Cultivation process of microalgae using wastewater for biodiesel production and wastewater treatment: a review

Abstract

Combining microalgae cultivation with nutrient removal is a promising technique as it enables renewable energy generation with the additional potential removal of wastewater contaminants in a single process. Performance and total yield of this process are still below the standard for industrialization. Thus, optimization is needed to reach the feasibility and actualize the concept. Cultivation conditions and reactor design play essential roles in the application and feasibility of this process. Both aspects have been developed through the years to enable the industrial application of this concept. Cultivation conditions are usually categorized into trophic conditions in which each situation has its specific function and target of removal. These conditions, however, are also applied in various reactor systems. Closed photobioreactor and open pond are two central systems for the reactor. Two of the most applied reactor models in wastewater are reviewed here to create a broad picture of the algae cultivation process by emphasizing biomass production and considering different aspects.