Algal fuel production by industry: process simulation and economic assessment

Microalgae are used for the production of third-generation biofuel but the process is not economically viable yet. The scalable photobioreactors (PBR) for biodiesel production and biocommodities from algal oil have been developed by many companies. Work has been undertaken to optimize algal biomass in an economic way allowing the conversion of algal biomass into an economically feasible biofuel. Many companies have focused on microalgal biofuels such as Solix Biofuels, who developed large-scale closed PBR as a growing system for microalgae. Also, Algenol and Sapphire energy biotechnology companies have received considerable attention in terms of optimizing green crude oil production. Increasing production in the future will incorporate the process biology, control engineering, and environmental conditions to develop algae technology to be a part of the key sustainable fuel supply. So, this chapter highlights that the combination of engineering and biology of algal technology is important to enhance the microalgae biofuel production to allow it to become an economic reality. The method simulation was explored by employing a strategy reenactment computer program, utilizing the theory that the rate of generation of biodiesel required was 10,000 t/year, and all the units required have been measured. The total capital investment, the cost of manufacture, and the return of investment were all estimated by recent studies. This chapter aims to focus on and discuss in detail the simulation of the industrial production of biofuel from microalgae.