Biotransformation of a by-product from the dairy industry by microalgae for the production of a biofuel intended for maritime transport

The replacement of fossil fuels by fuels with a lower carbon footprint in the maritime transport sector is a priority expressed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) with a view to reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the maritime sector. . In Quebec, increasing volumes of lactose, co-products of the dairy industry, are not recovered and must be destroyed. This project therefore proposes to develop a lactose biotransformation process for the production of a biofuel intended for maritime transport and to assess its technical and economic potential. According to the envisaged process, a biomass of microalgae will first be produced using as the main substrate the ultrafiltration permeates (UF) of milk and whey (the main co-products rich in lactose).
The biomass will then be transported to a centralized hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) unit to be converted into a petroleum-like substance called “biocrude”. The biocrude will then be used directly, pure or mixed with petroleum products, as fuel for maritime transport (“drop-in fuel”).
The Marine Biotechnology Research Center (CRBM) will be responsible for developing the bioprocess for the production and concentration of microalgal biomass. This development will build on previous work that demonstrated the feasibility of using mixo / heterotrophic microalgae to convert lactose and other nutrients in whey permeate into lipid-rich biomass for biofuel production. In addition, work to assess the potential of microalgal biomass for the generation of value-added co-products will be carried out. Two collegial technology transfer centers, "Innofibre" and "Maritime Innovation", are also collaborators in the project and will be respectively responsible for the stages of development of the process for producing biocrude by HTL and for evaluating the potential of this biocrude to serve as a fuel for the shipping industry. The results generated at laboratory scale as part of this project will allow a preliminary techno-economic study to be carried out with a view to scaling the process. Ultimately, the volumes of UF permeate available in Quebec that would be converted into biocrude by technology could replace nearly 10% of Quebec's annual consumption of heavy fuel oil used for maritime transport and thus contribute to the achievement of GHG reduction targets set by the IMO.