Marangon B B, Magalhães I B, Pereira A S A P, Silva T A, Gama R C N, Ferreira J, Castro J S, Assis L R, Lorentz J F, Calijuri M L
Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa (Universidade Federal de Viçosa/UFV), Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, S/n, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil.
Chemosphere. 2023 Jun;326:138447. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138447. Epub 2023 Mar 20.
Microalgae biomass is a versatile feedstock with a variable composition that can be submitted to several conversion routes. Considering the increasing energy demand and the context of third-generation biofuels, algae can fulfill the increasing global demand for energy with the additional benefit of environmental impact mitigation. While biodiesel and biogas are widely consolidated and reviewed, emerging algal-based biofuels such as biohydrogen, biokerosene, and biomethane are cutting-edge technologies in earlier stages of development. In this context, the present study covers their theoretical and practical conversion technologies, environmental hotspots, and cost-effectiveness. Scaling-up considerations are also addressed, mainly through Life Cycle Assessment results and interpretation. Discussions on the current literature for each biofuel directs researchers towards challenges such as optimized pretreatment methods for biohydrogen and optimized catalyst for biokerosene, besides encouraging pilot and industrial scale studies for all biofuels. While presenting studies for larger scales, biomethane still needs continuous operation results to consolidate the technology further. Additionally, environmental improvements on all three routes are discussed in light of life-cycle models, highlighting the ample research opportunities on wastewater-grown microalgae biomass.
微藻生物质是一种用途广泛的原料，其成分可变，可采用多种转化途径。考虑到不断增长的能源需求以及第三代生物燃料的背景，藻类能够满足全球日益增长的能源需求，同时还具有减轻环境影响的额外益处。虽然生物柴油和沼气已得到广泛应用和研究，但新兴的基于藻类的生物燃料，如生物氢、生物煤油和生物甲烷，仍处于早期开发阶段的前沿技术。在此背景下，本研究涵盖了它们的理论和实际转化技术、环境热点问题以及成本效益。还讨论了扩大规模的考虑因素，主要通过生命周期评估结果和解读来进行。对每种生物燃料当前文献的讨论，除了鼓励对所有生物燃料进行中试和工业规模研究外，还引导研究人员关注诸如生物氢的优化预处理方法和生物煤油的优化催化剂等挑战。在介绍大规模研究时，生物甲烷仍需要连续运行结果来进一步巩固该技术。此外，根据生命周期模型讨论了所有这三种途径的环境改善情况，突出了利用废水培养的微藻生物质的大量研究机会。
