Fuels from microalgae: Technology status, potential, and research requirements

Abstract

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The effects of abscisic acid, salicylic acid and jasmonic acid on lipid accumulation in two freshwater <i>Chlorella</i> strains

“…The two best ways to decrease cost are to enhance the lipid concentration within algae cells and to accelerate the accumulation of algae biomass. After detailed and careful research and analyses, Neenan et al (1986) concluded that only if the lipid concentration achieved 50-60% of algae dry biomass would algal biodiesel be competitive compared with fossil energy. Therefore, increasing lipid production is an efficient method for lowering the cost and accelerating the process of commercial algae biodiesel production.…”

Lipid accumulation and growth characteristics of Chlorella zofingiensis under different nitrate and phosphate concentrations

“…For microalgal lipids to be cost competitive as a biofuel source, a feedstock organism should contain high lipid contents (21). Our results demonstrated that the lipid content of C. zofingiensis was evidently higher than those of some other Chlorella strains, such as, Chlorella minutissima (57%) (4), Chlorella emersonii (63%) (4), Chlorella vulgaris (58%) (22), C. vulgaris (56.6%) (23), Chlorella protothecoidesa (57.8%) (5).…”

Systems and economic analysis of microalgae ponds for conversion of CO{sub 2} to biomass. Final report

“…The Neenan et al (1986) report, which emphasized the algal biomass to fuel conversion processes, also specified a soybean process, without discussion of its applicability. They called for evaluation of alternative solvents, but that approach is not credible, as from laboratory experiments the solvent to biomass ratios required are very high, for any solvent tested (and all likely ones have been), and the extraction conditions, required to recover lipids from microalgae would be difficult to scale-up (Benemann, et al, 1984).…”

“…Thus, in this most critical area, no credible technical approach has been developed previously. In this regards, it Neenan et al (1986) study used a fixed composition biomass (30% lipid, 20% carbohydrate, 32% protein) for all the conversion processes, a composition neither optimal for lipid production nor realistic for ethanol recovery, the two major products of interest. Also, the actual costs for processing lipid triglycerides to higher value fuels (e.g.…”

“…This is appropriate for a speculative commercial investment, but does not reflect long-term investment costs in mature technologies, which this report attempts to project. Neenan, et al (1986) used an economic model, also used in the 1987 study (and by Kadam, 1994), which contains many assumptions (such as common to preferred stock, debt to equity ratios, tax rates, escalation factors, etc.). That model appeared to have an overall capital charge of 20% (including depreciation).…”