Valorization of algal biomass for sustainable biofuel production: cultivation to commercialization.

Microalgae have been recognized as attractive feedstocks for advanced biofuels because of their relatively high photosynthetic efficiency, short doubling time, and ability to secrete a range of energy-rich molecules that do not involve agricultural land or food resources. Considerable advances have been made in the past two decades in strain improvement, cultivation technology, and conversion processes; nevertheless, large-scale commercialization has been held back by various biological, technological, and economic bottlenecks. Although microalgal biofuels hold considerable potential for source renewable energy in near future, there exists a significant gap between laboratory discovery and economic viability. This review attempts to offer a critical overview of the current state of microalgal biofuels, contradicting that the key to future viability does not lie in optimization of a particular technique, but in the strategic integration of biological advances (such as strain development) and engineering solutions, as well as enabling policies in the market domain. The examining of the interplay of these concepts depicts that future research must focus on stabilizing strains in outdoor environments and developing efficient, low-energy methods of harvesting to close the productivity gap. It also predicts that future economic viability will depend on a multi-product biorefinery approach for development of biofuel, in order to subsidize the industry until policy and carbon markets can support a large-scale industry focused solely on biofuel development.