S14: Current Status and Future Perspectives of Microalgal Mass Culture for Biofuels

Microalgae have been recognized as a potential source of biomass feedstock for biofuels and biomaterials because many species/strains possess the ability to grow rapidly, synthesize large amounts of carbon/energy reserves (e.g., triacylglycerol, starch), and utilize non-arable land, non-potable water, and waste streams (e.g., flue gases and wastewaters), and thus impose little competition with food crops. The transformation of the microalgal biofuel potential into commercial reality, however, has not been possible due to low productivity, high cost and high energy consumption associated with existing production systems and processes. While efficiency improvement and cost reduction are required to occur at every step of the value chain, considerably more R&D efforts should be made to improve microalgal mass culture, the single most critical step that ultimately determines the commercial success of microalgal biofuels. In this presentation, the current status of microalgal mass culture, including production strains, photobioreactors and cultivation processes, will be provided, many biological and engineering hurdles and challenges throughout the cultivation process will be determined, and some novel concepts and emerging technologies for improving biomass productivity will be presented. With the recent surge in public and private funding into microalgal biofuels, it is anticipated that major scientific and engineering breakthroughs and innovations in microalgal mass culture may occur in the next few years.