bioenergy products to higher-value (non-energy) products that can be profitable
today. In this way, at least until oil prices return to near their pre-2014 levels, or
carbon emissions reductions are rewarded through higher carbon pricing in a global
climate disruption mitigation policy, primary strategies for bioenergy production
from microalgae will need to rely on a multi-product biorefinery approach. As such,
a biorefinery approach that generates multiple high-value products from microalgae
will be essential to fully valorize biomass and enable the economically viable
co-production of bioenergy. Industrial operations that were leading the commercial
development of algae-based biofuels have been increasingly redirecting their
commercial focus toward the production of higher-value food, feed, and specialty
products (IEA 2017).
In fact, there are significant barriers currently impeding the commercialization
and economic production of microalgae for fuel markets, in particular in supporting
the resource demands for large-scale deployment. The barriers range from incomplete knowledge of microalgae biology to the challenges associated with the
scale-up of the processes (Wijffels and Barbosa 2010).
Therefore, to accelerate the production of energy from microalgae, besides the
robust increase of the productivities, the minimizing energy, water, nutrients, and
land-use footprints need to be a primary objective of productions systems and future
research and development (Pantel et al. 2017). The chapters presented in this book
are intended to help provide a deeper understanding and insight into the promises
and challenges for microalgal biofuels and bioenergy technologies to be substantial
contributors to future fuel supplies.
References
Barathiraja, B., Sridharam, S., Sownya, V., Yuvaraj, L. D., & Praveenkumar, R. (2017). Microbial
oil—A plausible alternate resource for food and fuel. Bioresource Technology, 233, 423–432.
Chew, K. W., Yap, J. Y., Show, P. L., Suan, N. H., Juan, J. C., Ling, T. C., et al. (2017).
Microalgae: Biorefinery: High value products perspectives. Bioresource Technology, 229,
53–62.
Chisti, Y. (2013). Constraints to commercialization of algal fuels. Journal of Biotechnology, 167,
201–214.
Cho, D. H., Choi, J. W., Kang, Z., Kim, B. H., Oh, H. M., Kim, H. S., et al. (2017). Microalgal
diversity fosters stable biomass productivity in open ponds treating wastewater. Scientific
Reports, 7, 1–11.
Harun, R., Singh, M., Forde, G. M., & Danquah, M. K. (2010). Bioprocess engineering of
microalgae to produce a variety of consumer products. Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews, 14, 1037–1047.
IEA Bioenergy. (2017). State of technology review—Algae bioenergy. 978-1-910154-30 4. http://
www.ieabioenergy.com/publications/state-of-technology-review-algaebioenergy/.
Laurens, L. M. L., Chen-Glasser, M., & McMillan, J. D. (2017). A perspective on renewable
bioenergy from photosynthetic algae as feedstock for biofuels and bioproducts. Algal
Research, 24, 261–264.
1 Energy from Microalgae: A Brief Introduction
3
today. In this way, at least until oil prices return to near their pre-2014 levels, or
carbon emissions reductions are rewarded through higher carbon pricing in a global
climate disruption mitigation policy, primary strategies for bioenergy production
from microalgae will need to rely on a multi-product biorefinery approach. As such,
a biorefinery approach that generates multiple high-value products from microalgae
will be essential to fully valorize biomass and enable the economically viable
co-production of bioenergy. Industrial operations that were leading the commercial
development of algae-based biofuels have been increasingly redirecting their
commercial focus toward the production of higher-value food, feed, and specialty
products (IEA 2017).
In fact, there are significant barriers currently impeding the commercialization
and economic production of microalgae for fuel markets, in particular in supporting
the resource demands for large-scale deployment. The barriers range from incomplete knowledge of microalgae biology to the challenges associated with the
scale-up of the processes (Wijffels and Barbosa 2010).
Therefore, to accelerate the production of energy from microalgae, besides the
robust increase of the productivities, the minimizing energy, water, nutrients, and
land-use footprints need to be a primary objective of productions systems and future
research and development (Pantel et al. 2017). The chapters presented in this book
are intended to help provide a deeper understanding and insight into the promises
and challenges for microalgal biofuels and bioenergy technologies to be substantial
contributors to future fuel supplies.
References
Barathiraja, B., Sridharam, S., Sownya, V., Yuvaraj, L. D., & Praveenkumar, R. (2017). Microbial
oil—A plausible alternate resource for food and fuel. Bioresource Technology, 233, 423–432.
Chew, K. W., Yap, J. Y., Show, P. L., Suan, N. H., Juan, J. C., Ling, T. C., et al. (2017).
Microalgae: Biorefinery: High value products perspectives. Bioresource Technology, 229,
53–62.
Chisti, Y. (2013). Constraints to commercialization of algal fuels. Journal of Biotechnology, 167,
201–214.
Cho, D. H., Choi, J. W., Kang, Z., Kim, B. H., Oh, H. M., Kim, H. S., et al. (2017). Microalgal
diversity fosters stable biomass productivity in open ponds treating wastewater. Scientific
Reports, 7, 1–11.
Harun, R., Singh, M., Forde, G. M., & Danquah, M. K. (2010). Bioprocess engineering of
microalgae to produce a variety of consumer products. Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews, 14, 1037–1047.
IEA Bioenergy. (2017). State of technology review—Algae bioenergy. 978-1-910154-30 4. http://
www.ieabioenergy.com/publications/state-of-technology-review-algaebioenergy/.
Laurens, L. M. L., Chen-Glasser, M., & McMillan, J. D. (2017). A perspective on renewable
bioenergy from photosynthetic algae as feedstock for biofuels and bioproducts. Algal
Research, 24, 261–264.
1 Energy from Microalgae: A Brief Introduction
3