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Screening Microalgae for Producing Biofuel Precursors from Industrial Off-Gases

Author

Listed:
  • Giannis Penloglou

    (Chemical Process and Energy Resources Institute (CPERI), Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Alexandros Pavlou

    (Chemical Process and Energy Resources Institute (CPERI), Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece)

  • Costas Kiparissides

    (Chemical Process and Energy Resources Institute (CPERI), Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Thermi, 57001 Thessaloniki, Greece
    Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece)

Abstract

The capture and conversion of industrial off-gases into valuable biomass using microalgae represents a promising strategy for CO 2 mitigation and sustainable production of biofuels and biochemicals. In this study, fifteen (15) microalgal strains were screened and evaluated for their growth performance and the accumulation of macromolecules like polysaccharides and lipids under CO 2 -enriched conditions, simulating the off-gas composition of an operational 2G biorefinery producing bioethanol from wastes. It was found that Stichococcus sp. exhibited the highest polysaccharides accumulation (33% w / w ) in biomass, while Chlorella vulgaris demonstrated superior lipids content (34% w / w ). Both strains (coded as wild-AUTH) displayed robust growth, each achieving biomass concentrations of 1.5 g/L of Dry Cell Weight (DCW), while maintaining tolerance to the gas feedstock. The protein contents of the strains further support their potential integration into a 3G biorefinery framework, where advanced biofuels could be one of multiple valorization pathways. These findings underline the feasibility of using microalgae as a retrofitting solution for bioethanol and other bioenergy plants, enhancing CO 2 capture while enabling biofuel production. The top-performing species provide a basis for optimizing bioprocess parameters and scaling up the cultivation in industrial photobioreactors (PBRs) to improve productivity and commercial applicability.

Suggested Citation

  • Giannis Penloglou & Alexandros Pavlou & Costas Kiparissides, 2025. "Screening Microalgae for Producing Biofuel Precursors from Industrial Off-Gases," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:7:p:2964-:d:1621569
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Minarta, Ria Roida & Ko, Joonho, 2024. "What are the stimulants on transportation carbon dioxide emissions?: A nation-level analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    2. Elizaveta A. Chunzhuk & Anatoly V. Grigorenko & Nadezhda I. Chernova & Sofya V. Kiseleva & Kirill G. Ryndin & Oleg S. Popel & Sergey Ya Malaniy & Olga V. Slavkina & Fabio de Farias Neves & Lijian Leng, 2023. "Direct Study of CO 2 Capture Efficiency during Microalgae Arthrospira platensis Cultivation at High CO 2 Concentrations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(2), pages 1-14, January.
    3. Alexandros Pavlou & Giannis Penloglou & Costas Kiparissides, 2023. "Evaluation of Tolerant to CO 2 Excess Microalgae for the Production of Multiple Biochemicals in a 3G Biorefinery," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-13, February.
    4. Swathi Somaiyan Babu & Rashmi Gondi & Godvin Sharmila Vincent & Godwin Christopher JohnSamuel & Rajesh Banu Jeyakumar, 2022. "Microalgae Biomass and Lipids as Feedstock for Biofuels: Sustainable Biotechnology Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-31, November.
    5. Fares Almomani & Amera Abdelbar & Sophia Ghanimeh, 2023. "A Review of the Recent Advancement of Bioconversion of Carbon Dioxide to Added Value Products: A State of the Art," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-30, July.
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