Microalgae Biomass Potential in Europe

Abstract

Microalgae are a promising option for sus- tainable biomass production in Europe. One important advantage of microalgae is that they can be cultivated on non-arable land and therefore do not contribute to an increase in unwanted land use change, particularly for the production of biofuels. The biomass potential of microalgae is limited, however, by the limit- ed availability of such marginal land in densely populated Europe and by the slope of many of these areas or their status as protected areas. A GIS-based model was developed to assess this potential. A general result was that about 50 megatons (Mt) dry matter microalgal bio- mass could be produced annually in Europe. The by far largest part of this amount would come from the Iberian Peninsula. However, northern countries such as Sweden or the UK also show considerable potential.