16
Present and Future Economic and
Environmental Impacts of Microalgal
Technology
#
Miguel Olaizola,
2,
* Rob C. Brown
1
and Elizabeth D. Orchard
1
Introduction
In this chapter, we review some of the economic and environmental impacts, current and expected, from
commercialization of algal technology. This is not an exhaustive review; we will limit ourselves to the
fast growing number of commercial applications and products of microalgae already accomplished and
those expected to materialize within a relatively short time horizon (less than a decade). We will also
limit ourselves to microalgal products and applications driven by phototrophic processes (light driven;
non-dependent on organic carbon resources).
Here, we make the case that, on balance, the economic and environmental impacts of microalgal
technology are positive but not without a few caveats and that the economics of microalgal technologies
are very much dependent on the type of product and the scale at which it is being produced. Further,
we argue that without large improvements in productivity, and concomitant decrease in costs, some
anticipated products will have difficulty finding markets. We propose that improvements in strains (over
wild type; both genetically modified and classically improved) will significantly aid in increasing both
the positive economic and environmental impacts of microalgal technology. Finally, we also discuss
what some of those improvements will be such as improvements in photosynthetic efficiency and carbon
partitioning.
Present scale of commercial microalgal cultivation
The promise of novel products and applications as well as increased demand for established products and
applications has resulted in renewed interest in microalgae cultivation. In 2010, it was estimated that the
1
Synthetic Genomics, Inc., 11149 N Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
2
OLAS - All Things Algae, LLC, Snowflake, AZ 85937.
* Corresponding author: miguel@olasalgae.com
#
We dedicate this contribution to Professor Guillermo Garcia-Blairsy Reina (1958–2012), innovating and visionary algal
technologist and educator who will be sorely missed.
Present and Future Economic and
Environmental Impacts of Microalgal
Technology
#
Miguel Olaizola,
2,
* Rob C. Brown
1
and Elizabeth D. Orchard
1
Introduction
In this chapter, we review some of the economic and environmental impacts, current and expected, from
commercialization of algal technology. This is not an exhaustive review; we will limit ourselves to the
fast growing number of commercial applications and products of microalgae already accomplished and
those expected to materialize within a relatively short time horizon (less than a decade). We will also
limit ourselves to microalgal products and applications driven by phototrophic processes (light driven;
non-dependent on organic carbon resources).
Here, we make the case that, on balance, the economic and environmental impacts of microalgal
technology are positive but not without a few caveats and that the economics of microalgal technologies
are very much dependent on the type of product and the scale at which it is being produced. Further,
we argue that without large improvements in productivity, and concomitant decrease in costs, some
anticipated products will have difficulty finding markets. We propose that improvements in strains (over
wild type; both genetically modified and classically improved) will significantly aid in increasing both
the positive economic and environmental impacts of microalgal technology. Finally, we also discuss
what some of those improvements will be such as improvements in photosynthetic efficiency and carbon
partitioning.
Present scale of commercial microalgal cultivation
The promise of novel products and applications as well as increased demand for established products and
applications has resulted in renewed interest in microalgae cultivation. In 2010, it was estimated that the
1
Synthetic Genomics, Inc., 11149 N Torrey Pines Rd., La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
2
OLAS - All Things Algae, LLC, Snowflake, AZ 85937.
* Corresponding author: miguel@olasalgae.com
#
We dedicate this contribution to Professor Guillermo Garcia-Blairsy Reina (1958–2012), innovating and visionary algal
technologist and educator who will be sorely missed.