Muradel designed, built and commissioned a fully integrated marine microalgae demonstration plant in Whyalla, South Australia.
Report extract
For biofuels to be both commercially and environmentally sustainable there are three criteria that must be met. Firstly, the biofuels must be energy positive where the energy produced from combustion of the biofuel must be greater than the energy used to produce the biofuel. Secondly, the use of the biofuel from creation to disposal (life-cycle) must have a smaller carbon footprint than a fossil crude oil derived equivalent fuel. And, thirdly the cost of the biofuel to the consumer must be parity or less than a fossil crude oil derived equivalent fuel. This project addressed the technical and economic challenges of producing renewable biofuels from marine microalgal biomass (Tetraselmis spp) and obtained the technical, economic and environmental data required to elucidate the commercialisation pathway for microalgal biofuels. The major outcome from the project was the development of the Green2Black™ technology platform, which transforms organic feedstocks to oils for biofuels and specialty chemicals.
