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Shaw WJ, Kidder MK, Bare SR, Delferro M, Morris JR, Toma FM, Senanayake SD, Autrey T, Biddinger EJ, Boettcher S, Bowden ME, Britt PF, Brown RC, Bullock RM, Chen JG, Daniel C, Dorhout PK, Efroymson RA, Gaffney KJ, Gagliardi L, Harper AS, Heldebrant DJ, Luca OR, Lyubovsky M, Male JL, Miller DJ, Prozorov T, Rallo R, Rana R, Rioux RM, Sadow AD, Schaidle JA, Schulte LA, Tarpeh WA, Vlachos DG, Vogt BD, Weber RS, Yang JY, Arenholz E, Helms BA, Huang W, Jordahl JL, Karakaya C, Kian KC, Kothandaraman J, Lercher J, Liu P, Malhotra D, Mueller KT, O'Brien CP, Palomino RM, Qi L, Rodriguez JA, Rousseau R, Russell JC, Sarazen ML, Sholl DS, Smith EA, Stevens MB, Surendranath Y, Tassone CJ, Tran B, Tumas W, Walton KS. A US perspective on closing the carbon cycle to defossilize difficult-to-electrify segments of our economy. Nat Rev Chem 2024; 8:376-400. [PMID: 38693313 DOI: 10.1038/s41570-024-00587-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Electrification to reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions is essential to mitigate climate change. However, a substantial portion of our manufacturing and transportation infrastructure will be difficult to electrify and/or will continue to use carbon as a key component, including areas in aviation, heavy-duty and marine transportation, and the chemical industry. In this Roadmap, we explore how multidisciplinary approaches will enable us to close the carbon cycle and create a circular economy by defossilizing these difficult-to-electrify areas and those that will continue to need carbon. We discuss two approaches for this: developing carbon alternatives and improving our ability to reuse carbon, enabled by separations. Furthermore, we posit that co-design and use-driven fundamental science are essential to reach aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy J Shaw
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
| | | | - Simon R Bare
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
| | | | | | - Francesca M Toma
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Institute of Functional Materials for Sustainability, Helmholtz Zentrum Hereon, Teltow, Brandenburg, Germany.
| | | | - Tom Autrey
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | | | - Shannon Boettcher
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Mark E Bowden
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | | | - Robert C Brown
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | - Jingguang G Chen
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Peter K Dorhout
- Vice President for Research, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | | | - Laura Gagliardi
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Aaron S Harper
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - David J Heldebrant
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
- Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Oana R Luca
- Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | - Jonathan L Male
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
- Biological Systems Engineering Department, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Robert Rallo
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Rachita Rana
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Robert M Rioux
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Aaron D Sadow
- Ames National Laboratory, Ames, IA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | - Lisa A Schulte
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - William A Tarpeh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Dionisios G Vlachos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Bryan D Vogt
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Robert S Weber
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Jenny Y Yang
- Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Elke Arenholz
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Brett A Helms
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Wenyu Huang
- Ames National Laboratory, Ames, IA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - James L Jordahl
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | - Kourosh Cyrus Kian
- Independent consultant, Washington DC, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
| | | | - Johannes Lercher
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ping Liu
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA
| | | | - Karl T Mueller
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - Casey P O'Brien
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | | | - Long Qi
- Ames National Laboratory, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | | | - Jake C Russell
- Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy, Department of Energy, Washington DC, USA
| | - Michele L Sarazen
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | - Emily A Smith
- Ames National Laboratory, Ames, IA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | - Yogesh Surendranath
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Ba Tran
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA
| | - William Tumas
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA
| | - Krista S Walton
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Cheirsilp B, Maneechote W, Srinuanpan S, Angelidaki I. Microalgae as tools for bio-circular-green economy: Zero-waste approaches for sustainable production and biorefineries of microalgal biomass. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2023; 387:129620. [PMID: 37544540 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Microalgae are promising organisms that are rapidly gaining much attention due to their numerous advantages and applications, especially in biorefineries for various bioenergy and biochemicals. This review focuses on the microalgae contributions to Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy, in which zero-waste approaches for sustainable production and biorefineries of microalgal biomass are introduced and their possible integration is discussed. Firstly, overviews of wastewater upcycling and greenhouse gas capture by microalgae are given. Then, a variety of valuable products from microalgal biomass, e.g., pigments, vitamins, proteins/peptides, carbohydrates, lipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and exopolysaccharides, are summarized to emphasize their biorefinery potential. Techno-economic and environmental analyses have been used to evaluate sustainability of microalgal biomass production systems. Finally, key issues, future perspectives, and challenges for zero-waste microalgal biorefineries, e.g., cost-effective techniques and innovative integrations with other viable processes, are discussed. These strategies not only make microalgae-based industries commercially feasible and sustainable but also reduce environmental impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamas Cheirsilp
- Program of Biotechnology, Center of Excellence in Innovative Biotechnology for Sustainable Utilization of Bioresources, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand.
| | - Wageeporn Maneechote
- Program of Biotechnology, Center of Excellence in Innovative Biotechnology for Sustainable Utilization of Bioresources, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand
| | - Sirasit Srinuanpan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Microbial Diversity and Sustainable Utilization, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Chiang Mai Research Group for Carbon Capture and Storage, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Materials Science and Technology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
| | - Irini Angelidaki
- Program of Biotechnology, Center of Excellence in Innovative Biotechnology for Sustainable Utilization of Bioresources, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90110, Thailand; Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs Lyngby DK-2800, Denmark
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3
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Li S, Wu Y, Dao MU, Dragoi EN, Xia C. Spotlighting of the role of catalysis for biomass conversion to green fuels towards a sustainable environment: Latest innovation avenues, insights, challenges, and future perspectives. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 318:137954. [PMID: 36702404 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Recently, extensive resources were dedicated to studying how to use catalysis to convert biomass into environmentally friendly fuels. Problems with this technology include the processing of lignocellulosic sources and the development/optimization of novel porous materials as efficient monofunctional and bifunctional catalysts for biomass fuel production. This paper reviews recent advancements in catalysts procedures. Besides, it offers assessments of the methods used in catalytic biomass pyrolysis. Understanding the catalytic conversion process of lignocellulosic biomass into bio-oil remains a key research challenge in biomass catalytic pyrolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suiyi Li
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210037, China
| | - Yingji Wu
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210037, China
| | - My Uyen Dao
- Center for Advanced Chemistry, Institute of Research & Development, Duy Tan University, Danang, 550000, Viet Nam; Faculty of Natural Sciences, Duy Tan University, Danang, 550000, Viet Nam.
| | - Elena-Niculina Dragoi
- "Cristofor Simionescu" Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University, Iasi, Bld Mangeron No 73, 700050, Romania
| | - Changlei Xia
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, International Innovation Center for Forest Chemicals and Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210037, China
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Satya ADM, Cheah WY, Yazdi SK, Cheng YS, Khoo KS, Vo DVN, Bui XD, Vithanage M, Show PL. Progress on microalgae cultivation in wastewater for bioremediation and circular bioeconomy. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 218:114948. [PMID: 36455634 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Water usage increased alongside its competitiveness due to its finite amount. Yet, many industries still rely on this finite resource thus recalling the need to recirculate their water for production. Circular bioeconomy is presently the new approach emphasizing on the 'end-of-life' concept with reusing, recycling, and recovering materials. Microalgae are the ideal source contributing to circular bioeconomy as it exhibits fast growth and adaptability supported by biological rigidity which in turn consumes nutrients, making it an ideal and capable bioremediating agent, therefore allowing water re-use as well as its biomass potential in biorefineries. Nevertheless, there are challenges that still need to be addressed with consideration of recent advances in cultivating microalgae in wastewater. This review aimed to investigate the potential of microalgae biomass cultivated in wastewater. More importantly, how it'll play a role in the circular bioeconomy. This includes an in-depth look at the production of goods coming from wastes tattered by emerging pollutants. These emerging pollutants include microplastics, antibiotics, ever-increasingly sewage water, and heavy metals which have not been comprehensively compared and explored. Therefore, this review is aiming to bring new insights to researchers and industrial stakeholders with interest in green alternatives to eventually contribute towards environmental sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azalea Dyah Maysarah Satya
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Wai Yan Cheah
- Centre of Research in Development, Social and Environment (SEEDS), Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, UKM, Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
| | - Sara Kazemi Yazdi
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Yu-Shen Cheng
- College of Future, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, 123 University Road Section 3, Douliou, 64002, Yunlin, Taiwan; Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, 123 University Road Section 3, Douliou, 64002, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | - Kuan Shiong Khoo
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Dai-Viet N Vo
- Institute of Applied Technology and Sustainable Development, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, Ho Chi Minh City, 755414, Viet Nam
| | - Xuan Dong Bui
- The University of Danang, University of Science and Technology, 54 Nguyen Luong Bang st., 550 000, Danang, Viet Nam
| | - Meththika Vithanage
- Ecosphere Resilience Research Center, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, 10250, Sri Lanka
| | - Pau Loke Show
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500, Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia; Department of Sustainable Engineering, Saveetha School of Engineering, SIMATS, Chennai, 602105, India; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Subtropical Water Environment and Marine Biological Resources Protection, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, 325035, China.
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Cultivation and Biorefinery of Microalgae (Chlorella sp.) for Producing Biofuels and Other Byproducts: A Review. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su132313480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Microalgae-based carbon dioxide (CO2) biofixation and biorefinery are the most efficient methods of biological CO2 reduction and reutilization. The diversification and high-value byproducts of microalgal biomass, known as microalgae-based biorefinery, are considered the most promising platforms for the sustainable development of energy and the environment, in addition to the improvement and integration of microalgal cultivation, scale-up, harvest, and extraction technologies. In this review, the factors influencing CO2 biofixation by microalgae, including microalgal strains, flue gas, wastewater, light, pH, temperature, and microalgae cultivation systems are summarized. Moreover, the biorefinery of Chlorella biomass for producing biofuels and its byproducts, such as fine chemicals, feed additives, and high-value products, are also discussed. The technical and economic assessments (TEAs) and life cycle assessments (LCAs) are introduced to evaluate the sustainability of microalgae CO2 fixation technology. This review provides detailed insights on the adjusted factors of microalgal cultivation to establish sustainable biological CO2 fixation technology, and the diversified applications of microalgal biomass in biorefinery. The economic and environmental sustainability, and the limitations and needs of microalgal CO2 fixation, are discussed. Finally, future research directions are provided for CO2 reduction by microalgae.
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Zapata-Boada S, Gonzalez-Miquel M, Jobson M, Cuéllar-Franca RM. A Methodology to Evaluate Solvent Extraction-Based Processes Considering Techno-Economic and Environmental Sustainability Criteria for Biorefinery Applications. Ind Eng Chem Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.1c02907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Zapata-Boada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - María Gonzalez-Miquel
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, United Kingdom
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Megan Jobson
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Rosa M. Cuéllar-Franca
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, M13 9PL Manchester, United Kingdom
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Marangon BB, Calijuri ML, Castro JDS, Assemany PP. A life cycle assessment of energy recovery using briquette from wastewater grown microalgae biomass. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 285:112171. [PMID: 33609975 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Microalgae biomass (MB) is a promising source of renewable energy, especially when the cultivation is associated with wastewater treatment. However, microalgae wastewater technologies still have much to improve. Additionally, microalgae biomass valorization routes need to be optimized to be a sustainable and feasible source of green bioenergy. Thus, this paper aimed to evaluate the environmental impacts of the production of briquettes from MB, cultivated during domestic wastewater treatment. Also, it was evaluated how much the drying of the MB affected the life cycle and the environment. Improvements in the life cycle to mitigate the environmental impacts of this energy route were proposed. Cradle-to-gate modeling was applied to obtain a life cycle assessment (LCA) from cultivation to the valorization of MB, through its transformation into a solid biofuel. With LCA, it was possible to identify which technical aspect of the process needs to be optimized so that environmental sustainability can be achieved. Two scenarios were compared, one with the microalgae growth in a high-rate algal pond (HRAP) (scenario 1) and the other in a hybrid reactor, formed by a HRAP and a biofilm reactor (BR) (scenario 2). LCA highlighted the electric power mix, representing, on average, 60% of the total environmental impacts in both scenarios. The valorization of MB in briquettes needs to consume less energy to offset its yield. The environment suffered pressure in freshwater eutrophication, due to the release of 3.1E-05 and 3.9E-05 kg of phosphorus equivalent; in fossil resources scarcity, with the extraction of 1.4E-02 and 4.5E-02 kg of oil equivalent; and in climate change, by the emission of 1.0E-01 and 1.9E-01 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent, in scenarios 1 and 2, respectively. Scenario 1 was highly damaging to terrestrial ecotoxicity, with the release of 3.5E-01 kg of 1,4 Dichlorobenzene, coming from the CO2 used in MB growth. This category was the one that most negatively pressured the environment, differing from scenario 2, in which this input was not required. This was the only impact category in which scenario 2 had a better environmental performance when compared to scenario 1. Cotton, required in scenario 2, represented up to 87% of emissions in some of the evaluated categories. Despite the impacts that occurred in the two modeled scenarios, the environmental gains due to the use of wastewater for microalgae growth, replacing the synthetic cultivation medium, stood out. In the sensitivity analysis, two alternative scenarios were proposed: (i) electricity consumption for drying has been reduced, due to the natural decrease of MB humidity, and (ii) MB briquettes were considered a substitute for coal briquettes. Results indicated that pressures on climate change and fossil resource scarcity were eliminated in both scenarios and this also occurred for freshwater eutrophication in scenario 2. This paper contributes to the improvement and development of converting MB routes into more sustainable products, causing less pressure on the environment. Also, the study contributes to filling a gap in the literature, discussing methods and technologies to be improved, and consequently making microalgae biotechnology environmentally feasible and a potential renewable energy alternative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Barros Marangon
- Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, S/n, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil.
| | - Maria Lúcia Calijuri
- Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, S/n, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil.
| | - Jackeline de Siqueira Castro
- Department of Civil Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, S/n, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, 36570-900, Brazil.
| | - Paula Peixoto Assemany
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Lavras, Campus Universitario, 37200-000, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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A Multi-Objective Life Cycle Optimization Model of an Integrated Algal Biorefinery toward a Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy Considering Resource Recirculation. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14051416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Biofuel production from microalgae biomass has been considered a viable alternative to harmful fossil fuels; however, challenges are faced regarding its economic sustainability. Process integration to yield various high-value bioproducts is implemented to raise profitability and sustainability. By incorporating a circular economy outlook, recirculation of resource flows is maximized to yield economic and environmental benefits through waste minimization. However, previous modeling studies have not looked into the opportunity of integrating productivity reduction related to the continuous recirculation and reuse of resources until it reaches its end of life. In this work, a novel multi-objective optimization model is developed centered on an algal biorefinery that simultaneously optimizes cost and environmental impact, adopts the principle of resource recovery and recirculation, and incorporates the life cycle assessment methodology to properly account for the environmental impacts of the system. An algal biorefinery involving end-products such as biodiesel, glycerol, biochar, and fertilizer was used for a case study to validate the optimization model. The generated optimal results are assessed and further analyzed through scenario analysis. It was seen that demand fluctuations and process unit efficiencies have significant effect on the optimal results.
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Ghiat I, Al-Ansari T. A review of carbon capture and utilisation as a CO2 abatement opportunity within the EWF nexus. J CO2 UTIL 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2020.101432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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10
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Jeswani HK, Chilvers A, Azapagic A. Environmental sustainability of biofuels: a review. Proc Math Phys Eng Sci 2020; 476:20200351. [PMID: 33363439 PMCID: PMC7735313 DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2020.0351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofuels are being promoted as a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels as they could help to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the related climate change impact from transport. However, there are also concerns that their wider deployment could lead to unintended environmental consequences. Numerous life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have considered the climate change and other environmental impacts of biofuels. However, their findings are often conflicting, with a wide variation in the estimates. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review and analyse the latest available evidence to provide a greater clarity and understanding of the environmental impacts of different liquid biofuels. It is evident from the review that the outcomes of LCA studies are highly situational and dependent on many factors, including the type of feedstock, production routes, data variations and methodological choices. Despite this, the existing evidence suggests that, if no land-use change (LUC) is involved, first-generation biofuels can-on average-have lower GHG emissions than fossil fuels, but the reductions for most feedstocks are insufficient to meet the GHG savings required by the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED). However, second-generation biofuels have, in general, a greater potential to reduce the emissions, provided there is no LUC. Third-generation biofuels do not represent a feasible option at present state of development as their GHG emissions are higher than those from fossil fuels. As also discussed in the paper, several studies show that reductions in GHG emissions from biofuels are achieved at the expense of other impacts, such as acidification, eutrophication, water footprint and biodiversity loss. The paper also investigates the key methodological aspects and sources of uncertainty in the LCA of biofuels and provides recommendations to address these issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harish K Jeswani
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Andrew Chilvers
- Royal Academy of Engineering, 3 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5DG, UK
| | - Adisa Azapagic
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
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11
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Anwar MN, Fayyaz A, Sohail NF, Khokhar MF, Baqar M, Yasar A, Rasool K, Nazir A, Raja MUF, Rehan M, Aghbashlo M, Tabatabaei M, Nizami AS. CO 2 utilization: Turning greenhouse gas into fuels and valuable products. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 260:110059. [PMID: 32090808 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.110059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
This study critically reviews the recent developments and future opportunities pertinent to the conversion of CO2 as a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) to fuels and valuable products. CO2 emissions have reached an alarming level of around 410 ppm and have become the primary driver of global warming and climate change leading to devastating events such as droughts, hurricanes, torrential rains, floods, tornados and wildfires across the world. These events are responsible for thousands of deaths and have adversely affected the economic development of many countries, loss of billions of dollars, across the globe. One of the promising choices to tackle this issue is carbon sequestration by pre- and post-combustion processes and oxyfuel combustion. The captured CO2 can be converted into fuels and valuable products, including methanol, dimethyl ether (DME), and methane (CH4). The efficient use of the sequestered CO2 for the desalinization might be critical in overcoming water scarcity and energy issues in developing countries. Using the sequestered CO2 to produce algae in combination with wastewater, and producing biofuels is among the promising strategies. Many methods, like direct combustion, fermentation, transesterification, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion (AD), and gasification, can be used for the conversion of algae into biofuel. Direct air capturing (DAC) is another productive technique for absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere and converting it into various useful energy resources like CH4. These methods can effectively tackle the issues of climate change, water security, and energy crises. However, future research is required to make these conversion methods cost-effective and commercially applicable.
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Affiliation(s)
- M N Anwar
- Sustainable Development Study Centre, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - A Fayyaz
- Sustainable Development Study Centre, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - N F Sohail
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - M F Khokhar
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - M Baqar
- Sustainable Development Study Centre, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - A Yasar
- Sustainable Development Study Centre, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - K Rasool
- Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, P.O. Box 5825, Doha, Qatar
| | - A Nazir
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Lahore School of Economics, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - M U F Raja
- Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - M Rehan
- Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies (CEES), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - M Aghbashlo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering of Agricultural Machinery, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - M Tabatabaei
- Faculty of Plantation and Agrotechnology, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia; Biofuel Research Team (BRTeam), Karaj, Iran; Microbial Biotechnology Department, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Agricultural Research, Education, and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran; Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - A S Nizami
- Sustainable Development Study Centre, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan
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12
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Wu W, Chang JS. Integrated algal biorefineries from process systems engineering aspects: A review. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 291:121939. [PMID: 31400827 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In the light of microalgae rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids, development of multi-product biorefinery from microalgae has become a promising approach towards commercialization of microalgae-based products. This review discusses an integrated algal biorefinery (IABR) based on a combination of four microalgae-to-products chains for the production of biofuels, biopower, and byproducts. Two systematic analytical approaches by life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic assessment (TEA) are used to quantify the economic and environmental benefits. From process systems engineering (PSE) aspects, the approach procedures include that (i) the engineering process model serves as the foundation for assessment, (ii) an IABR is generated via process design, simulation, and integration, and (iii) the multi-objective optimization of an IABR with respect to economic and environmental issues is addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
| | - Jo-Shu Chang
- Research Center for Energy Technology and Strategy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
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13
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Wu W, Lei YC, Chang JS. Life cycle assessment of upgraded microalgae-to-biofuel chains. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 288:121492. [PMID: 31125937 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Two individual chains of microalgae-to-diesel and microalgae-to-butanol were upgraded through process integration and design. According to life cycle assessment (LCA) standards, the two proposed chains were compared in terms of 17 categories of LCA impacts and the sensitivity analysis of LCA impacts on two chains with different lipid or carbohydrate content of microalgae cells was performed. Based on the prescribed specifications and conditions for microalgae cultivation, pretreatment and purity level of the products, LCA analysis revealed that the annual ReCiPe end point score of producing 1 kg biobutanol is lower than that of 1 kg biodiesel by 54.4%. The upgraded microalgae-to-butanol chain could reduce the annual ReCiPe end point score of producing 100 MJ diesel/gasoline from crude oil by 5-10%. The microalgae-to-butanol chain is more ecofriendly than the microalgae-to-diesel chain due to lower LCA impacts such as Climate change human health, Climate change ecosystems, and Fossil depletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
| | - Yi-Chun Lei
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Jo-Shu Chang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Research Center for Energy Technology and Strategy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; Research Center for Circular Economy, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan; College of Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan.
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14
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Tang J, Li X, Zhao W, Wang Y, Cui P, Zeng RJ, Yu L, Zhou S. Electric field induces electron flow to simultaneously enhance the maturity of aerobic composting and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2019; 279:234-242. [PMID: 30735933 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2019.01.140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2018] [Revised: 01/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The long maturation period and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission are two major problems that arise during aerobic composting, mainly due to the low efficiency of O2 transmission and utilization. In this study, a novel electric-field-assisted aerobic composting (EAC) process was tested by simply applying a direct-current voltage of 2 V to a conventional aerobic composting (CAC) process. Compared with the CAC process, the maturation time and the total GHG for the EAC process were reduced by 33% and 70%, respectively. Furthermore, the analyses of O2 consumption and microbial communities demonstrated that the electric field had enhanced O2 utilization by 30 ± 9% and increased the relative abundance of electroactive bacteria by about 3.4-fold compared to CAC. This work has represented a proof of principle for EAC and suggests that the electric field is an effective and environmentally friendly strategy for enhancing compost maturity and mitigating GHG emissions during aerobic composting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahuan Tang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Wenqi Zhao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Yajun Wang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Peng Cui
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Raymond Jianxiong Zeng
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Linpeng Yu
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Shungui Zhou
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Health and Regulation, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
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