Challenges in commercialization of algal fuel

• Optimize stress conditions to obtain the highest possible yields of lipids in the cells because stress conditions can induce spontaneous mutation in cultivated strains.


• Simplify harvesting systems to utilize the separation technologies in existing industry such as food, biopharmaceutical, chemical and waste water treatment sectors.


• Utilize existing biodiesel production processes that requires a lipid material free of both water and free fatty acids


• Develop water tolerant downstream processes to avoid cost intensive drying

Algae oil content of some microorganisms

Microorganisms	Oil content (% dry wt)
Botryococcus braunii	25–75
Cylindrotheca sp.	16–37
Nitzschia sp.	45–47
Schizochytrium sp.	50–77

Fatty acid composition of microalgal oil

 

Fatty acid	Chain length: no. of double bonds	Oil composition (w/total lipid)
Palmitic acid	16:00	12–21
Palmitoleic acid	16:01	55–57
Stearic acid	18:00	1–2
Oleic acid	18:01	58–60
Linoleic acid	18:02	4–20
Linolenic acid	18:03	14–30

(Meng et al., 2009).