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Construction and Setup of a Bench-scale Algal Photosynthetic Bioreactor with Temperature, Light, and pH Monitoring for Kinetic Growth Tests
Published on: June 14, 2017
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Competitive algae biodiesel depends on advances in mass algae cultivation
Josef Maroušek1, Anna Maroušková2, Beata Gavurová3
1Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice, Faculty of Technology, Okružní 517/10, České Budějovice 370 01, Czech Republic; University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Agriculture, Studentská 1668, České Budějovice 370 05, Czech Republic.
Bioresource Technology
|March 1, 2023
Summary
Algae biodiesel remains expensive due to high microalgal production costs. Improving cultivation efficiency by managing light, oxygen, and overnight oil loss is crucial for price competitiveness.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Renewable Energy
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Microalgal biodiesel production faces challenges in competing with fossil fuels despite significant R&D investment.
- Microalgal cultivation represents a substantial cost (84-93%) in overall biodiesel production, irrespective of the technology used.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reasons behind the lack of price competitiveness in algae biodiesel compared to fossil fuels.
- To identify key cost drivers and bottlenecks in microalgal mass cultivation for biodiesel production.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing research and techno-economic assessments on microalgal biodiesel.
- Analysis of cost drivers in microalgal mass cultivation processes.
- Identification of critical factors limiting cultivation efficiency.
Main Results:
- Microalgal production costs are the primary barrier to price competitiveness, accounting for the vast majority of expenses.
- Key bottlenecks include ineffective management of light and oxygen (O2) levels and overnight respiratory losses of oil.
- Current research often relies on laboratory-scale experiments, leading to economically over-optimistic projections.
Conclusions:
- A significant breakthrough in microalgal cultivation efficiency is essential for achieving price-competitive algae biodiesel.
- Addressing light and oxygen management and minimizing overnight oil loss are critical research priorities.
- Interdisciplinary research and scale-up considerations are needed to overcome economic over-optimism in microalgae biodiesel development.
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