Reuniting the Biogeochemistry of Algae for a Low-Carbon Circular Bioeconomy

Yoong Kit Leong; Kit Wayne Chew; Wei-Hsin Chen; Jo-Shu Chang; Pau Loke Show

doi:10.1016/j.tplants.2020.12.010

Reuniting the Biogeochemistry of Algae for a Low-Carbon Circular Bioeconomy

Trends Plant Sci. 2021 Jul;26(7):729-740. doi: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.12.010. Epub 2021 Jan 15.

Authors

Yoong Kit Leong¹, Kit Wayne Chew², Wei-Hsin Chen³, Jo-Shu Chang⁴, Pau Loke Show⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan.
² School of Energy and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University Malaysia, Jalan Sunsuria, Bandar Sunsuria, 43900 Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
³ Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan; Research Center for Smart Sustainable Circular Economy, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan; Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Taichung 411, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan; Research Center for Smart Sustainable Circular Economy, Tunghai University, Taichung 407, Taiwan; Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan. Electronic address: changjs@mail.ncku.edu.tw.
⁵ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, 43500 Semenyih, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Electronic address: PauLoke.Show@nottingham.edu.my.

PMID: 33461869
DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2020.12.010

Abstract

Given their advantages of high photosynthetic efficiency and non-competition with land-based crops, algae, that are carbon-hungry and sunlight-driven microbial factories, are a promising solution to resolve energy crisis, food security, and pollution problems. The ability to recycle nutrient and CO₂ fixation from waste sources makes algae a valuable feedstock for biofuels, food and feeds, biochemicals, and biomaterials. Innovative technologies such as the bicarbonate-based integrated carbon capture and algae production system (BICCAPS), integrated algal bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS), as well as ocean macroalgal afforestation (OMA), can be used to realize a low-carbon algal bioeconomy. We review how algae can be applied in the framework of integrated low-carbon circular bioeconomy models, focusing on sustainable biofuels, low-carbon feedstocks, carbon capture, and advances in algal biotechnology.

Keywords: algae; biofuel; carbon capture; circular bioeconomy; phycoremediation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Biofuels
Biomass
Biotechnology
Carbon*
Crops, Agricultural
Microalgae*

Substances

Biofuels
Carbon