Production of Omega 3 Fatty Acids in Jatropha and Sequential Processing of Jatropha Oil to Yield Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Biodiesel and 1,3 Propanediol

Reference number: STC-LS-0445
Inventor(s): B. Subhadra
For more information, contact: Jovan Heusser, M.B.A. (505-272-7908) or Erin M. Beaumont (505-272-7912)

Patent(s)

Application(s) pending

Background

Fuel ethanol and biodiesel production from corn/sugarcane-based feedstocks increased in 2008; however the assessments for production potential, environmental impacts of biomass facility production and carbon sequestration studies so far revealed that biofuels based on these feedstocks will contribute negatively on several sustainability criteria. Jatropha is a nonfood crop which has gained great attention as future biofuel feed stock because of its non-competing land usage with food crops and its high lipid content. Jatropha curcas is perennial plant that grows even in the marginal and fallow lands unsuitable for other agriculture crops. Jatropha seed kernel contains 40-60% oil suitable for biofuel production. Worldwide, approximately one million hectares of Jatropha have already been planted for biofuel production. It is predicted that each year for the next 5-7 years approximately 1.5 to 2 million hectares of Jatropha will be planted. This will result in a total of approximately 5 million hectares by 2010 and approximately 13 million hectares by 2015. Global investments of up to 1 billion USD expected every year. However, recent studies have shown that Jatropha needs 10 times more water compared to other crops to have optimum lipid production which is a setback for the future sustainable growth of the industry. Also the economics returns of the growing Jatropha for biodiesel alone is not economically viable unless a high value co-product can be produced from the processing. Moreover, increased acreage of Jatropha will also bring new pests and infectious agents which might destroy the crop. So developing drought-resistant salinewater-tolerant and infectious agent-resistant strains of Jatropha is highly desirable.
Further, developing strains of Jatropha to produce Omega-3 oils as a co-product in the biofuel production process will be of high interest. Omega3s are a commodity with high market needs for both human nutraceutical industries and animal feed industries. More and more food and beverage companies have started Omega-3 fortification due to its health benefits to consumers. Beyond diminishing supplies of unsustainable finite marine fish resources there is an also growing concern over pollutants such as dioxins, mercury, and PCBs, in fish oils that are also pushing the market towards sustainable non-marine based Omega-3 oils. Glycerin is a by-product produced from Jatropha biodiesel production which can be converted to 1, 3 propanediol (a high value and high demand organic monomer used in the production of polymers) via microbial/algal conversion. Jatropha seed meal is rich in nitrates and therefore rich in organic fertilizer. Integrating the process for the sequential production of these various products from the same Jatropha seed can substantially reduce the cost of production and increase the amount of revenue derived there from. Accordingly, the combined value of the products and byproducts decreases the operational costs and significantly increase the operational profit.

Technology

The technology describes methods for the production of transgenic strains of Jatropha for increased infectious disease, draught, and saline tolerance. It also describes the modulation of the fatty acid synthetic pathway of transgenic Jatropha to produce Omega 3 fatty acids such as DHA, EPA, and ALA. Further, it describes a novel integrated sequential processing method of Jatropha seed for highly unsaturated Omega fatty acids (DHA, EPA, AA and GLA), biodiesel and 1,3 propanediol. Moreover, the entire sequential processing technology is designed with an integrated renewable energy (solar, and wind) input to have no fossil fuel energy input for the production of biofuel and other co-products. Structured processing of the Jatropha seed through these various sequential steps produces many valuable products from the biomass which will substantially increase the unit value of the raw material.

Applications/Advantages

--Strains of Jatropha grow in draught and saline conditions and that can be grown in wider geographic and climatic conditions.
--Strains of Jatropha engineered to be increased resistance against pests and infectious diseases.
--Increased oil production via engineered Jatropha strains.
--Highly efficient lipid extraction and transesterification process of lipid through the sequential processer.
--Production and separation of co-products (biodiesel, omega-3, 1,3 propanediol) via novel sequential processing unit.
--Co-production of high value Omega 3 fatty acids (ALA, AA, EPA, and DHA) from the Jatropha oil.
--High economic viability of biodiesel production process and sustainable production of biodiesel
--Reduced cost of production of biofuel via co-production of high-valued products.
--Organic Omega-3 production from renewable feedstock as opposed to fish oil which uses finite amount of marine resources.
--Built in microbial/algal conversion of glycerin, one of the byproduct, into high value 1,3 propanediol, in the sequential processer.

Keywords

Alternative Energy, Biofuels, Environmental

Related Categories

• Environmental Engineering and Hazardous/Radioactive Waste Technologies