Research Title:

Microalgae-based biofuel as a sustainable

alternative to fossil fuels for transportation
Summary

Climate change is a major issue in the Philippines, and one of the

leading causes is greenhouse gas emissions from transportation vehicles.

According to recent statistics, 80% of the country's air pollution comes from

motor vehicles that use fossil fuels. To tackle this problem, a proposed study

aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation by utilizing

microalgae as biofuel. Microalgae can process carbon dioxide faster than any

terrestrial plants, making it a sustainable and efficient source of biofuel. The

process involves cultivating microalgae in open raceway ponds, extracting oil

compounds, and transesterification to separate the oil. The remaining

substances can serve as fertilizer for crops. The burning of biofuels is not

included in the national greenhouse gas inventories, as biomass feedstocks

can counterbalance the greenhouse gas produced. By implementing this

solution, we can contribute to mitigating the impact of greenhouse gas

emissions on climate change.

Background and Problem

One of the leading causes of Climate Change in the Philippines is the

Green House Gas Emissions, whereas, Transport being the immense source

of Greenhouse gases (GHG) with 34% of total GHG emissions. Contamination

of the indoor and outdoor environment and the deterioration of air generated

by road transport, equivalent to 80% (TRANSfer, 2018).

 As per data from the IQAir (2016), only 20% of contribution to air

pollution was from static sources, such as the burning of organic materials

and from factories, whereby, the largest contributor were motor vehicles that

uses fossil fuels with exactly 80% of country’s air pollution.

In the recent statistic from STATISTA, the total GHG emissions from

the transportation sector of the Philippines in year 2021 is equal to 31.54

million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), showing visible escalation from the

previous data of year 2020 which totals to 28.16 million tons of GHG

emissions (STATISTA, 2021).

In order to tackle the problem on Climate Change, specifically the

increasing percentage of GHG emissions in the Philippines, the objective of

this proposed study is to:

• adapt to climate change by minimizing GHG emissions from the

transportation sector; and

• reduce GHG emissions by utilizing microalgae as biofuel.

In relation to this, the Philippines already introduced their official

conditional GHG mitigation target which is 70% reduction target until 2030,

one of these is the Climate Change Act (TRANSfer, 2018). Given that it is

already a policy, microalgae as a biofuel will help the environment and the

government to act on this issue.

Beneficiaries

The prevalence of the climate change issue wreaked havoc on people’s

livelihood and to the society. The findings of this proposed research pose
significance to the issue in regards to the worsening of the climate change.

This study benefits the biological systems by ceasing the disruption of the

balance on the ecosystem and the organisms. This study also benefits the

agricultural sector by giving a rise on agricultural productivity. The study

benefits the community by providing numerous advantages on their

livelihood. This study also benefits economic stability by providing solutions

on climate change that has been creating a threat to productivity.

Proposed Solution
Climate changes is not a scientific recent phenomenon, it is happening

worldwide and in the Philippines. One of the top contributors to this problem

are greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation vehicles used by the

human. Transportation vehicles plays a significant role on greenhouse gas

emission, according to Statista (2021) the total greenhouse gas emissions that

the transportation vehicles in 2021 are 31.54 million tons of CO2. This is

caused by the burning of fossil fuels mainly crude oil in the transportation

vehicles. The burning of fossil fuels will produce gaseous compounds in the

atmosphere that can trap and absorb infrared radiation that leads to heat

compaction and temperature raising. To mitigate the greenhouse gas emission

that came from the transportation vehicles, this study will propose a possible

solution which is utilizing microalgae as the main component in making a

green, clean, and sustainable biofuels.

The microalgae can be a huge help in addressing the greenhouse gas

emissions aside that it is one of the microorganisms that process carbon

dioxide faster than any terrestrial plants and it can be transform into a

biomass through some process. The process involve are cultivation of the
microalgae using the open raceway ponds as it is low cost and promote even

circulation of water components or nutrients allowing the distribution

efficient, oil extraction and transesterification or the process which the oil

compounds in the biomass will be separated from the microalgae. The oil

produced from the extraction will be then serve as the biofuels which is

sustainable, safe to the environment. The remaining substances that come

from the microalgae will then transported to the agricultural sector as it is

one of the best fertilizers for any crops.

Everyone knows that fuels releases Greenhouse gas emissions as well

as biofuels, but the burning of biofuel is excluded as one of the national

greenhouse gas inventories as the biomass feedstocks on the biofuel may

counterbalance the greenhouse gas produced when biofuels is being burned

(U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2022).

Methodology

A. Cultivation of micro-algae using a Raceway Pond System

The proponents utilized raceway pond systems in cultivating algal

biomass. The pond comprises of two channels that is separated by

stainless steel separator and a paddle wheel —that regulates the water and

is used to avoid the accumulation of sludge, it is 0.25-0.40m deep. The

assimilation of algae to the pond system will be made to produce a large

amount of micro-algae.
 Figure 1. Cultivation of Micro-Algae in a Raceway Pond System

B. Dewatering Procedure

The cultivated microalgae will be harvested and dewatered at the same

time using a Disk Stack Centrifuge. After the centrate or water residue is

discharged from the centrifuge, its outcome will be the microalgal paste.

To remove any salt substance in the biomass needed for the proposed

study, it will be cleansed using deionized water (Halim, Gladman, Danquah

& Webley, 2010).

Credits to:
ScienceDirect.com

Figure 2. Disk Stack for Dewatering Process.

C. Oil extraction and transesterification of Microalgae
For biofuel production, various materials will be utilized during the

extraction of lipid. To extract the oil and remove the excess water and

unwanted residue (e.g. other raw components aside from oil), the proposed

study will use a transesterification device that consists of temperature bath,

reaction flask with reflux condenser and rpm controlled mechanical stirrer. A

significant amount of methanol will be added to the flask to perform catalyst.

The oil that will be collected from the device will be the biomass fuel product

(Halim et. al., 2010).

Figure 3. Transesterification device for lipid extraction.

 Figure 4. Oil Extraction Process

Figure 5. Biofuel Process Paradigm

 Cost Analysis
Item/Classification Quantity Price Total
Raceway Pond System 1 P1,000,000.00 P1,000,000.00
Disk Stack Centrifuge 1 P50,000.00 P50,000.00
Deionized Water 1 P20,000.00 P20,000.00
Temperature Bath 1 P50,000.00 P50,000.00
Reaction Flask with 1 P100,000.00 P100,000.00
Reflux Condenser
RPM Controlled 1 P100,000.00 P100,000.00
Mechanical Stirrer
Labor NIL P500,000.00 P500,000.00
Total:P1,320,000.00
References
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IQAir (2021). Air Quality in Philippines. Retrieved from
https://www.iqair.com/philippines
STATISTA (2021). Greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector
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