State of the art in Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Storage Systems

1. Abstract

Microalgae usage on Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) technology is a very

important process nowadays considering how vital it is for us to mititgate the CO2
emissions and therefore the greenhouse effect. It is a extremely promosing because of
its low cost and useful products being able to be produced with the residues.

This technology consists in sequestering the CO2 produced form companies and air
and convert it through the photosynthesis cycle into many important products such as
fertilizers or animal feed but the most important ones being biofuels. Which gives us an
alternative to fossil fuels. Although there is a lot of advantages to this very promising
technology, there are still some challenges that scientists and engineers have to face in
order to reach an optimal process. Overall, the potential of CCu technology using
microalgae as an absorber somehow leads us to a more sustainable future therefore
further research in this topic is needed for it to reach its full potential.

2. Introduction

According to the United Nations report on climate change done in 2021, carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions are the most problematic gas when speaking about global warming
and the greenhouse effect. In the said meeting, 197 countries sign an agreement
stating how important it was to take action in CO2 emission reduction as soon as
possible and committing to work with each country’s private sector to achieve it. With
this, the main goal was to prevent a rise in temperature higher than 1.5 degrees by the
year 2030.

When speaking about CO2 emission reduction, CCU technology is one of the most
important ways of reducing them. Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) is based on
capturing CO2, storing it and using it to produce useful products for human beings.

CO2 can be sequestered by many different sources, such as manufacturing factories,

industrial companies, or even naturally from the air.

One of the rising technologies available for capturing and utilization of CO2 is using
microalgae as a capturing agent. Microalgae are micro celled organisms that can be
found in a wide range of environments such as freshwater, seawater, and wastewater.
Microalgae and their ability to absorb CO2 while producing biofuel or biomass are
being researched as a very important candidates to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions.

Due to their unique characteristics, microalgae as a CCU technology has some great
advantages to it such as its capacity of absorbing almost 400 times as much CO2 as a
regular tree or the low cost of production involved with the process because of its basic
survival needs. But unfortunately, there are some disadvantages as well. Microalgae
are usually cultivated in open ponds therefore they need a relatively extensive area,
and have to be taken care of.

3. Development

Microalgae in CCU Technology currently:

Closed reactors and open ponds are the two most common techniques used for
cultivating microalgae for CCU usage. The simplest cultivation system is the open
pond, they require close to no energy and their operation and installation cost are very
low but at the same time they are prone to animal interference, bacterial contamination
and also require extensive areas for installation therefore they are not very efficient
economically.

As we can see, open ponds require some special needs and therefore come with its
limitations, the closed photo bioreactors were developed to fulfil this limitations. There
is no evaporation therefore more control in the water usage and also more controlled
ecosystem. This means that nutrients and growth are more under controlled and have
less possible problems.

Photo bioreactors also have better area efficiency. Because they can have many
different types of configurations. For example they can have a tubular configuration,
plastic bags configurations, vertical tanks or even plates so there is more versatility as
well.

Although bioreactors are more efficient than open ponds, they also present some
important drabacks like their uneven level of sunlight that they get throughout the
reactor because of their configuration. This is really important because without the sun,
the microalgae would not receive all the needed nutrients and therefore would not grow
as planned.

The process:

As we said before, the CO2 emissions can come from several sources, it could be air,
flue gases from manufacturing industries, carbonates, or even wastewater. The CO2 is
absorbed by the Microalgaes with the help of the needed environment such as sun and
nutrients. Once the microalgae is matured it transforms into biomass which can next
turn into different useful products for people such as biofuel, biogas, or even animal
food or human supplements such as vitamins that we consume.

Depending on the desired product, the process after the biomass attainment will vary
between pyrolysis, gasification, fermentation or even hydrothermal liquefaction.

It is also important to clarify that from biofuels CO2 is also produced when transformed
into energy, therefore the cycle closes when we are able to reuse de CO2 and at the
same time get profit out of it.
At the moment, the CCU technology surrounding microalgae can be divided into three
different stages, CO2 capture, microalgae cultivation and biofuel production:

1. CO2 Capture: The first stage of CO2 capture involves the selection of the
appropriate CO2 source, after which the CO2 gets captured in order to get
purified. The most common CO2 sources are industrial flue gases, which are
produced from power plants, cement factories, and other industrial processes.
The captured CO2 must be purified to remove impurities such as sulfur oxides,
nitrogen oxides, and water vapor, which can interfere with microalgae growth.
The purified CO2 is then compressed to the appropriate pressure for transport
to the microalgae cultivation stage.

2. Microalgae Cultivation: The second stage of microalgae cultivation involves the

selection of the appropriate microalgae species, followed by the growth and
cultivation of the microalgae using the captured CO2 and other nutrients. The
selection of the microalgae species depends on factors such as growth rate,
lipid content, biomass productivity, and resistance to contamination. Microalgae
can be cultivated in open ponds or closed photobioreactors. Open ponds are
typically larger and more cost-effective, but they are also more vulnerable to
contamination and require more land area.

Closed photobioreactors are more expensive to build and operate but offer
better control over growth conditions and are less susceptible to contamination.
The cultivation stage also involves the monitoring of growth conditions such as
temperature, light intensity, pH, and nutrient concentrations to optimize
microalgae growth and productivity.

3. Biofuel Production: The final stage of biofuel production involves the extraction
of lipids from the microalgae biomass, followed by the conversion of the
extracted lipids into biodiesel or other biofuels. Lipid extraction can be done
using various methods, such as solvent extraction, mechanical pressing, or
supercritical fluid extraction.

The extracted lipids are then converted into biofuels using various processes
such as transesterification, hydrodeoxygenation, or pyrolysis.
Transesterification is the most common method used for biodiesel production,
in which the extracted lipids are reacted with an alcohol such as methanol or
ethanol in the presence of a catalyst to produce biodiesel and glycerol.

Fermentation involves using microorganisms to convert the microalgae biomass

into bioethanol or other products. The biofuel production stage can also
generate by-products such as protein-rich meal, which can be used as animal
feed, or other high-value chemicals.

Advantages and disadvantages to Microalgae in CCU technology

Advantages
  High CO2 capture efficiency: Microalgae are highly efficient at converting CO2
into biomass, with some strains of microalgae able to capture up to 90% of the
CO2 in their environment.

 Versatile feedstock: Microalgae can be grown using a wide range of feedstocks,

including CO2 from flue gases, wastewater, and nutrients from agricultural
runoff. This makes microalgae a highly versatile and adaptable feedstock for
CCU technology.

 Fast growth rate: Microalgae have a fast growth rate, with some strains able to
double their biomass in a matter of hours. This allows for rapid biomass
accumulation and high productivity.

 Low land use: Microalgae can be grown in open ponds or closed

photobioreactors, which require less land area than other biofuel feedstocks
such as corn or soybeans. This makes microalgae a more space-efficient option
for CCU technology.

Disadvantages

 High capital and operating costs: The cost of building and operating a
microalgae cultivation facility can be high, particularly for closed
photobioreactors. This can make the technology less economically competitive
than other biofuel feedstocks.

 Energy-intensive: Microalgae cultivation and biofuel production can be energy-

intensive processes, particularly for harvesting and lipid extraction. This can
offset some of the environmental benefits of the technology.

 Vulnerability to contamination: Microalgae cultivation can be vulnerable to

contamination by other microorganisms, which can reduce productivity and
quality. This can require additional efforts to maintain optimal growth conditions
and prevent contamination.

 Technical challenges: Microalgae cultivation and biofuel production are complex

processes that require specialized knowledge and skills. Technical challenges
such as strain selection, growth optimization, and lipid extraction can require
significant research and development efforts.
 Overall, microalgae have several advantages as a CCU technology, but there
are also challenges and limitations that must be addressed to make the
technology commercially viable and sustainable.

4. Conclusions

CCU (Carbon Capture and Utilization) technology using microalgae is a promising

approach to mitigating carbon emissions and contributing to a sustainable future. The
technology involves capturing carbon dioxide from industrial emissions and using it to
grow microalgae, which can be processed into a variety of valuable products, such as
biofuels, animal feed, and fertilizers.

One of the major benefits of CCU technology using microalgae is its potential to create
a closed-loop carbon cycle, where the carbon dioxide emitted by industries is reused
and converted into useful products, rather than being released into the atmosphere.
Additionally, the technology can help reduce the dependency on fossil fuels and
mitigate the environmental impact of traditional agriculture.

However, there are still some challenges to overcome, such as optimizing the
efficiency of the microalgae cultivation process, reducing the energy required for the
production, and scaling up the technology to meet the demand of large-scale industrial
operations.

Overall, CCU technology using microalgae shows great potential for addressing climate
change and advancing a sustainable future, but further research and development are
needed to fully realize its potential.

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