Which algae is used as biofuel?
Biology and Adaptation
| Microalga | Oil content (% dry weight) |
|---|---|
| Botryococcus braunii | 25-75 |
| Chlorella sp. | 28-32 |
| Crypthecodinium cohnii | 20 |
| Cylindrotheca sp. | 16-37 |
How is microalgae turned into biofuel?
Algal oils, just like oils produced by soy, canola, palm and the less-known jatropha plants, can be made good biodiesel feedstocks through transesterification. In that process, a catalyst creates a biodiesel fuel (consisting of fatty acid methyl esters) by hydrolyzing and methylating fatty acids in the oils.
Can we use microalgae to produce biofuels?
Microalgae-derived biomass can supply a wide range of biofuels such as biodiesel, bioethanol, biohydrogen, biomethane, and bioelectricity. Among all projected applications, microalgae-derived oils are the most promising for the production of biofuel (Shuba and Kifleb, 2018).
What is biofuel microalgae?
Microalgae are tiny reservoirs of a plethora of biofuels. The diverse algal biofuels range from biodiesel, straight vegetable oil (SVO), lipids, ethanol and hydrogen. Biofuels are the need of today, and researchers around the globe are exploring the options for biological fuel production.
What are the benefits of algae biofuels?
Pros of Algae Biofuel
- A Renewable Resource. Unlike fossil fuels, algae are completely renewable.
- Carbon Dioxide Neutral.
- Extremely Productive.
- Environmentally-Friendly.
- Produces Numerous Byproducts.
- Versatile Fuel Source.
- Not Enough Information.
- Large Water Demand.
Why is algae used as biofuel?
Advantages for Biofuels Algae are renewable resources for biofuels that can be grown on non‐arable lands, using saltwater or brackish water. A significant advantage of using algae for biofuels is that it need not displace farmland used for growing food sources.
How do you make algae biofuel?
Using a process called transesterification, mix barium hydroxide with the algal lipids in the presence of methanol. The barium acts as a catalyst that, over a three-hour period, causes the methanol to react with the lipids to form biofuel.
Is algae biofuel environmentally friendly?
Algae have a reduced impact on the environment compared with terrestrial sources of biomass used for biofuels [9]. They can be grown on land that would not be used for traditional agricultural, and are very efficient at removing nutrients from water.
What is bad about algae biofuel?
Algae production consumes more energy, has higher greenhouse gas emissions and uses more water than other biofuel sources, like corn, switch grass and canola, Clarens and his colleagues found by using a statistical model to compare growth data of algae with conventional crops.