Marine microalgae make renewable crude oil

Resources and Energy Minister Gary Gray recently unveiled the first ‘green crude’, sustainably produced by Muradel from marine microalgae at a pilot scale.

The Chairman of Muradel, Ollie Clark AM, said the company “produces high yields of biomass from growing naturally occurring marine microalgae for efficient conversion to renewable crude oil”.

Gray noted the significant potential of biofuels made from algae, saying they could “displace up to 30 billion litres of fuel each year, according to an advanced biofuels study commissioned by the Australian Government”.

Muradel converted the algae to green crude as part of a $4.4 million Australian Government investment through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) towards a $10.7 million project. Clark was thankful for the government funding, saying the recent progress would not have been possible without it.

The company has also been supported by organisations such as the Whyalla City Council. The next phase of the project is actually the construction of a scaled-up demonstration plant in Whyalla, with processes optimised to achieve commercially viable green crude production while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“There is an opportunity for the Whyalla region to be a frontrunner in a new advanced biofuels industry, with regional employment opportunities through the construction of the demonstration plant,” noted Gray.

Clark agrees, saying there could be a whole new regional industry for the manufacture of “renewable ‘drop-in’ fuels to reduce reliance on fossil-derived transport fuels”.

The site at Whyalla has been approved by the Whyalla City Council and Muradel has commenced the design for the demonstration plant, the tendering process and community consultation. The plant is scheduled for completion next year.

Gray is hopeful that the ARENA funding will progress the production method along the innovation chain to commercialisation.

“If commercialised,” he said, “Muradel’s green crude could be used as a sustainable alternative to diesel and aviation fuel and would help reduce carbon emissions in sectors such as mining and transport, which rely on these fuels.”

He added that the company could help advance Australia’s position in the biofuel market, “leveraging our abundance of sun and space to grow sustainable feedstocks and applying their expertise to drive down the cost of advanced biofuels”.

Muradel is an Australian joint venture between Murdoch University, the University of Adelaide and SQC, the latter linked to Aban Australia, the principal source of private funding to date.