(284a) Microalgae-Based CO2 Re-Utilization for Biofuels Production and Biorefinery

Considering environmental sustainability and economical feasibility, the new generation of biofuels has to be produced from non-food and low-cost feedstock. Microalgal biomass is considered the feedstock of third generation biofuels with the benefit of efficient mitigating CO₂ emissions while producing the raw materials for biofuels and other bio-based chemicals. Taiwan is located in a perfect location for microalgae cultivation with a high diversity in microalgae species. Therefore, developing microalgae industry is very promising. However, there are still challenges on developing microalgal biofuels and biorefinery technology, including low photosynthesis efficiency, low biomass concentration, difficulty in mass production and harvest. This presentation will focus on how to apply biochemical engineering tools to develop core technologies leading to efficient microalgal CO₂ fixation and biofuels/chemicals production.  This talk will also discuss our bioprocess engineering concepts and strategies that are effective in improving microalgal growth, CO₂ capture, and formation of target products (e.g., lipids, carbohydrates, pigments, and so on).  Recent progress on photobioreactor design for the production of target microalgal components as well as process integration and scale up for microalgae cultivation will be described. Recent national and industrial projects related to microalgae biofuels and biorefineries will also be briefly introduced. Finally, the perspective and vision of microalgal biofuels and biorefinery will be proposed.

Keywords: Microalgae, biofuels, biorefinery, CO₂ mitigation, photobioreactor