You are here: Home > Water Bioremediation > Bio Diesel

Water Bioremediation

Bio Diesel

Biodiesel (also known as green diesel) can be made from the vegetable oil extracted from micro-algae, a single celled plant whose mass is typically about one third oil. In most cases, algal biodiesel is compatible with diesel engines manufactured from 1994 onwards

Algae biodiesel can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as a blend to reduce levels of particulates, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons from diesel-powered vehicles. The most common blends are B5, B20 and B100.

Internationally, biodiesel is increasingly being viewed as a viable addition or alternative to petrodiesel. European production now accounts for more than 80% of global biodiesel consumption since production began in 1992. In the United States and Asia, biodiesel markets are growing rapidly, in particular India and China, where the governments are aiming for a 15% replacement of petrodiesel by 2020.

In Australia, many mining and transport companies are trialing B20 to B100 blends because of their significant greenhouse reduction benefits. Biodiesel blends – usually B5 or B20 – are also available to consumers at service stations across all states.

Tallow, used cooking oil and oilseeds are the main feedstock in Australia, with the CSIRO estimating that converting all used cooking oil, tallow exports and oilseed exports to biodiesel could potentially replace 4–8% of petrodiesel consumption. With these moves, the International Energy Agency predicts that biodiesel has the capacity to displace 1.2% of the world’s diesel by 2013.

However, the biodiesel industry around the world is under pressure from higher priced feedstock. The viability of feedstock like soybeans and traditional food plants is being questioned as most nations do not have sufficient arable land to produce biofuel for the nation's vehicles. Those with smaller economies, lower energy consumption and more arable land may be in better situations, although many regions cannot afford to divert land away from food production.

While non-food crops may be considered, or alternatives sought that don’t require prime land, the economic incentives that feedstock would bring still present a threat to national food production. For this reason, algae is considered to be one of the most promising feedstock because it avoids displacing otherwise useful land and water, instead growing in waste water.

Algae has one of the highest production levels, with yields of 100,000 litres of oil per hectare possible, compared to just 5,000 litres per hectare produced by palm oil - the next best crop. MBD’s Algal Synthesis technology recycles the carbon emissions created by burning coal and oil, and synthesises them into algal biomass ideally suited to the manufacture of biofuels including biocrude and biogasoline.

---

Algal Sequestration Algal Sequestration utilises abundant sunlight, captured flue gases, and waste water to grow valuable algal biomass on a large scale and on a continuous and fully enclosed and controlled basis. Read more ∇		‘BAGS’ System MBD has developed its own method of culturing photosynthetic organisms for large scale production. The ‘BAGS’ system is a unique solution to to large scale algae cultivation and harvest. Read more ∇
Strain selection Identification and management of the optimum algae strain for top performance in any given emitter location is vital to optimising yields and production earnings. MBD's research team has developed solutions to strain selection Read more ∇		Oil Extraction MBD has an exclusive Australasian agreement with US company OriginOil Inc which has developed cost-effective high speed extration that reduces harvesting to a single step. Read more ∇