Development of hydrocarbon production system from micro green alga Botryococcus braunii cultured in seawater medium

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26292132
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Agricultural environmental engineering/Agricultural information engineering
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Imou Kenji 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科, 教授 (40184832)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 海津 裕 東京大学, 農学生命科学研究科, 准教授 (70313070)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 再生可能エネルギー / 微細藻類 / バイオ燃料

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Hydrocarbon production process from Botryococcus braunii (B.braunii) cultured in seawater medium was developed in this study. Seawater culture improved hydrocarbon extractability of B.braunii slurry by non-polar solvent, such as hexane, and increase the size of the colony. These effects could save the energy consumption in collection and concentration of B.braunii and hydrocarbon extraction from the concentrated slurry, and could improve total energy balance of hydrocarbon production from B.braunii.

Free Research Field

農業工学