CHAPTER 3

CASE STUDY

1.1

Introduction

The interest for biodiesel production from algae is growing globally because of
its higher yield non-edible oil production and its fast growth that does not compete for
land with food production. Among the renewable sources, Iran has high biofuel energy
potential. The Iranian government is considerable attention to the utilization of
renewable energy, especially biofuels. Algae cultivation in Iran is promising and can be
done as the country has enough land that does not compete with food production. The
country is serious to make it happens by making a multinational research team focused
on various aspects of biofuel research initiated extensive research on algal genetic
engineering for enhanced biodiesel production. Another leading country that shows
interest in cultivating algae for production of biofuel is Israel. In June 2008, Tel Avivbased Seambiotic and Seattle-based Inventure Chemical announced a joint venture to
use carbon dioxide emissions to fed algae to make ethanol, biodiesel and other valueadded chemicals at a biofuel plant in Ashkelon, Israel. Seambiotic has been extremely
successful in its algae-based carbon dioxide sequestering project with Israeli Electric
Corporation, which proves the viability of their model.

1.2

Iran [1]

Iran started investigating on producing algae from 2000. There are scientific
evidences shows that the south Iran is the richest area in the world for cultivating
algae, because of high humidity, sunny weather, large unused area and with salty
water. This potential has lead Iran in working on projects to find new energy from
biofuels. Iranian algae biofuel project is being carried out intensively by scientist at
Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran and Shiraz University who succeeded in
producing green fuel from the algae. Iran have numerous land where seems to have
potential in cultivating algae such as the Maharlu salt lake, Urmias salt lake, Zagros
Mountains, Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea.

Maharlus salt lake

Urnia lake
Figure 3.1: Maharlu salt lake in Fars and Urmia salt lake in West Azarbaijan
province of Iran has given rise algae for biofuel (G. Najafi et al., 2011).

Zagrous Mountain

Algae in the Persian Gulf and

Caspian Sea.

Algae from Qom Lake.

Figure 3.2: Other sources of algae in Iran (G. Najafi et al., 2011)

Salt lakes in Iran have given rise to a new species of algae for biofuel.
Maharlu Lake located 18km east of Shiraz at Fars province of Iran (Fig. 3.1), has
salt-water from which salt is obtained. The lake is exploited as a mine of different
chemicals, mainly by Shiraz Petrochemical Company. Shiraz University succeeded
in producing green fuel from the algae in the lake. Urnia is the largest salt lake in
Iran (Figure 3.1) with approximate area of 60,000 km. The salt rate of this lake is
very high (3/5 of the Dead Sea) and has got 23% minerals. The high salt contain
result in no fish or animal could live there. This lake has turned red as the result of
an environmental phenomenon known as the red tide. The red tide known as algae
bloom. Researchers in Iran especially in Tarbiat Modares University and Tehran
University are trying to convert these algae to biofuels.

Greenish blooms of algae can be seen clearly in the Persian Gulf as well
(Figure 3.2). Two red algae, Gracilaria salicornia and Hypnea flagelliformis, has
been collected from Persian Gulf for producing of biodiesel by Iranian scientists.
Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) and diatoms were found to be the greatest biomass
concentration, and there are several species of red and brown algae in Caspian Sea.
The Caspian Sea is home to 87 species of microphytes and many species of green
algae. Qom Lake is salty lake as well and have a big potential to cultivate algae in
the area as well.

1.2.1

Future Prospects in Iran

Iran has biggest prospects for production of biofuel from algae. Research for
the production of biofuels from microalgae is in the beginning stages and there is a
substantial need for more research to study other economic issue related to biofuels
in Iran. Figure 3.3 shows the production of biodiesel from microalgae in Iran in
future.

Figure 3.3: Production of biodiesel from microalgae (G. Najafi et al., 2011)

Figure 3.4: A potential production of biofuel from algae in Iran in Future (G. Najafi
et al., 2011)

1.3

Israel [2]

The National Aviation and Space Administration (NASA) in the United States
want to develop a commercially feasible biofuel variety from algae that has a higher
freezing point than other plant-based biofuels from corn or sugarcane. To achieve
the goals, Nasa has been working together with Seambiotic, an Israeli clean-tech
company enlisting algae in the business of carbon capture to produce biofuels from
algae. Seambiotic, headed by Noam Menczel and based in Tel Aviv, takes a novel
approach to using algae for fuel. The 15-person company has a patented approach
that connects a power plant flue to a series of algae-munching ponds

Figure 3.5: Open-pond test facility at Ashkelon (Seambiotic) (Bruton et al., 2009)

Research and development pilot studies have been carried out at the Israeli
Electric Corporation's power station located on the Mediterranean shore near the city
of Ashkelon. Open-pond facilities were built and use flue gas from the power-plant
stack and to have sea water without charges. Using abundant flue gas instead of
purchasing carbon dioxide has pushed productivity up by 30%. It is challenging to
maintain original inoculation species, the whole culture sometimes changes to a
diatom species. Low-cost self-flocculation technique is used for harvesting algae.
Samples is then being converted to biodiesel and showed 12% weight yield of
biodiesel from microalgal biomass. Seambiotic are of the opinion that production
costs could be reached as low as $0.34/kg.

[1] Algae as a sustainable energy source for biofuel

production in Iran: A case study

[2] A Review of the Potential of Marine Algae
as a Source of Biofuel in Ireland