Current status and future prospects of biofuel production from brown algae in North America: Progress and challenges

Abstract

Brown algae adsorb a considerable amount of CO2 and store carbon in their biomass more than many other algae species. Nowadays, depletion of fossil fuel resources, greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and the future of human food security have encouraged scientists and policymakers to develop safer and more sustainable alternatives of energy sources. Brown algae have attracted most of this attention in North American countries to generate a wide range of products and biomass for biorefinery. In this review paper, various aspects of brown algae cultivation and its biorefinery process are discussed. Main drivers of the sectors, opportunities, challenges, and future prospects of brown algae-based biofuels in North America have been taken into account; the most appropriate processes and pathways are compared to maximize the outputs and environmental benefits, and minimize costs and drawbacks of the industry. Analysis and predictions of renewable energy future in North American countries revealed that biomass-derived fuels, including brown algae biofuels, will play an important role especially in the transportation sector. These biofuels, including bioethanol and biodiesel are accompanied by various co-products and by-products in an optimized biorefinery system to convert every available component of brown algae. However, cultivation of brown algae to produce biomass at a commercial scale with minimum costs and market demands are the main challenges of algal biofuels. Finally, expanding the value chain of the brown algae biorefinery by producing more advanced biofuels such as aviation fuels and value-added co- and by-products would significantly impact North American countries' gross domestic product.