Feature: Beyond the hype of algal biofuels

The promise of biofuels from algae is undoubtedly compelling: replacing carbon dioxide-belching fossil fuels with a clean and (literally) green alternative that will even eat some extra carbon as it grows. The picture is enticing, the hype is almost unbelievable, but so far that is all we have: hype.

At the BioProcessing Network Conference in Adelaide in October, David Lewis, a no-nonsense chemical engineer and relative newcomer on the algal biofuels scene, cut through the hype and clarified the reality of the promises, and left the audience with more than a little hope about the future.

Also read about Associate Professor Ben Hankamer's research on biofuel production from microalgae at the University of Queensland.

David Lewis was introduced to algae during his PhD, which he spent working out ways to control the unwanted blue-green algae in drinking-supply reservoirs. He subsequently took up an academic position in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Adelaide and stayed with algae as the basis for his research program.

However, being a good chemical engineer, his thinking shifted to converting this raw material into real products and culminated in Lewis setting up the Microalgal Engineering Research Group within the School in 2003.

The group’s first project involved turning algae into feedstock for aquaculture, which is an important and growing industry in Australia, particularly so in South Australia, with the established oyster and burgeoning tuna farming industry.

“One of the bottlenecks in aquaculture is the production of live feed,” says Lewis. “So we were looking for different ways to optimise the growth of algae for this purpose.” In undertaking that project, Lewis learnt lots about the composition of algae, including one interesting thing he didn’t previously realise: these tiny plants are chock-a block full of oil.

By 2007 Lewis had built up quite an expertise in algal chemistry and was invited to attend a workshop in the U.S. on the future of algal biofuels, which was just taking off at that time as a tangible idea.

“At the workshop, we were put in working teams with other scientists from all over the world, and the one I was in decided that yes, we would all go ahead with this because despite being high risk, it was topical, and it was the right time.”

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