Abstract
Biodiesel is a renewable and environmentally friendly alternative fuel, which is comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from renewable resources. However, biodiesel production is dependent on available feedstocks and the growth of biodiesel as a petroleum diesel substitute is limited by the expensive cost of feedstock. Microalgae are among the most promising of nonfood based biomass fuel feedstock alternatives. Algal biofuels production is challenged by limited oil content, growth rate and economical cultivation and extraction techniques. This article summarizes the current state of research related to potential algal strains, cultivation conditions, biomass production rates and technologies for extraction of algal oil and production of biodiesel.
Financial & competing interests disclosure
The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge financial support from the Department of Energy (Grant DE-FG36–05GO85005) for this research. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties, apart from those disclosed.
No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.