Abstract
Cultivation, harvest, and dewatering of microalgae have many challenges due to the low biomass concentration (0.5–1 g/L) in open ponds and conventionally closed photobioreactors. Membrane technologies have been widely used in various stages of microalgal biomass production and concentration for process intensification. This paper provides a state-of-the-art review of recent progress (2014-present) in the application of membrane technology in microalgae cultivation, harvest, and dewatering. The application of membranes in microalgae cultivation and factors that affect microalgae growth are systematically reviewed and discussed. Also, membrane filtration processes for microalgae dewatering and major factors affecting the efficiency of microalgal dewatering are summarized and discussed. Moreover, the economics of membrane filtration, research gaps, and membrane fouling issues in microalgal systems are identified and discussed. Membrane technologies have shown a bright future in microalgal biorefinery.
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