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Life cycle and techno-economic assessment of microalgal biofuels
Journal
Advanced Biofuel Technologies: Present Status, Challenges and Future Prospects
Date Issued
2021-01-01
Author(s)
Gupta, Soumyajit Sen
Shastri, Yogendra
Abstract
Advanced biofuels from microalgal feedstock are being considered for large-scale commercialization. Novel processing routes with improved yields, greater conversions, reduced reagent requirements, and shorter residence time continue to be developed. However, the commercialization potential of these technologies will depend eventually on their techno-economic feasibility. Moreover, it needs to be ascertained that these advanced biofuel technologies are indeed environmentally sustainable by conducting holistic analysis using life cycle assessment. This chapter provides a discussion on the techno-economic and life cycle assessments (TEA and LCA) of the microalgal biofuel. The work summarizes model-based economic optimization work and reports the life cycle assessment results for the process configurations identified through optimization studies. The results of economic optimization show that although microalgal biodiesel is not yet commercially feasible, its economic potential can be improved through production of co-products such as sugars and optimized scheduling of batch processes. Growth stage is identified as the biggest contributor to the overall cost. The LCA studies of selected process configurations show that life cycle impacts are dominated by growth phase, particularly through the electricity required for cultivation. Co-products again help in reducing the overall impact. Importantly, the work identifies trade-offs between costs and environmental impacts that highlight the need to perform integrated assessment.
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