Biodiesel extracted from sea algae set to propel vehicles

Mar 30, 2012

Rajkot: Extract of the slimy green algae found in abundance across India's 7,517 km coastline is all set to fuel vehicles.

On Friday, the country will witness the first test run of vehicle running on B100 marine microalgal biodiesel in New Delhi. The 200 km test run will be flagged off by Union minister for earth sciences Vilasrao Deshmukh in the presence of scientists belonging to a consortium of nine laboratories led by Bhavnagar-based Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI).

Unlike other biodiesels, which are a mixture of conventional diesel, the B100 biodiesel is 100 per cent extract from the microalgae. Last year, scientists achieved an important milestone in cleaner fuels when a regular diesel vehicle (TAVERA) running on B20 biodiesel prepared from marine microalgae was successfully test-driven.

At present, the cost of the microalgal biodiesel comes out to be Rs 175 per litre. However, scientists are optimistic that the prices could come down to as much as Rs 75 per litre if more advanced extraction technologies are used and more algae are discovered. "Our next step would be to develop more advanced technology for extraction of fuels of microalgae," a top official of CSIR in New Delhi told TOI.

"This would be the first such experiment in the country to run a vehicle on pure marine microalgae biodiesel. This biodiesel, once commercialized and made cheaper, is sure to be the answer to the costly petroleum fuel," the official said, requesting anonymity.

This B100 biodiesel was successfully developed by scientists in a salt farm in Bhavnagar. It was developed under an ambitious project 'New Millennium India Technology Leadership Initiative' (NMITLI) to bring out a viable and scalable process of biofuel from microalgae, initiated in April 2010 by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the ministry of earth sciences (MoES).

At present, there is large-scale production of first generation biofuels (bioethanol) from food crops such as, sugarcane, sugar beet, corn, sorghum and wheat, utilizing vast area of fertile cultivable farmland and large quantity of potable water which competes with food production. It has also triggered "food versus fuel" controversy. The second-generation biofuels derived from non-food sources such as jatropha, karanja and microalgae are better options for addressing the energy security and environmental concerns. Among the second generation biofuels, micro-algal biofuels appear to be most promising alternative.

CSMCRI to set up TFC RO membrane mfg plant

BHAVNAGAR: Safe and clean water would be much cheaper now as Bhavnagar's Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSMCRI) is going to set up a plant in Bhavnagar.

The 2,000 sqm/day thin film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membrane and spiral modules manufacturing plant will come up in Chitra Industrial Estate here in Bhavnagar.

New Delhi-based Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) sanctioned the project to CSMCRI, which is one of the constituent laboratories of CSIR.

According to Dr P K Ghosh, director, CSMCRI, "Rs 24 crore will be spent for the project. It will be first of its kind in the country.''

"The desalination plants that are installed in the country so far are based on imported RO membrane. But CSMCRI has developed a world-class technology for desalination of brackish and sea water for producing clean water with the help of thin film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membrane manufacturing technology in the country. The membranes made from this facility will be utilized for CSIR-800 programme, societal mission activities and other government-funded projects for meeting the drinking water demand. The facility can showcase the indigenous membrane technology and will facilitate transfer of the technology to prospective entrepreneurs for large-scale production. Commercialization of the indigenously developed TFC RO membrane technology will have a great impact in meeting the demand of water in the country in future for both human consumption as well as for industry,'' Ghosh added.

He said that they expect utilization of the indigenously made membranes to reduce overall production cost and have high socio-economic relevance in terms of environmental safety, water treatment and reclamation and other industrial applications.

"The technology that we have developed will not only desalinate sea water but also all others impurities in the water making it safer and cleaner for drinking. Moreover, in a country, where the population is on a rise everyday and which depends on rain water, we need to have this kind of technology to solve our drinking water problems which are going to be serious in the coming years. Based on indigenous membrane technology, CSIR-CSMCRI has set up about 80 RO desalination plants in the country as well as overseas," Ghosh added.

According to A V R Reddy, principal scientist, (reverse osmosis membrane), CSMCRI, TFC membrane preparation is a complex process that requires sound understanding of the influence of different process variables on performance and a high degree of precision-based technology. There are only a few companies in the US and Japan which have so far been able to master this type of technology for desalination''.