Biofuels from microalgae-A review

Energy is essential for economic development of the world. The global economy depends on the fossil fuels but due to limited availability, land and water degradation and highly polluted limited the use of fossil fuels. Biofuel can be an alternative to reduce the dependency on fossil fuel and assist to maintain environment pollution free.Microalgae are a diverse group of prokaryotic and eukaryotic photosynthetic microorganisms that grow rapidly due to their simple structure. They can potentially be employed for the production of biofuels in an economically effective and environmentally sustainable manner. Microalgae have been investigated for the production of a number of different biofuels including biodiesel, bio-syngas, and bio-hydrogen. The production of these biofuels can be coupled with flue gas CO2 mitigation, wastewater treatment, and the production of high-value chemicals. Developments in microalga cultivation and downstream processing are expected to further enhance the cost-effectiveness of the biofuel from microalgae strategy.

Keywords:

Biofuels , Microalgae , Biodiesel , Bio-Oil