Site selection for microalgae farming on an industrial scale in Chile

Bravo-Fritz, Cristián P.; Sáez‐Navarrete, César; Zeppelin, Leandro A. Herrera; Ginocchio, Rosanna

doi:10.1016/j.algal.2015.07.012

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Three main objectives were considered in the analysis: maximization of profitability in microalgal biodiesel production, minimization of direct competition with food production, and minimization of direct impacts on biodiversity (Figure S1). Based on the reviewed literature (Bennett, Turn, & Chan, ; Borowitzka et al, ; Boruff, Moheimani, & Borowitzka, ; Bravo‐Fritz, Sáez‐Navarrete, Herrera, & Ginocchio, ; Chiu & Wu, ; Coleman et al, ; Fortier & Sturm, ; Klise, Roach, & Passell, ; Lundquist et al, ; Mohseni, Pishvaee, & Sahebi, ; Niblick & Landis, ; Orfield et al, ; Prasad, Pullar, & Pratt, ; Quinn, Catton, Johnson, & Bradley, ; Quinn, Catton, Wagner, & Bradley, ; Roostaei & Zhang, ; Sharma et al, ; Venteris, McBride, Coleman, Skaggs, & Wigmosta, ; Venteris, Skaggs, Coleman, & Wigmosta, , ; Venteris et al, ; Venteris, Skaggs, Wigmosta, & Coleman, ; Wigmosta, Coleman, Skaggs, Huesemann, & Lane, ), a set of attributes that capture the complexity of microalgal biodiesel production were selected, either because they are essential for microalgal cultivation or because they have shown to maximize the profitability of microalgal biodiesel production (Sharma et al, ): water availability, lipid productivity, availability of flat lands, proximity to main transport networks (i.e., main roads and railroads), GNI per capita (used as a substitute for the availability of low labor costs), and proximity to known industrial CO 2 sources. Water availability is essential for microalgal cultivation (Chisti, ; Schenk et al, ) while lipid productivity is proportional to biodiesel production, increasing the profitability of microalgal biofuel production (Moody, McGinty, & Quinn, ; Quinn, Winter, & Bradley, ; Slade & Bauen, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global mapping of cost‐effective microalgal biofuel production areas with minimal environmental impact

et al. 2019

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Sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels are urgently needed to avoid severe climate impacts and further environmental degradation. Microalgae are one of the most productive crops globally and do not need to compete for arable land or freshwater resources. Hence, they may become a promising, more sustainable cultivation alternative for the large‐scale production of biofuels provided that substantial reductions are achieved in their production costs. In this study, we identify the most suitable areas globally for siting microalgal farms for biodiesel production that maximize profitability and minimize direct competition with food production and direct impacts on biodiversity, based on a spatially explicit multiple‐criteria decision analysis. We further explore the relationships between microalgal production, agricultural value, and biodiversity, and propose several solutions for siting microalgal production farms, based on current and future targets in energy production using integer linear programming. If using seawater for microalgal cultivation, biodiesel production could reach 5.85 × 1011 L/year based on top suitable lands (i.e., between 13% and 16% of total transport energy demands in 2030) without directly competing with food production and areas of high biodiversity value. These areas are particularly abundant in the dry coasts of North and East Africa, the Middle East, and western South America. This is the first global analysis that incorporates economic and environmental feasibility for microalgal production sites. Our results can guide the selection of best locations for biofuel production using microalgae while minimizing conflicts with food production and biodiversity conservation.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global mapping of cost‐effective microalgal biofuel production areas with minimal environmental impact

et al. 2019

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“…This regional variation in sunlight can drive an increase in productivity from 3.6 to 7.7 g m −2 per day based on historical productivity observed in Chrysotila criteria and Tetraselmis spp 17 . Microalgae farming assessments in Chile identified primarily coastal desert regions as suitable locations for large-scale culture facilities using 165 W m −2 average annual irradiance as the threshold minimum 18 . Increasing access to historical irradiance data for thousands of locations worldwide has enabled greater insight into global weather trends and irradiances driving improvement in global site selection assesments 19 20 .…”

Section: Managing Light Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photon management for augmented photosynthesis

et al. 2016

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Microalgae and cyanobacteria are some of nature's finest examples of solar energy conversion systems, effortlessly transforming inorganic carbon into complex molecules through photosynthesis. The efficiency of energy-dense hydrocarbon production by photosynthetic organisms is determined in part by the light collected by the microorganisms. Therefore, optical engineering has the potential to increase the productivity of algae cultivation systems used for industrial-scale biofuel synthesis. Herein, we explore and report emerging and promising material science and engineering innovations for augmenting microalgal photosynthesis.

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“…However, for both plants and the most commonly-used photosynthetic microbes, the demands for large spaces and copious amounts of freshwater pose challenges for keeping production costs low. The use of cyanobacteria growing in saltwater, with potential recycling of wastewater and use of non-arable land, would reduce both costs and environmental impacts [ 120 ]. Many isolates of marine cyanobacteria also display small streamlined genomes (<3.0 Mb) [ 121 ] and simplified cell-walls and storage polymers [ 112 ] relative to their eukaryote counterparts, which make them promising platforms for genetic and metabolic engineering to optimize the production of biomass, as well as yield and the recovery of secondary metabolites.…”

Section: Biotechnological Applications For Marine Cyanobacterial Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Tiny Microbes with a Big Impact: The Role of Cyanobacteria and Their Metabolites in Shaping Our Future

et al. 2016

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Cyanobacteria are among the first microorganisms to have inhabited the Earth. Throughout the last few billion years, they have played a major role in shaping the Earth as the planet we live in, and they continue to play a significant role in our everyday lives. Besides being an essential source of atmospheric oxygen, marine cyanobacteria are prolific secondary metabolite producers, often despite the exceptionally small genomes. Secondary metabolites produced by these organisms are diverse and complex; these include compounds, such as pigments and fluorescent dyes, as well as biologically-active compounds with a particular interest for the pharmaceutical industry. Cyanobacteria are currently regarded as an important source of nutrients and biofuels and form an integral part of novel innovative energy-efficient designs. Being autotrophic organisms, cyanobacteria are well suited for large-scale biotechnological applications due to the low requirements for organic nutrients. Recent advances in molecular biology techniques have considerably enhanced the potential for industries to optimize the production of cyanobacteria secondary metabolites with desired functions. This manuscript reviews the environmental role of marine cyanobacteria with a particular focus on their secondary metabolites and discusses current and future developments in both the production of desired cyanobacterial metabolites and their potential uses in future innovative projects.

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Site selection for microalgae farming on an industrial scale in Chile

Cited by 10 publications

References 27 publications

Global mapping of cost‐effective microalgal biofuel production areas with minimal environmental impact

Global mapping of cost‐effective microalgal biofuel production areas with minimal environmental impact

Photon management for augmented photosynthesis

Tiny Microbes with a Big Impact: The Role of Cyanobacteria and Their Metabolites in Shaping Our Future

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