1
|
Rossi S, Carecci D, Marazzi F, Di Benedetto F, Mezzanotte V, Parati K, Alberti D, Geraci I, Ficara E. Integrating microalgae growth in biomethane plants: Process design, modelling, and cost evaluation. Heliyon 2024; 10:e23240. [PMID: 38163195 PMCID: PMC10755323 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The integration of microalgae cultivation in anaerobic digestion (AD) plants can take advantage of relevant nutrients (ammonium and ortho-phosphate) and CO2 loads. The proposed scheme of microalgae integration in existing biogas plants aims at producing approximately 250 t·y-1 of microalgal biomass, targeting the biostimulants market that is currently under rapid expansion. A full-scale biorefinery was designed to treat 50 kt·y-1 of raw liquid digestate from AD and 0.45 kt·y-1 of CO2 from biogas upgrading, and 0.40 kt·y-1 of sugar-rich solid by-products from a local confectionery industry. An innovative three-stage cultivation process was designed, modelled, and verified, including: i) microalgae inoculation in tubular PBRs to select the desired algal strains, ii) microalgae cultivation in raceway ponds under greenhouses, and iii) heterotrophic microalgae cultivation in fermenters. A detailed economic assessment of the proposed biorefinery allowed to compute a biomass production cost of 2.8 ± 0.3 €·kg DW-1, that is compatible with current downstream process costs to produce biostimulants, suggesting that the proposed nutrient recovery route is feasible from the technical and economic perspective. Based on the case study analysis, a discussion of process, bioproducts and policy barriers that currently hinder the development of microalgae-based biorefineries is presented.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Rossi
- Politecnico di Milano, DICA – Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2, P.zza Leonardo da Vinci, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Davide Carecci
- Politecnico di Milano, DICA – Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2, P.zza Leonardo da Vinci, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Francesca Marazzi
- University of Milano – Bicocca, DISAT – Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 1, P.zza della Scienza, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Benedetto
- Politecnico di Milano, DICA – Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2, P.zza Leonardo da Vinci, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Valeria Mezzanotte
- University of Milano – Bicocca, DISAT – Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 1, P.zza della Scienza, 20126 Milano, Italy
| | - Katia Parati
- Istituto Sperimentale Italiano Lazzaro Spallanzani, Aquaculture division, 26027 Rivolta d’Adda, Italy
| | | | | | - Elena Ficara
- Politecnico di Milano, DICA – Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2, P.zza Leonardo da Vinci, 20133 Milano, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cabrera-Capetillo CA, Castillo-Baltazar OS, Petriz-Prieto MA, Guzmán-López A, Valdovinos-García EM, Bravo-Sánchez MG. Simulation and Economic Analysis of the Biotechnological Potential of Biomass Production from a Microalgal Consortium. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:321. [PMID: 37367646 DOI: 10.3390/md21060321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The biomass of microalgae and the compounds that can be obtained from their processing are of great interest for various economic sectors. Chlorophyll from green microalgae has biotechnological applications of great potential in different industrial areas such as food, animal feed, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and agriculture. In this paper, the experimental, technical and economic performance of biomass production from a microalgal consortium (Scenedesmus sp., Chlorella sp., Schroderia sp., Spirulina sp., Pediastrum sp., and Chlamydomonas sp.) was investigated in three cultivation systems (phototrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic) in combination with the extraction of chlorophyll (a and b) on a large scale using simulation; 1 ha was established as the area for cultivation. In the laboratory-scale experimental stage, biomass and chlorophyll concentrations were determined for 12 days. In the simulation stage, two retention times in the photobioreactor were considered, which generated six case studies for the culture stage. Subsequently, a simulation proposal for the chlorophyll extraction process was evaluated. The highest microalgae biomass concentration was 2.06 g/L in heterotrophic culture, followed by mixotrophic (1.98 g/L). Phototrophic and mixotrophic cultures showed the highest chlorophyll concentrations of 20.5 µg/mL and 13.5 µg/mL, respectively. The simulation shows that higher biomass and chlorophyll production is attained when using the mixotrophic culture with 72 h of retention that we considered to evaluate chlorophyll production (a and b). The operating cost of the entire process is very high; the cultivation stage has the highest operating cost (78%), mainly due to the high energy consumption of the photobioreactors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Ariel Cabrera-Capetillo
- Departamento de Posgrado, Doctorado en Ciencias de la Ingeniería, Tecnológico Nacional de México en Celaya, Antonio García Cubas #600 Pte., Colonia Alfredo V. Bonfil, Apartado Postal 57, Celaya 38010, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | | | - Moisés Abraham Petriz-Prieto
- División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Jalpa de Méndez (DAMJM), Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT), Carret. Estatal Libre Villahermosa-Comalcalco Km. 27+000 s/n Ranchería Ribera Alta, Jalpa de Mendez C.P. 86205, Tabasco, Mexico
| | - Adriana Guzmán-López
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química, Tecnológico Nacional de México en Celaya, Antonio García Cubas #600 Pte., Colonia Alfredo V. Bonfil, Apartado Postal 57, Celaya 38010, Guanajuato, Mexico
| | - Esveidi Montserrat Valdovinos-García
- División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Jalpa de Méndez (DAMJM), Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco (UJAT), Carret. Estatal Libre Villahermosa-Comalcalco Km. 27+000 s/n Ranchería Ribera Alta, Jalpa de Mendez C.P. 86205, Tabasco, Mexico
| | - Micael Gerardo Bravo-Sánchez
- Departamento de Ingeniería Bioquímica, Tecnológico Nacional de México en Celaya, Antonio García Cubas #600 Pte., Colonia Alfredo V. Bonfil, Apartado Postal 57, Celaya 38010, Guanajuato, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|