Green Economy Based on Algae

Dr. Patrick Kangas, associate professor at the University of Maryland, brought innovative economic and environmental ideas to the table Tuesday with his lecture and discussion “Challenges of Growing an Economy Based on Algae.” In it, he strategized with UA professors and students for improvements to the system.

Kangas teaches Tropical River Ecology and Sustainable Development in the Environmental Science and Technology Department. His research includes harvesting a wild species of algae using algal turf scrubbers as a water purification system and creation of biofuels. His work at the University of Maryland research department is in collaboration with three other colleges, including the UA College of Engineering.

“What we do is grow (attached) algae on screens,” he said. “The advantage to attached algae is that it’s easy to harvest…for use.”

Kangas is interested in developing algae to purify water.

Eutrophication is the process of a body of water acquiring a high concentration of nutrients which causes algae to grow in such excess that it chokes out other organisms in the water. Kangas sees this process at work in the Chesapeake Bay, which has out-of-control algal growth.

“It’s a big problem. But it happens everywhere, the exact same problem,” Kangas said. “What we’re doing is to take these benefits and control it (channel it) into something useful.”

The way he sees it, as long as algae is already growing excessively in many places, it might as well be used as a sustainable resource.

Kangas’ process seems relatively simple: the polluted water runs through an algal turf scrubber, which produces two things: clean water and a by-product of biomass, which is then sent to a biofuel plant.

He believes the creation of biofuels through algae could be a breakthrough in American economy and environment. The problem is getting funding to make this research into reality—something that requires a national demand for biofuels, before lobbying and legislation could make it possible.

How will Kangas and his crew get there? By describing the technology for water quality management, showing examples of the extended research, breaking down the challenges of algal-based technology and significantly increasing the size of the entire system of projects.

Scaling of the projects is in Kangas’ best interest.

“Do we keep doing these little experiments, which is common as professors, we keep doing them and then, what, we die? Then what?” he said. “If we just keep doing these little experiments, will we get to clean up Chesapeake Bay?”

According to Kangas, the national success, growth of biofuel (created by algal-based technology) hangs on financial support and collaboration of university research centers.

The shining hope for retrieving financial support is that algae-harvesting would create jobs, a major benefit on all sides.

“There’s not a market for cleaning water, but the government will do it,” Kangas said. “Sewage-treatment (built with public funds) is a good example of government-based approach for getting money. There is a rational for this service.”

Farmers are a prime candidate for these jobs because the researchers are in need of lots of acreage to grow algae.

“The government pays farmers to take land for forests…can we pay farmers to grow algae?” Kangas asked.

Other workers would then take the algae through the separation process, a job that could go to locals.

Kangas cited the wind-energy market as an example, along with the interest of the Maryland governor in sustainable investments that can create markets.

A final discussion of possible funding was a re-direction of EPA funding for cleaning up the bay.

“We don’t need more money, just re-direct money (for the same purpose,)” he said. There is a lot of money to clean up the bay, even though it’s becoming apparent that the funded effort isn’t working.

“We know a lot about biofuel as a product that can be made from algae,” Kangas said. “It still feels like we’re on the frontier. That’s what these guys (from UA) are. Figuring out how to make it work.” referring to the biofuel production system created by the U of A and the researchers who are continuing to work on it.

Combining his call for college research center collaboration and public demand, Kangas said the main point is “to make a compelling case for alternate energy and jobs creation.”

About the innovative research
Kangas experimented with algal turf scrubbers all around Chesapeake Bay, gathering data for more than an annual cycle at each site. The experiments were conducted mostly in small scale systems: one square meter in area, with no difference in data from large scale systems.

“These systems have a higher productivity rate than nature,” Kangas said. “This is because we’re channeling the natural system into…productivity.”

Researchers involved are interested in the benefits of harvesting algae in hot-water discharge (from large discharge canals of power plants.) This canal has two species of algae growing in it, as opposed to the Chesapeake Bay, which has one species and since it is hot water, the algae can grow all year long.

An exciting addition was made to the algal research recently—the creation of 3D screens.

“We’ve been using 2D, and (3D) has more surface area,” he said. “It’s very exciting-- more ways to grow algae. It’s working well.”

The latest development was the creation of a floating screen system…a design that is only a year old from researchers at the College of William and Mary. This screen creates a lot more surface area by using vertical screens.

A UA student contributed an idea of making screens (for ATS) out of byproduct or other, more sustainable products, rather than commercially available materials. An idea that Dr. Kangas appreciated and took back to Maryland.