Lucrative future of microalgal biofuels in Pakistan: a review

Abstract

Pond-grown microalgae have been considered as feedstocks for production of biodiesel. Various natural habitats and man-made environments can be exploited to cultivate microalgae without utilizing arable land which is already decreasing due to urbanization and industrial development. Suitable temperature, solar illumination and availability of phosphorus and nitrogen-rich organic wastes result in algal blooms in stagnant water and river bank’s associated pools in many regions including Pakistan. However, for practical application different land areas and effluents of varying natural and man-influenced environments are to be screened for promoting growth and fat-rich body composition of microalgal biomass. Lessons from well-established science of continuous culturing of bacteria can be applied for the open systems with provisions of semi-controlled physico-chemical conditions. In situ microalgal cultivation ponds may be declared mandatory for suitable industries and they can also be cultivated along the banks of rivers. Such efforts will lead to the production of biodiesel, environmental management of effluents and usage of the oil extracted/defatted algal biomass as animal feed supplement. The triad of biofuel production, bioremediation of suitable effluents and provision of animal feed/its supplement would obviously achieve economical feasibility. Different prospects of microalgal cultivation in different localities of Pakistan are discussed with reference to profitable investments.