Net zero emission in circular bioeconomy from microalgae biochar production: A renewed possibility

Guowei Wu; Pei En Tham; Kit Wayne Chew; Heli Siti Halimatul Munawaroh; Inn Shi Tan; Wan Abd Al Qadr Imad Wan-Mohtar; Malinee Sriariyanun; Pau Loke Show

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129748

Net zero emission in circular bioeconomy from microalgae biochar production: A renewed possibility

Bioresour Technol. 2023 Nov:388:129748. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129748. Epub 2023 Sep 14.

Authors

Guowei Wu¹, Pei En Tham¹, Kit Wayne Chew², Heli Siti Halimatul Munawaroh³, Inn Shi Tan⁴, Wan Abd Al Qadr Imad Wan-Mohtar⁵, Malinee Sriariyanun⁶, Pau Loke Show⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, Semenyih 43500, Malaysia.
² School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, 62 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 637459, Singapore.
³ Study Program of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Science Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jalan Dr. Setiabudi 229, Bandung 40154, Indonesia.
⁴ Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Curtin University Malaysia, CDT 250, Miri, Sarawak 98009, Malaysia.
⁵ Functional Omics and Bioprocess Development Laboratory, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia.
⁶ Biorefinery and Process Automation Engineering Center, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, The Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, Bangkok 10800, Thailand.
⁷ Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Jalan Broga, Semenyih 43500, Malaysia; Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, Shakhbout Bin Sultan St - Zone 1, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: pauloke.show@ku.ac.ae.

PMID: 37714493
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2023.129748

Abstract

The rapid expansion of industrialization and continuous population growth have caused a steady increase in energy consumption. Despite using renewable energy, such as bioethanol, to replace fossil fuels had been strongly promoted, however the outcomes were underwhelming, resulting in excessive greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. Microalgal biochar, as a carbon-rich material produced from the pyrolysis of biomass, provides a promising solution for achieving net zero emission. By utilizing microalgal biochar, these GHG emissions can be captured and stored efficiently. It also enhances soil fertility, improves water retention, and conduct bioremediation in agriculture and environmental remediation field. Moreover, incorporating microalgal biochar into a zero-waste biorefinery could boost the employ of biomass feedstocks effectively to produce valuable bioproducts while minimizing waste. This contributes to sustainability and aligns with the concepts of a circular bioeconomy. In addition, some challenges like commercialization and standardization will be addressed in the future.

Keywords: Algal biomass; Environmental remediation; Greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions; Microalgae-derived biochar; Zero-waste biorefinery.