Microalgae biorefinery: High value products perspectives

Published Date
Bioresource Technology
April 2017, Vol.229:53–62, doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2017.01.006

Author

• Kit Wayne Chew ^a,e
• Jing Ying Yap ^a
• Pau Loke Show ^a,b
• Ng Hui Suan ^c
• Joon Ching Juan ^d,e
• Tau Chuan Ling ^f
• Duu-Jong Lee ^g
• Jo-Shu Chang ^h,i,,

• aDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
• bFood and Pharmaceutical Engineering Research Group, Molecular Pharming and Bioproduction Research Group, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
• cDepartment of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UCSI University, UCSI Heights, 56000 Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• dLaboratory of Advanced Catalysis and Environmental Technology, Monash University Sunway Campus, Malaysia
• eNanotechnology & Catalysis Research Centre (NANOCAT), University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• fInstitute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• gDepartment of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
• hDepartment of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
• iResearch Center for Energy Technology and Strategy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan

Received 26 October 2016. Revised 5 January 2017. Accepted 6 January 2017. Available online 10 January 2017. 

Highlights

• Potential of microalgae biorefinery for producing high value products is assessed.
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  Conventional processes of microalgae biorefinery are discussed.
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  Recent technologies on microalgae biorefinery are reviewed.
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  Techno-economic analysis and LCA assessment on microalgal biorefinery are addressed.
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  Advantages of microalgae biorefinery and derived high-value products are emphasized.

Abstract

Microalgae have received much interest as a biofuel feedstock in response to the uprising energy crisis, climate change and depletion of natural sources. Development of microalgal biofuels from microalgae does not satisfy the economic feasibility of overwhelming capital investments and operations. Hence, high-value co-products have been produced through the extraction of a fraction of algae to improve the economics of a microalgae biorefinery. Examples of these high-value products are pigments, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins and anti-oxidants, with applications in cosmetics, nutritional and pharmaceuticals industries. To promote the sustainability of this process, an innovative microalgae biorefinery structure is implemented through the production of multiple products in the form of high value products and biofuel. This review presents the current challenges in the extraction of high value products from microalgae and its integration in the biorefinery. The economic potential assessment of microalgae biorefinery was evaluated to highlight the feasibility of the process.

Keywords

Microalgae

Biorefinery

High value products

Extraction

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  Corresponding author at: Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1 University Road, Tainan 701, Taiwan.

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