Co-digestion strategies to enhance microalgae anaerobic digestion: A review

Solé-Bundó, Maria; Passos, Fabiana; Romero-Güiza, M.S.; Ferrer, Ivet; Astals, Sergi

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2019.05.036

Cited by 120 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 127 publications

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“…Therefore, digestion of microalgal biomass can be overcome through digestion with a carbon-rich waste as co-substrate, increasing their methane yield [8][9][10]. The favorable effect of anaerobic digestion of microalgae was recently reported by Solé-Bundó et al [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Biogas production from anaerobic digestion of solid microalgae residues generated on different processes of microalgae-to-biofuel production

Torres

Padrino

Brito

et al. 2021

Biomass Conv. Bioref.

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In this work, the anaerobic digestion of three microalgae (Chlorella sp., Nannochloropsis sp., and Scenedesmus sp.) and their residues, resulting from the oil extraction process and the in situ transesterification reaction for biodiesel production, using two inoculums (sewage sludge and poultry manure) for biogas production was investigated. It was found that the biogas production from digestion of oil-extracted microalgae residue with sewage sludge reached values similar to those obtained with raw microalgae (around 500 NL kg−1 VS). Both the volume of biogas generated from the microalgae residue from the extraction process of its oil and the quality of the biogas produced reflect the value of this residue to be valorized by anaerobic digestion. This approach based on a biorefinery concept and focusing on the anaerobic digestion process could be a key technology for energy production from biomass.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Biogas production from anaerobic digestion of solid microalgae residues generated on different processes of microalgae-to-biofuel production

Torres

Padrino

Brito

et al. 2021

Biomass Conv. Bioref.

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“…In addition, the AD process can be used for nutrient recycling from wastewater, and after, AD process treated water could be recycled for microalgae cultivation [99,100]. In most of the investigations for biogas production using microalgal biomass, it has been carried out via methanogenesis in co-digestion system with sewage sludge (SS) or with other co-substrates [101]. Solé-Bundó et al [102] investigated the effect of co-digestion of microalgae biomass and primary sludge (PS) on biogas productivity as well as on microcontaminants removal efficiency.…”

Section: Biogasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrated Approach for Wastewater Treatment and Biofuel Production in Microalgae Biorefineries

et al. 2021

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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.

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“…Another strategy for improving the anaerobic digestion performance would be the co-digestion with carbon-rich substrates, as agricultural biomass, to counter-balance the low C/N ratio of microalgae [41]. Indeed, the C/N ratio of pretreated microalgal biomass was fairly low, ranging from 4 to 10 (Figure 7), as a result of the high protein concentration in cells.…”

Section: Anaerobic Digestion Performance and Biogas Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scaling-Up the Anaerobic Digestion of Pretreated Microalgal Biomass within a Water Resource Recovery Facility

et al. 2020

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Microalgae-based wastewater treatment plants are low-cost alternatives for recovering nutrients from contaminated effluents through microalgal biomass, which may be subsequently processed into valuable bioproducts and bioenergy. Anaerobic digestion for biogas and biomethane production is the most straightforward and applicable technology for bioenergy recovery. However, pretreatment techniques may be needed to enhance the anaerobic biodegradability of microalgae. To date, very few full-scale systems have been put through, due to acknowledged bottlenecks such as low biomass concentration after conventional harvesting and inefficient processing into valuable products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anaerobic digestion of pretreated microalgal biomass in a demonstration-scale microalgae biorefinery, and to compare the results obtained with previous research conducted at lab-scale, in order to assess the scalability of this bioprocess. In the lab-scale experiments, real municipal wastewater was treated in high rate algal ponds (2 × 0.47 m3), and harvested microalgal biomass was thickened and digested to produce biogas. It was observed how the methane yield increased by 67% after implementing a thermal pretreatment step (at 75 °C for 10 h), and therefore the very same pretreatment was applied in the demonstration-scale study. In this case, agricultural runoff was treated in semi-closed tubular photobioreactors (3 × 11.7 m3), and harvested microalgal biomass was thickened and thermally pretreated before undergoing the anaerobic digestion to produce biogas. The results showed a VS removal of 70% in the reactor and a methane yield up to 0.24 L CH4/g VS, which were similar to the lab-scale results. Furthermore, photosynthetic biogas upgrading led to the production of biomethane, while the digestate was treated in a constructed wetland to obtain a biofertilizer. In this way, the demonstration-scale plant evidenced the feasibility of recovering resources (biomethane and biofertilizer) from agricultural runoff using microalgae-based systems coupled with anaerobic digestion of the microalgal biomass.

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Co-digestion strategies to enhance microalgae anaerobic digestion: A review

Cited by 120 publications

References 127 publications

Biogas production from anaerobic digestion of solid microalgae residues generated on different processes of microalgae-to-biofuel production

Biogas production from anaerobic digestion of solid microalgae residues generated on different processes of microalgae-to-biofuel production

Integrated Approach for Wastewater Treatment and Biofuel Production in Microalgae Biorefineries

Scaling-Up the Anaerobic Digestion of Pretreated Microalgal Biomass within a Water Resource Recovery Facility

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