updated 14 Dec 1998
M.Bekers & U.Viesturs*. 1998. Integrated bio-system for biofuel production from agricultural raw materials in Latvia  
In: Integrated Bio-Systems in Zero Emissions Applications.
Proceedings of the Internet Conference on Integrated Biosystems.
Eds: Eng-Leong Foo & Tarcisio Della Senta. 1998  http://www.ias.unu.edu/proceedings/icibs/bekers
 
About the Authors Paper
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About the Authors
Professor Martin Bekers 
Head of the Laboratory of Industrial Microbiology and Food Biotechnology, Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Latvia, 4 Kronvalda boulevard, LV - 1586, Riga, Latvia 
E - mail: root@muter vernet.lv  Phone: +371735558, +3717325123   Fax: +3717323065 
Prof. Martin Bekers is well known internationally as microbiologist and biotechnologist working in the field of microbial biosynthesis of amino acids, ethanol and levan. He did his Doctor honour degree in Latvian Agricultural University. Dr Bekers is a Full member of Latvian Academy of Sciences and Latvian Agricultural and Silvacultural Academy, a representative of Latvia in General Assembly of the European Federation of Biotechnology (EFB) and member of two EFB working parties EFB. His name has been associated in about 500 publications and patents. He is also a member of the advisory board of the Multi - Volume ‘’VSM’’ second edition ‘’Biotechnology’’ (Ed. by J.Rehm and G.Reed); "Acta Biotechnologica", author of manuals for students and specialists ‘’Introduction in Biotechnology, 211 p., 1974 (in Latvian) and 231 p. Moscow, 1978 (in Russian) as well ‘’Biotechnology’’, 334 p., Moscow, 1990 (in Russian, co-authors - G.Liepins, J.Raipulis).  

Professor Uldis Viesturs    
Director, Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology,  University of Latvia,  4 Kronvalda boulevard,  LV-1586, Riga, Latvia  E-mail: chem@lza.lv ; koks@edzi.lza.lv   
Senior Researcher: Institute of Wood Chemistry, Dzerbenes iela 27,  Riga, LV 1006, Latvia   
Phone: + 371 7 325123, +371 7 553063  Fax: +371 7 326195, +371 7 310135  
Prof. Uldis Viesturs is an eminent scientist in Latvia. He serves or have served in the board and member of several national  (e.g.Latvian Council of Science Expert Committee, Latvian Academy of Sciences) and international (e.g. European Federation of Biotechnology, European Federation of Chemical Engineering), editor of Wood Chemistry, Proceedings of Latvian Academy of Sciences. His research interests include: microorganism growth and metabolite biosynthesis, renewable energy (bioethanol, pyrolysis products, etc.),  biobleaching of cellulose, bioreactor design, process control, mixing in bioreactors, mass transfer in gas-liquid-solid systems, designing and start-up of basic equipment for classical biotechnology anaerobic waste digestion with biogas production. Prof Viesturs heads several projects, some of them are: The Enzyme Biotechnology for Cellulose Fiber Biobleaching, Deinking and Modification; The Theoretical Background for Bioprocess Control by Mixing Intensity Characteristics; Liquid-cells Interaction Phenomena under Different Mixing Conditions in Bioreactors; Biotechnology in Wood Pulp Bleaching: Use of Extracellular Xylanases, Cellulases and of Mycelial Fungi; New Materials of Wood and Plant Origin; Methodology for Control and Monitoring of Biotechnological Processes in Scale-up and Development of Bioreactors.Biological Delignification of Wood Materials, the Structure and Properties of  Substrate and Products .
Abstract
 
A closed agricultural bio-system must include the following elements:  soil, plant cultivation, agricultural harvest of the raw material and its conversion into food and non-food, and the recovery of by-products and wastes to produce fertilizers as well as energy and environmentally friendly elements. Studies on biotechnological processes and their practical realization in Latvia, associated with the bioconversion of agricultural raw materials into biofuel products, will be presented.   

        The area of the agricultural land in Latvia is 2.57 million hectares, and the arable land occupies 1.6 million hectares. About 15% of the arable land can be used to cultivate rape for obtaining of rape-seed oil. Grain and sugar-beet can be used to produce bioethanol. From 1931 to 1940, under the Latvian Law, a motor fuel, “Latols” had been produced with an ethanol content of 30 to 50 per cent. Today, three ethanol factories with a total annual capacity of 1.1 million liters ethanol operate in Latvia. The gasoline consumption in 2005 is expected to be approx. 700,000 tons. The Latvian bioenergy concept envisages ethanol additives of 5 per cent at the first stage. This means that 35,000 tons of ethanol will be used as the fuel additive. The cost of the ethanol obtained from grain is approx. 0.60 - 0.70 US $ per 1 L. The processing of straw to obtain ethanol, furfural and acetic acid reduces costs to 0.32 US$ per 1 L ethanol. The implementation of the bioethanol programme in Latvia depends on advances in agrotechnology, the modernization of ethanol production and the taxation policy. Biogas, produced from agricultural and industrial wastes, municipal wastewater treatment plants and refuse storage facilities, can be used to supply the local energy, and will alleviate the major environmental problems. The model of a biofuel production unit using a semiclosed biotechnological system will be presented.