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 ty(-1) of microalgal biomass, targeting the biostimulants market that is currently under rapid expansion. A full-scale biorefinery was designed to treat 50 kty(-1) of raw liquid digestate from AD and 0.45 kty(-1) of CO2 from biogas upgrading, and 0.40 kty(-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.

Rossi, S., Carecci, D., Marazzi, F., Di Benedetto, F., Mezzanotte, V., Parati, K., et al. (2024). Integrating microalgae growth in biomethane plants: Process design, modelling, and cost evaluation. HELIYON, 10(1), 1-15 [10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23240].

Integrating microalgae growth in biomethane plants: Process design, modelling, and cost evaluation

Marazzi, F;Mezzanotte, V;
2024

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 ty(-1) of microalgal biomass, targeting the biostimulants market that is currently under rapid expansion. A full-scale biorefinery was designed to treat 50 kty(-1) of raw liquid digestate from AD and 0.45 kty(-1) of CO2 from biogas upgrading, and 0.40 kty(-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.
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Anaerobic digestion; Biorefinery; Heterotrophic and autotrophic microalgae cultivation; Mathematical modelling; Resource recovery; Techno-economic assessment;
English
3-dic-2023
2024
10
1
1
15
e23240
open
Rossi, S., Carecci, D., Marazzi, F., Di Benedetto, F., Mezzanotte, V., Parati, K., et al. (2024). Integrating microalgae growth in biomethane plants: Process design, modelling, and cost evaluation. HELIYON, 10(1), 1-15 [10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23240].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/474539
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