Analysis of microalgal biorefineries for bioenergy from an environmental and economic perspective focus on algal biodiesel

Abstract

Microalgae are well recognized for their potential to contribute as an important energy source as well as to provide a renewable feedstock for commodity organic products. Their role as a renewable energy source has promise for both the production of liquid fuels, including diesel, gasoline, and jet fuels, and electricity generation. Routes to these energy sources include accumulation of algal oil for transesterication to biodiesel, fermentation to alcohols for inclusion in gasoline, production of hydrogen, anaerobic digestion to biogas, thermal processing to bio-oil, co-combustion, and gasication (Chisti and Yan, 2011).