generation biofuels (from algae) is one among the best possible solutions for this
problem. Moreover algae contain substantial quantity of carbohydrates, lipids, and
proteins, thereby making them as a potential candidate for the manufacture of
biofuels like bioethanol, biohydrogen, biodiesel, biobutanol, etc. Apart from biofuel
production, algae can also be able to produce valuable products like omega-3 fatty
acids, carotenoids, protein-rich supplements, etc. This chapter offers an insight into
the modern practices being followed in the manufacture of biofuel like screening of
potential strains, avoiding contamination risks, optimization of mass cultivation
conditions, easy harvesting, and extraction methods. The key concerns of these
process and opportunities on the employment of algal biomass in multiple applications like fuel, food, and environment will also be discussed.
Keywords Algal biomass, Biofuels, Bioproducts, Extraction techniques,
Optimization
Abbreviations
BOD
Biological oxygen demand
COD
Chemical oxygen demand
DAB
Dry algal biomass
FAME Fatty acid methyl esters
HTL
Hydrothermal liquefaction
PBR
Photobioreactor
PUFA Polyunsaturated fatty acids
1 Introduction
In the current era due to fast population growth and exhausting exploitation of
non-renewable fossil fuel resources, there is an increasing demand for energy and
resources. Therefore the requirement for alternative resources and processes is
becoming impellent. A sustainable development approach should be able to reduce
greenhouse effect and produce energy from non-fossil sources, along with the need
of securing food to all people. These resources should be renewable to match with
the sustainability principles. A renewable feedstock is a resource that have unlimited
supply or be restocked over time by natural processes. Biofuel is a renewable,
non-hazardous, natural fuel manufactured from diverse feed stocks [1]. Among
them, biofuel from algae (third-generation biofuel feedstock) has garnered profound
attraction in current times owing to their low water consumption, fast growth and
usage of non-arable land for growth, etc. Moreover it does not involve the “foodversus-fuel” controversy, associated with application of various dedicated bioenergy
crops like Jatropha curcas or food crops such as soybeans. Apart from these algae
are having great potential to absorb carbon dioxide (1.8 times the biomass), ability to
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B. Srinivasan and G. Kulshreshtha
problem. Moreover algae contain substantial quantity of carbohydrates, lipids, and
proteins, thereby making them as a potential candidate for the manufacture of
biofuels like bioethanol, biohydrogen, biodiesel, biobutanol, etc. Apart from biofuel
production, algae can also be able to produce valuable products like omega-3 fatty
acids, carotenoids, protein-rich supplements, etc. This chapter offers an insight into
the modern practices being followed in the manufacture of biofuel like screening of
potential strains, avoiding contamination risks, optimization of mass cultivation
conditions, easy harvesting, and extraction methods. The key concerns of these
process and opportunities on the employment of algal biomass in multiple applications like fuel, food, and environment will also be discussed.
Keywords Algal biomass, Biofuels, Bioproducts, Extraction techniques,
Optimization
Abbreviations
BOD
Biological oxygen demand
COD
Chemical oxygen demand
DAB
Dry algal biomass
FAME Fatty acid methyl esters
HTL
Hydrothermal liquefaction
PBR
Photobioreactor
PUFA Polyunsaturated fatty acids
1 Introduction
In the current era due to fast population growth and exhausting exploitation of
non-renewable fossil fuel resources, there is an increasing demand for energy and
resources. Therefore the requirement for alternative resources and processes is
becoming impellent. A sustainable development approach should be able to reduce
greenhouse effect and produce energy from non-fossil sources, along with the need
of securing food to all people. These resources should be renewable to match with
the sustainability principles. A renewable feedstock is a resource that have unlimited
supply or be restocked over time by natural processes. Biofuel is a renewable,
non-hazardous, natural fuel manufactured from diverse feed stocks [1]. Among
them, biofuel from algae (third-generation biofuel feedstock) has garnered profound
attraction in current times owing to their low water consumption, fast growth and
usage of non-arable land for growth, etc. Moreover it does not involve the “foodversus-fuel” controversy, associated with application of various dedicated bioenergy
crops like Jatropha curcas or food crops such as soybeans. Apart from these algae
are having great potential to absorb carbon dioxide (1.8 times the biomass), ability to
140
B. Srinivasan and G. Kulshreshtha