Microalgae and Biofuel

Introduction
Driven by heightened atmospheric CO
2
levels and an increasing demand for
transport fuels, much research has gone into the development of biofuel technology.
However, because the feedstock for biofuel is typically composed of food products, food
for fuel has raised ethical !uestions about the use of cropland for fuel production. "t is
for this reason the use of algae, which re!uires little area for growth, as a feedstock is an
attractive alternative. #he biomass produced from microalgae holds great potential as a
biofuel and can be used to produce biohydrogen, biomethane, biogas, and bioethanol.
$hile algal biomass can be used in the production of a number of fuel products, biodiesel
is perhaps the most viable.
Biodiesel
%iodiesel is a renewable, carbon&neutral fuel source that is produced from grease,
vegetable oils, animal fats, and micro algae. %iodiesel is non&to'ic and biodegradable,
making it environmentally friendly and a strong candidate to replace the diminishing
petroleum&derived transport fuels of today. "t is produced through the process of
transesterification, a chemical reaction that transforms triacylglycerol (#)*+ into methyl
esters, the components of biodiesel, and glycerol in the presence of an alcohol and
catalyst. ,resently in the -nited .ates, the oil used to produce biodiesel is e'tracted from
soybeans/ while in 0urope, rapeseed oil dominates the biodiesel market. However, many
people are !uick to condemn the use of land&based food crops for the use as biodiesel
feedstock. 1any !uestions have been raised and scientists are looking else&where to find
an alternative fuel supply for biodiesel.
Microalgae as a Biofuel Feedstock
-sing micro algae offers many advantages, and is becoming a reality to the world
of biodiesel. 1icroalgae as
a feedstock generate
superior energy yields, have
smaller land area
re!uirements, and are a
biodiesel alternative that
does not compete with the
worlds food supply.
2esearchers can
biosynthetically control
algal chemical composition
by implementing nutrient
and environmental stresses,
increasing #)* molecules
for biodiesel production.
1ost algae contain 23&435
#)* by dry cell weight,
Comparison of Energy Productivity
Feedstock
Lipid
content
(%)
Biomass
production
(dry metric
tons!a"yr)
Productivity
ra# energy
($%!a"yr)
Corn grain 6.4&7 8 923
.ugarcane 9: 8:&;8 92:3&9673
.witchgrass
and mi'ed
prairie grasses
9&9.7 :.7&94 79&224
2ape seeds 62 2.8 8:
Tetraselmis
suecica
2:&94 :;&7< 833&9443
Arthrospira
(Spirulina)
species
4&9: 73&83 92:3&96:4
=#able 9 information supplied by> Aquatic phototrophs: efficient
alternatives to land-based crops for biofuels
$et
)lgae
Dry )lgae
$ater
-nused
%iomass
#riacylglycols
*lycerols
1ethyl esters
(%iodiesel+
%iodiesel ,roduction
,rocess
,roduction
%yproducts
s
Drying
,rocess
%ligh?Dyer
0'traction
#ransesterification
giving microalgae a relatively high energy content. "n addition, using a biorefinery
strategy, a large scale production facility could simultaneously produce biodiesel, animal
feed, biogas (methane and?or hydrogen+, and electric power while mitigating atmospheric
CO
2
and e'tracting nutrients from waste water . microalgae re!uire much less land area
for production than other biofuels, none of which is re!uired to be agriculturally viable
land. -sing 94,333 s!uare miles for the cultivation of algal biomass, the -nited .tates
could produce 963 billion gallons of biodiesel, enough fuel to replace all petroleum based
fuel, including gasoline. 94,333 s!uare miles is about <.4 million acres, much less than
the 662 million acres devoted to cropland and 4;7 million acres devoted to grassland
pasture . )s stated above, agricultural viable land is not re!uired for production of algal
biomass, and therefore would not compete with the worlds food supply, eliminating the
food for fuel issue that faces many biofuels
Biodiesel Process& Microalgae to Biodiesel

#he above figure outlines the conversion of microalgae to biodiesel. #he first stage of
the process includes the harvesting and drying of the algal biomass. #he drying
procedure could include centrifuging and?or straining of the wet biomass
C!allenges of 'lgal Biofuel Production
@othing is perfect, and using algae to produce biodiesel is no e'ception. One
maAor challenge, when trying to ma'imiBe oil production in algae, is the fact that high
lipid concentrations are only achieved when the algae are under stressed conditions/ such
as being placed within a nutrient limited environment. #his does indeed give the algae a
much higher lipid concentration/ however, this process also slows the algaeCs
reproductive capabilities. #his could give the high oil strains of algae a maAor
disadvantage when competing against the natural algal strains found in the environment
and result in algae containing lower oil contents taking over open pond systems.
,hotobioreactors can be implemented, which would prevent contamination from
unwanted strains of algae/ however, these reactors generate a ten fold increase in capital
cost. )lso, the physical e'traction of the lipids from microalgae is going to pose a
problem for researchers. #his can be done very efficiently when using relatively small
!uantities. However, when scaled up to a full fuel production process, these e'traction
techni!ues are not nearly as effective, and modification will need to be made
Concluding (emarks
,otentially, biodiesel created from algal biomass can have great value on a global
scale in the near future. .till, more research in needed to help make functional full scale
biodiesel factories, capable of supplying the large amounts of fuel needed to replace our
dwindling petroleum supplies.