Reliance Technology Group, Reliance Industries Limited, Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai-400701, India; email:
Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng. 2017 Jun 7;8:335-357. doi: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-060816-101630.
Algal oil as an alternative to fossil fuel has attracted attention since the 1940s, when it was discovered that many microalgae species can produce large amounts of lipids. Economics and energy security were the motivational factors for a spurt in algae research during the 1970s, 1990s, and early 2000s. Whenever crude prices declined, research on algae stopped. The scenario today is different. Even given low and volatile crude prices ($30-$50/barrel), interest in algae continues all over the world. Algae, with their cure-all characteristics, have the potential to provide sustainable solutions to problems in the energy-food-climate nexus. However, after years of effort, there are no signs of algae-to-biofuel technology being commercialized. This article critically reviews past work; summarizes the current status of the technology; and based on the lessons learned, provides a balanced perspective on a potential path toward commercialization of algae-to-oil technology.
藻油作为化石燃料的替代品，自 20 世纪 40 年代以来就引起了人们的关注，当时人们发现许多微藻物种可以大量产生油脂。在 20 世纪 70 年代、90 年代和 21 世纪初，经济和能源安全是藻类研究热潮的推动因素。每当原油价格下跌，藻类研究就会停止。如今的情况有所不同。即使原油价格处于低位且波动较大（每桶 30-50 美元），全球对藻类的兴趣仍在持续。藻类具有“包治百病”的特性，有可能为解决能源-粮食-气候关系中的问题提供可持续的解决方案。然而，经过多年的努力，藻类生物燃料技术仍没有商业化的迹象。本文批判性地回顾了过去的工作；总结了该技术的现状；并根据经验教训，对藻类制油技术的商业化潜在途径提供了一个平衡的视角。
