Nitrogen supply is an important driver of sustainable microalgae biofuel production.

Autor: Peccia J; Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, 9 Hillhouse Avenue, P.O. Box 208286, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. Jordan.Peccia@yale.edu, Haznedaroglu B, Gutierrez J, Zimmerman JB
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Trends in biotechnology [Trends Biotechnol] 2013 Mar; Vol. 31 (3), pp. 134-8. Date of Electronic Publication: 2013 Feb 13.
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2013.01.010
Abstrakt: Favorable growth characteristics continue to generate interest in using triacylglycerides (TAGs) produced from microalgae for biodiesel feedstocks. In this opinion article, we suggest that due to the energy consumption associated with the production of external nitrogen fertilizers, the manner in which nitrogen is supplied to microalgae biorefineries will be an important driver of energy yields, sustainability, and commercial success. Schemes including the reuse of urban wastewater represent improvements on the overall energy balance, but will not allow for significant production of biofuels unless the nitrogen from the non-TAG portions of microalgae is recycled. Approaches to recycling nitrogen require an improved understanding of the tradeoffs between the different potential uses of the non-TAG microalgal portion (i.e., energy production via anaerobic digestion or thermal catalytic processes), and the development of nitrogen separation technologies.
(Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
Externí odkaz: