A review on biodiesel production by algal biomass: Outlook on lifecycle assessment and techno-economic analysis

Abstract

Depletion of fossil fuels and the need for an eco-friendly substitute has resulted in utilizing biological materials for producing biofuels. Algae is one of the biological species that act as beneficial biomass for producing biodiesel, a toxic-free alternative to commercial transportation fuels. Algae seem to be the most promising species for biodiesel production with merits such as easy cultivation, large biomass production, adaptability, etc. The main concern is the production cost and environmental conditions. This review focuses on the production of biodiesel production using algal species. The parameters affecting the algal growth such as pH, temperature, light source, and nutrient availability are discussed in detail. In addition, the factor that influences biodiesel production like oil to alcohol ratio, secretion of lipid content, nature, and catalyst type is analyzed in detail. Lifecycle assessments (LCA) on cultivation system, mode of algal growth like heterotrophic and autotrophic, and nutrient availability in the medium have been discussed in detail. The economic concerns and ecological impacts have been elaborated that resolve the challenges in algal biodiesel production. The algal community proves to be safe, non-toxic, and effective in producing biodiesel. There still exists a challenge limiting its development to large-scale commercialization.