High Energy Biofuels derived from Eucalyptus oil
Carsten Külheim
Research School of Biology; ANU
Biofuel comparison
NHOC (MJ/kg) source
Bioethanol 29.7 Sugar (corn/sugarcane/biomass)
Biodiesel 37.4 Veg and animal fat/biomass
Jet-A1 42.8 Fossil
JP-5 42.4 Fossil
JP-10 42.1 Fossil
Dimerized monoterpenes
• In 2010 Ben Harvey and colleagues found that dimerized pinenes have similar physical and chemical properties as jet fuel up to JP-10
Biofuel comparison
NHOC (MJ/kg) source
Bioethanol 29.7 Sugar (corn/sugarcane/biomass)
Biodiesel 37.4 Veg and animal fat/biomass
Jet-A1 42.8 Fossil
JP-5 42.4 Fossil
JP-10 42.1 Fossil
α-pinene dimer 42.1 Pine/Eucalypts
β-pinene dimer 42.1 Pine/Eucalypts
Similar results with other non-oxygenated monoterpenes
Fuel terpenes
So… Where can we find large amounts?
• Engineered bacteria, algae or yeast
• Eucalypt leaves are filled with monoterpenes
Drew James King , Roslyn M. Gleadow and Ian E. Woodrow
Eucalyptus oil variation
• Huge within species variation of Eucalyptus oil! 10 – 30 fold and >10% of leaf mass
• There are also thousands of chemical structures in Eucalyptus oil
Eucalyptus oil (% DM)
0 2 4 6 8
Indiv
iduals
Can we find eucalypts with fuel terpenes?
• Yes
– Due to natural variations in commercial species (E. grandis, E. polybractea)
– Undomesticated species dominated by fuel terpenes (E. eremophila, E. eremicola…)
• Can also be engineered
How would it work?
1,8-cineole
additive to biodiesel
biomass to biodiesel
How much do we need to grow?
• Current yield: 200 kg / ha.y
• Elite clones: 500 kg / ha.y
• Selective breeding / engineering: ???
• Currently 20 m ha Eucalyptus plantations
– As feedstock: 10% of global aviation
fuel consumption
Example E. grandis in RSA
• Growing ca. 1 m ha E. grandis
• Foliage burned after harvest
– α-pinene dominant (av 40%)
– Oil yield is 1.5% -> ca. 300 kg / ha
– Harvest cycle is 7 y
– 120,000 t of α-pinene / harvest
– 17,000 t / y
What do we do?
• Quantitative genetics
– Understand the genetic basis of oil yield
– Provide genetic markers for breeding
• Develop methods for large scale screening of fuel terpenes
Example E. polybractea
60,000 trees from 40 families480 from 40 families selected for GWAS / GS
Eucalyptus oil is made of cineole
• Most E. polybractea have ~80-90% cineole
• Some individuals have 15% cineole
– Dominant terpenes are fuel terpenes
• Need method to screen all 60,000 trees
– Near Infrared spectroscopy can inform on quantity of fuel terpene
Near Infrared Spectroscopy
• Either hand-held NIR
– Measure ~30 plants / h
– High accuracy
• Or drone mounted NIR
– Measure ~1,000 plants / h
– Lower accuracy
Thank you!
David Kainer