Techno-economic Assessment of Algae Biomass Cultivation and Conversion | AIChE

Techno-economic Assessment of Algae Biomass Cultivation and Conversion

Tuesday, December 13, 2022,
6:00pm to 7:30pm
MST
Virtual / Online

TOPIC:  Techno-economic Assessment of Algae Biomass Cultivation and Conversion

SPEAKER:  Bruno Klein, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

DATE: Tuesday, December 13th, 2022

TIME: 6:00 pm  - Introduction

              6:05 pm - Career Discussion

              6:15 pm - Technical Presentation

              7:15 pm - Q & A

COST: Free, Registration Required

LOCATION: On-line Zoom Meeting

ABSTRACT:  The use of microalgae for the production of biofuels and bioproducts is highly desirable in a circular economy as a potential source of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins in the quest to decarbonize the fuels and chemical industries. While other biobased feedstocks are already converted into a large suite of products in biorefinery concepts, this still remains to be true for microalgae biomass. To help understanding the effect that multiple criteria would have on future algae-based biorefineries, it is imperative that researchers in the field be able to determine where to best focus efforts for increased chances of economic viability. In this context, this presentation will provide an overview of current efforts tied to microalgae biomass cultivation and conversion from a techno-economic assessment (TEA) standpoint. Focus will be given on recent developments concerning algae cultivation trials; on harnessing several low-cost algae resources ("waste" biomass) to produce renewable fuels and chemicals; and on showing the effect of biomass compositional profile on different algae biorefining setups.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY: Bruno Klein is a research engineer in the Economic Sustainability & Market Analysis group of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Prior to joining NREL in 2019, Bruno worked for six years at a Brazilian national laboratory with the assessment of biomass conversion through various technologies. His research interests include conceptual process design, process integration, and simulation; sustainability assessment; biochemical conversion process pathways; and algal biomass production and conversion.