title: Microalgal production--a close look at the economics.
abstract: Worldwide, microalgal biofuel production is being investigated. It is strongly debated which type of production technology is the most adequate. Microalgal biomass production costs were calculated for 3 different micro algal production systems operating at commercial scale today: open ponds, horizontal tubular photobioreactors and flat panel photobioreactors. For the 3 systems, resulting biomass production costs including dewatering, were 4.95, 4.15 and 5.96 € per kg, respectively. The important cost factors are irradiation conditions, mixing, photosynthetic efficiency of systems, medium- and carbon dioxide costs. Optimizing production with respect to these factors, a price of € 0.68 per kg resulted. At this cost level microalgae become a promising feedstock for biodiesel and bulk chemicals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Photobioreactors may become attractive for microalgal biofuel production.
authors: Bioprocess Engineering, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8129, 6700 EV Wageningen, The Netherlands. niels-henrik.norsker@wur.nl
authors: Niels-Henrik
authors: NH
authors: Norsker
authors: Maria J
authors: MJ
authors: Barbosa
authors: Marian H
authors: MH
authors: Vermuë
authors: René H
authors: RH
authors: Wijffels
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption / Q000528:radiation effects; D018533:Biomass; D001709:Biotechnology / Q000191:economics* / Q000379:methods*; D008027:Light; D058086:Microalgae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects; D009426:Netherlands; D058433:Photobioreactors / Q000382:microbiology