): Largest Component of Recalcitrance Barrier
e) $0.10 to $0.20 a) $0.03
d) $5.00
c) $0.45
b) $0.50
f) $0.5 to $1.00
g) $1.00 to $1.50
a) Hinman et al. 1991. Appl. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 34/35:639-657. b) Hettenhaus & Glassner, 1997 (http://www.ceassist.com/assessment.htm). c) NREL, 1998. Bioethanol from the corn industry. DOE/GO-1009-577. d) Schell, 2004. ASM National Meeting; McMillan, 2004. DOE/NASULGS Biomass & Solar Energy Workshops.e) Genencor & Novozyme, 2004. Press releases (e.g. http://www.genencor.com/wt/groc/pr 109831360). f) Petiot, Novozymes, Platts Cellulosic Ethanol & Second Generation Biofuels, 2007. g) Sheridan (Novozymes) Nature Biotech, 2008
Lynd, Wyman, et al
Yeast Platform
Established ethanol producer
Cellulase expression engineering into yeast
Organism developed initiated with a xylose-utilizing recombinant strain
Hydrolyzes and ferments cellulose to ethanol at the same time (Consolidated Bioprocessing or CBP)
DNA mRNA Protein
Information
Possibilities
Polymer of Amino Acids
Fact
Assembly Point Disbands
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Gene
Enzyme
Blue Ocean = Game - changers, New Frontiers
Biology In Action
DNA
Replication
RNA Proteins
Amino Acids
Transcription
Translation
Roat-Malone, 2002
Yeast = Self Replicating catalysts
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Challenges and Opportunities
1. Implementing large scale systems2. “De-risking” integrated technologies3. Establishing test-beds4. Reducing capital and operational costs5. Maintaining investment environment6. 10 year consistent policy (long term)
sustained commitment policy investment research
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Sergio Montoya, BECA, 2011
Entrepreneurial EngineeringPre-requisites
Recognition of opportunity Technology ready when opportunity presents itself“Angel” Investors with business experienceDepartment, College, University Level
Encouragement and SupportNetworking with others who have done it
(entrepreneurial / business support system)Local attorney(s) with business experience
Plan A: with goals, timelines, exit strategyPlan B: (in case Plan A does not work out)
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From a professor’s perspectivePre-requisites
Recognition of opportunity Technology ready when opportunity presents itself“Angel” Investors with business experienceDepartment, College, University Level
Encouragement and SupportNetworking with others who have done it
(entrepreneurial / business support system)Local attorney(s) with business experience
Plan A: with goals, timelines, exit strategyPlan B: (in case Plan A does not work out)
Educational Opportunity
Why not develop a case study approach?
Goal Translate laboratory discovery to societal use
Classify by type of new technology and capital intensity a. New industry (advanced biofuels) b. Established industry (automobiles, computers) c. Biopharmaceutical d. Biomedical e. Instrumentation f. Software
Purdue UniversityLand–grant institution, founded 1869, W. Lafayette, IN
74,000 students (40,000 in W. Lafayette campus )6,100 international students2,600 faculty, 4 campuses, 10 technology sites416,820 alumni
Discovery ParkNo. 1 Industrial Research Park in the US US News & World Report Doctoral Program Rankings:
1. Agricultural & Biological EngineeringAnalytical Chemistry
4. Civil Engineering, 6. Aerospace & Aeronautical Eng. 9. Mechanical Engineering,
10. Industrial Engineering, 11. Electrical Engineering
Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering (LORRE)
• Established in 1978
• Applied and fundamental research in– Biotechnology– Bio-nanotechnology, – Bioproducts from agriculture and renewable resources, – Biorecovery.
• Interdisciplinary research approach across biology, biochemistry, agronomy, food science, engineering, agriculture
• Colombian-Purdue Institute for Advanced Research
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Muchas GraciasJuan Ernesto De Bedout, Juan Guillermo Ochoa,
Ramiro Garces, KCC
Michael R. Ladisch+
Laboratory of Renewable Resources EngineeringAgricultural and Biological Engineering
Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering
Colombia-Purdue Institute for Advanced Scientific Research https://engineering.purdue.edu/CPIASR
Purdue University
[email protected]@mascoma.com
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+ CTO, Mascoma