to directly produce biofuels such as alkanes and ethanol from CO 2 . It was reported
that a photosynthetic efficiency of 6–7% was achieved, in comparison with algal
open-pond values of 1.5%, both in outdoor conditions. The system proposed is
based on a reactor called SolarConverter® (a horizontal thin film plastic using CO 2
in a closed system and outdoor), where the mixing, culture density, and geometry
(depth and surface area) have been studied to optimize the capture and conversion
of CO 2 by an appropriate combination of the light and dark areas with the reactor.
The company estimated ethanol productivity >230,000 L/(ha year) with a production cost of US$ 0.16/L of ethanol with subsidies (US$ 0.32/L without
subsidies).
The costs of bioethanol production from sugarcane (Brazil, 0.16–0.22 US$/L)
are lower than those from corn (USA, 0.25–0.40 US$/L), sugar beet (Europe,
0.43–0.73 US$/L), and lignocellulosic materials (USA, 0.43–0.93 US$/L) (Gupta
and Verma 2015). It is quite difficult to estimate the economics of bioethanol from
genetically engineered cyanobacteria. Algenol announced a production cost of
approximately 0.79 US$/L, and potential application of this method of bioethanol
production will be increased with the continuous decrease.
Fig. 5 Overall mass balance for bioethanol production from seawater and freshwater
Porphyridium cruentum (Kim et al. 2017)
244
R. G. Bastos
that a photosynthetic efficiency of 6–7% was achieved, in comparison with algal
open-pond values of 1.5%, both in outdoor conditions. The system proposed is
based on a reactor called SolarConverter® (a horizontal thin film plastic using CO 2
in a closed system and outdoor), where the mixing, culture density, and geometry
(depth and surface area) have been studied to optimize the capture and conversion
of CO 2 by an appropriate combination of the light and dark areas with the reactor.
The company estimated ethanol productivity >230,000 L/(ha year) with a production cost of US$ 0.16/L of ethanol with subsidies (US$ 0.32/L without
subsidies).
The costs of bioethanol production from sugarcane (Brazil, 0.16–0.22 US$/L)
are lower than those from corn (USA, 0.25–0.40 US$/L), sugar beet (Europe,
0.43–0.73 US$/L), and lignocellulosic materials (USA, 0.43–0.93 US$/L) (Gupta
and Verma 2015). It is quite difficult to estimate the economics of bioethanol from
genetically engineered cyanobacteria. Algenol announced a production cost of
approximately 0.79 US$/L, and potential application of this method of bioethanol
production will be increased with the continuous decrease.
Fig. 5 Overall mass balance for bioethanol production from seawater and freshwater
Porphyridium cruentum (Kim et al. 2017)
244
R. G. Bastos