CRIEPI Developed New Technology to Extract Biofuel From Algae
The Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) successfully developed a new method to extract biofuel from algae. The new method eliminates the need for the dewatering process by using liquefied dimethyl ether (DME), which mixes easily with oil. This leads to a reduction in energy consumption for oil extraction by more than 50%. The method is also capable of extracting 60 to 70 times the amount of oil extracted by conventional methods.
CRIEPI performed a demonstration experiment of the method with blue-green algae. DME was poured onto condensed blue-green algae to allow it to bind to oily components for extraction. In the next step, DME was removed from the extracted solution by heating it until it evaporated. Since DME evaporates at around 50 deg C, not much energy is needed for the heating. The demonstration experiment verified that CRIEPI’s method could achieve an oil extraction efficiency of more than 40%. The extracted oil’s calorific value was comparable to that of gasoline, at 10,950 calories per gram.
