Producing Energy-Rich Microalgae Biomass for Liquid Biofuels: Influence of Strain Selection and Culture Conditions

Vladimir Heredia, Olivier Gonçalves, Luc Marchal and Jeremy Pruvost
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Vladimir Heredia: GEPEA UMR 6144, Nantes University, F-44600 Saint-Nazaire, France
Olivier Gonçalves: GEPEA UMR 6144, Nantes University, F-44600 Saint-Nazaire, France
Luc Marchal: GEPEA UMR 6144, Nantes University, F-44600 Saint-Nazaire, France
Jeremy Pruvost: GEPEA UMR 6144, Nantes University, F-44600 Saint-Nazaire, France

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-15

Abstract: Energy-storage metabolites such as neutral lipids and carbohydrates are valuable compounds for liquid biofuel production. The aim of this work is to elucidate the main biological responses of two algae species known for their effective energy-rich compound accumulation in nitrogen limitation and day–night cycles: Nannochloropsis gaditana , a seawater species, and Parachlorella kessleri , a freshwater species. Lipid and carbohydrate production are investigated, as well as cell resistance to mechanical disruption for energy-rich compound release. Nitrogen-depleted N. gaditana showed only a low consumption of energy-storage molecules with a non-significant preference for neutral lipids (TAG) and carbohydrates in day–night cycles. However, it did accumulate significantly fewer carbohydrates than P. kessleri . Following this, the highest levels of productivity for N. gaditana in chemostat cultures at four levels of nitrogen limitation were found to be 3.4 and 2.2 × 10 − 3 kg/m 2 ·d for carbohydrates and TAG, respectively, at 56% N O 3 limitation. The cell disruption rate of N. gaditana decreased along with nitrogen limitation, from 75% (at 200% N O 3 ) to 17% (at 13% N O 3 ). In the context of potentially recoverable energy for biofuels, P. kessleri showed good potential for biodiesel and high potential for bioethanol; by contrast, N. gaditana was found to be more efficient for biodiesel production only.

Keywords: renewable energies; biomass; biofuels; microalgae; energy content; bioethanol; biodiesel (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 (1)

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