Quantifying the intrinsic value of algal biomass based on a multi-product biorefining strategy

De-risking Pretreatment of Microalgae To Produce Fuels and Chemical Co-products

“…Algal biomass is a promising resource for producing renewable fuels and chemicals, but despite decades of research, algal biorefining for biofuel production remains in a pre-commercial state. While the cost of producing algal biomass is one primary hurdle to commercialization, − the technology to convert the biomass to desired products is also in need of development. In particular, recent economic analyses have indicated that high-value co-products are necessary to offset the cost of fuel production if the fuel is to be sold at a price competitive with petroleum-derived fuels, − and while many potentially suitable co-products have been identified, , fewer have been demonstrated or validated. − The slate of co-products available in a biorefinery also depends strongly upon the fuel production pathway of choice and upstream operations, especially pretreatment of algae biomass to make fuel and co-product precursors available for separation and conversion …”

Nutrient Recovery from Algae Using Mild Oxidative Treatment and Ion Exchange

“… 13 , 15 , 16 These solids, often viewed as a lower-value substrate due to their high content of non-food-grade protein, contain substantial amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus, primarily bound in proteins and complex polyphosphates. 17 To extract and recover nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients from these solids, we developed a process using oxidation to convert these nutrients into ionic forms, making them suitable for recovery through ion exchange techniques.…”

“…Extracted algal residues are produced in fractionation-based approaches to algal conversion, such as the combined algal processing (CAP) pathway. , CAP uses a dilute acid pretreatment and solvent extraction to fractionate wet algal biomass into three distinct intermediate phases: an organic solvent containing extracted lipids, an aqueous hydrolysate enriched with soluble carbohydrates and proteins, and a residual solid phase comprised of the extracted algal residues . Processes to convert extracted lipids into renewable hydrocarbon fuels and non-isocyanate polyurethanes and ferment aqueous hydrolysates into other bioproducts are established, but the valorization of residual extracted solids remains underdeveloped. ,, These solids, often viewed as a lower-value substrate due to their high content of non-food-grade protein, contain substantial amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus, primarily bound in proteins and complex polyphosphates . To extract and recover nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients from these solids, we developed a process using oxidation to convert these nutrients into ionic forms, making them suitable for recovery through ion exchange techniques.…”