The Marie-Curie "CLG-G3BioF" project
The "CLG-G3BioF" project is granted by EU Horizon Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and hosted by the Spainish National Research Council (CSIC) Dr. Francisco Garcia-Labiano from the Instituto de Carboquimica (ICB) of CSIC is the coordinator/supervisor, and Dr. Daofeng Mei is the research fellow. The project's full name is "Development of Chemical Looping Gasification of microalgae for the 3rd-Generation BioFuels production" and CLG-G3BioF is the project's acronym. CLG-G3BioF is a two-year project.
Dr. Francisco Garcia-Labiano
Dr. Daofeng Mei
Microalgae are algae that can be found in fresh water and marine systems, and they are invisible to naked eyes. Microalgae are biomasses, major precursor for the third-generation biofuels synthesis, and have no effect on the food chain. Europe's annual microalgae generation is more than 50 megatons, and part of it is the source of high-value products extraction. Clean utilization of the rest microalgae (and microalgae residue) is essential for the EU’s climate aim. CLG-G3BioF stands on the EU's ambitious goals for climate neutrality and a circular economy, and aims at clean and low-carbon utilization of microalgae residue with a very promising CCS technology, called Chemical Looping Gasification (CLG). The project dedicates to the development of the third-generation biofuels (G3BioF) production through the CLG with microalgae and meanwhile contributing to EU's commitment to achieve climate neutrality in 2050. The figure below describes the state-of-the-art of CLG and the principle for G3BioF generation.
Chemical looping gasification technology with microalgae for the generation of G3BioF
In the Air Reactor (AR), oxygen carrier (MxOy-1) is oxidized to MxOy via the exothermic reaction "MxOy-1+O2-->MxOy (delta H<0)", while heat is generated and is partly taken by the oxygen carrier particles.
The reoxidized oxygen carrier MxOy then carries heat to the Fuel Reator (FR) where the oxygen carrier provides oxygen for fuel gasification through "MxOy+fuel-->MxOy-1+CO+H2", thus syngas (CO+H2) is generated and ready for G3BioF synthesis and downstream treatments.
Oxygen carrier is generally in the form of oxides of transition metals (e.g. Fe, Cu, Mn), and is circulated between AR and FR with the help of pneumatics and gravity.
WorkPackages (WPs) and Objectives
The project has four WPs:
WP1. Oxygen carrier selection
WP2. Proof-of-concept and optimization of microalgae-CLG in a 50 kW pilot
WP3. Process simulation
WP4. Life Cycle Assessment
And will work on four Objectives:
Select suitable oxygen carrier for CLG of microalgae
Optimize and demonstrate the microalgae-CLG performance in the 50 kW pilot
Explore opportunity/challenge of CLG integration with some industrial systems
Life cycle assessment of an entire process chain: carbon footprint, environmental impact, etc
Project's goals
Through the project, the applicant will progress as a scientist and gain skills of LCA, complex pilot operation, tar analysis. Together with the supervisor and the host institution, this project is ambitious for a much greener production of biofuels and the results are important to power a sustainable future.