11 Microalgae-Based Processes for Pigments Production
253
11.6 Commercial Microalgae Culture Systems
for Pigments Production
The industrialization of any microalgae-based product requires large-scale cultivation, which can be done in open (ponds and their variations) or in closed systems
(photobioreactors and heterotrophic/mixotrophic bioreactors). Concerning commercial microalgae biomass cultivation for pigment production, the most extended types
of culture systems are open raceways, shallow ponds, and tubular photobioreactors,
as can be seen in Table 11.1, where the main companies producing astaxanthin,
β-carotene, and c-phycocyanin were listed.
At present, open systems, especially raceway ponds, are the predominant types,
being used in over 90% of commercial cultivation around the world. This is justified
by the fact that open systems are much cheaper and easier to operate than closed
systems, and yet the cost of construction is about one order of magnitude lower
than that of closed systems. On the downside, open systems have some operational
problems as the dependence on climate conditions and geographic position, contamination, evaporation, and extensive land requirements. Due to the limited control
of cultivation conditions and contamination, the use of open systems is limited to
robust microalgae species (e.g., Chlorella, Scenedesmus, and Nannochloropsis), that
grow rapidly or under very selective conditions (e.g., D. salina and Arthrospira)
(Solovchenko and Chekanov 2014; Acién et al. 2017).
Table 11.1 Commercial producers of astaxanthin, β-carotene, and c-phycocyanin from microalgae
Pigment
Company
Location Culture system
Astaxanthin
Cyanotech
USA
Closed tubular PBRs + Raceway
ponds
Mera Pharmaceuticals
USA
Closed tubular PBRs + Raceway
ponds
AstaReal
Sweden Vertical (indoor, mixotrophic)
Algatechnologies
Israel
Closed tubular PBRs
Beijing Gingko Group
China
Closed tubular PBRs
β-carotene
Betatene (BASF)
Australia Extensive unmixed ponds
Western Biotechnology
Australia Extensive unmixed ponds
AquaCarotene
Australia Extensive unmixed ponds
Cyanotech
USA
Raceway ponds
Nature Beta Technologies
Israel
Raceway ponds
Tianjin Lantai Biotechnologies China
Raceway ponds
C-phycocyanin Cyanotech
USA
Raceway ponds
Zhejiang Binmei Biotechnology China
Raceway ponds
Earthrise Farms
USA
Raceway ponds
Parry Nutraceuticals
India
Raceway ponds
253
11.6 Commercial Microalgae Culture Systems
for Pigments Production
The industrialization of any microalgae-based product requires large-scale cultivation, which can be done in open (ponds and their variations) or in closed systems
(photobioreactors and heterotrophic/mixotrophic bioreactors). Concerning commercial microalgae biomass cultivation for pigment production, the most extended types
of culture systems are open raceways, shallow ponds, and tubular photobioreactors,
as can be seen in Table 11.1, where the main companies producing astaxanthin,
β-carotene, and c-phycocyanin were listed.
At present, open systems, especially raceway ponds, are the predominant types,
being used in over 90% of commercial cultivation around the world. This is justified
by the fact that open systems are much cheaper and easier to operate than closed
systems, and yet the cost of construction is about one order of magnitude lower
than that of closed systems. On the downside, open systems have some operational
problems as the dependence on climate conditions and geographic position, contamination, evaporation, and extensive land requirements. Due to the limited control
of cultivation conditions and contamination, the use of open systems is limited to
robust microalgae species (e.g., Chlorella, Scenedesmus, and Nannochloropsis), that
grow rapidly or under very selective conditions (e.g., D. salina and Arthrospira)
(Solovchenko and Chekanov 2014; Acién et al. 2017).
Table 11.1 Commercial producers of astaxanthin, β-carotene, and c-phycocyanin from microalgae
Pigment
Company
Location Culture system
Astaxanthin
Cyanotech
USA
Closed tubular PBRs + Raceway
ponds
Mera Pharmaceuticals
USA
Closed tubular PBRs + Raceway
ponds
AstaReal
Sweden Vertical (indoor, mixotrophic)
Algatechnologies
Israel
Closed tubular PBRs
Beijing Gingko Group
China
Closed tubular PBRs
β-carotene
Betatene (BASF)
Australia Extensive unmixed ponds
Western Biotechnology
Australia Extensive unmixed ponds
AquaCarotene
Australia Extensive unmixed ponds
Cyanotech
USA
Raceway ponds
Nature Beta Technologies
Israel
Raceway ponds
Tianjin Lantai Biotechnologies China
Raceway ponds
C-phycocyanin Cyanotech
USA
Raceway ponds
Zhejiang Binmei Biotechnology China
Raceway ponds
Earthrise Farms
USA
Raceway ponds
Parry Nutraceuticals
India
Raceway ponds