Integrated Approach for Wastewater Treatment and Biofuel Production in Microalgae Biorefineries

Sanjeet Mehariya, Rahul Kumar Goswami, Pradeep Verma, Roberto Lavecchia and Antonio Zuorro
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Sanjeet Mehariya: Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
Rahul Kumar Goswami: Bioprocess and Bioenergy Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Central University of Rajasthan, Rajasthan 305817, India
Pradeep Verma: Bioprocess and Bioenergy Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Central University of Rajasthan, Rajasthan 305817, India
Roberto Lavecchia: Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Environment, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Antonio Zuorro: Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Environment, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-26

Abstract: The increasing world population generates huge amounts of wastewater as well as large energy demand. Additionally, fossil fuel’s combustion for energy production causes the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) and other pollutants. Therefore, there is a strong need to find alternative green approaches for wastewater treatment and energy production. Microalgae biorefineries could represent an effective strategy to mitigate the above problems. Microalgae biorefineries are a sustainable alternative to conventional wastewater treatment processes, as they potentially allow wastewater to be treated at lower costs and with lower energy consumption. Furthermore, they provide an effective means to recover valuable compounds for biofuel production or other applications. This review focuses on the current scenario and future prospects of microalgae biorefineries aimed at combining wastewater treatment with biofuel production. First, the different microalgal cultivation systems are examined, and their main characteristics and limitations are discussed. Then, the technologies available for converting the biomass produced during wastewater treatment into biofuel are critically analyzed. Finally, current challenges and research directions for biofuel production and wastewater treatment through this approach are outlined.

Keywords: microalgae; biorefinery; biofuels; wastewater treatment; greenhouse gases; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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