Techno-economic evaluation of microalgae harvesting and dewatering systems
Open accessAbstract
Microalgal biomass is processed into products by two main process steps: 1) harvesting and dewatering; and 2) extraction, fractionation and conversion. The performance of unit operations for harvesting and dewatering is often expressed in qualitative terms, like “high energy consumption” and “low in operational cost”. Moreover, equipment is analysed as stand-alone unit operations, which do not interact in a chain of operations. This work concerns a quantitative techno-economic analysis of different large-scale harvesting and dewatering systems with focus on processing cost, energy consumption and resource recovery. Harvesting and dewatering are considered both as a single operation and as combinations of sequential operations. The economic evaluation shows that operational costs and energy consumption are in the range 0.5–2 €·kg− 1 algae and 0.2–5 kWh·kg− 1 of algae, respectively, for dilute solutions from open cultivation systems. Harvesting and dewatering of the dilute systems with flocculation results in the lowest energy requirement. However, due to required chemicals and loss of flocculants, these systems end at the same cost level as mechanical harvesting systems. For closed cultivation systems the operational costs decrease to 0.1–0.6 €·kg− 1 algae and the energy consumption to 0.1–0.7 kWh·kg− 1 algae. For all harvesting and dewatering systems, labour has a significant contribution to the total costs. The total costs can be reduced by a high level of automation, despite the higher associated investment costs. The analysis shows that a single step operation can be satisfactory if the operation reaches high biomass concentrations. Two-step operations, like pressure filtration followed by spiral plate technology or centrifugation, are attractive from an economic point of view, just as the operation chain of flocculation followed by membrane filtration and a finishing step with spiral plate technology or centrifugation.
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Harvesting/dewatering costs are estimated to be up to 15% of total costs for microalgal biofuel production.
“with CO2 and harvesting/dewatering costs estimated to be ~50% and up to 15% of total costs, respectively.”
From Key Targets for Improving Algal Biofuel Production (2021) · cites this paper as [2]
The Sensitivity analysis (§3.4) and Conclusion (§4) estimate harvesting and dewatering at 3–15% of the production costs of algal biomass. They do not establish that share for total microalgal biofuel production costs, which also include conversion of biomass into fuel. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredCost constraints limit the present use of algae as a fuel feedstock, including key issues around nutrient supply, harvesting, and dewatering.
“there are a number of cost constraints which limit their present use as a fuel feedstock, such as key issues around nutrient supply, harvesting, and dewatering [1,2].”
From Key Targets for Improving Algal Biofuel Production (2021) · cites this paper as [2]
The Introduction says algal production costs must fall for commercialization and identifies harvesting and dewatering as important cost contributors. Section 3.1 calls their costs and energy use bottlenecks. The paper does not identify nutrient supply as a cost constraint, so it supports only part of the cited sentence. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredHarvesting and dewatering costs have been estimated to be in the range of 20-30% of total production costs, but recent modelling has put this figure much lower and in the range of 3-15%, with values in the range of 0.5-2 · kg-1 of algae and 0.2-5 kWh · kg-1 algae for dilute cultures from open raceway ponds.
“Harvesting and dewatering costs have been estimated to be in the range of 20-30% of total production costs, but recent modelling has put this figure much lower and in the range of 3-15%, with values in the range of 0.5-2 · kg -1 of algae and 0.2-5 kWh · kg -1 algae for dilute cultures from open raceway ponds.”
From Key Targets for Improving Algal Biofuel Production (2021) · cites this paper as [2]
Split into 2 atoms — 1 confirmed, 1 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredA variety of techniques are available to harvest, separate and sort cells, including passive settling, addition of flocculants and coagulants, filtering, dissolved air and suspended air floatation, hydrocyclones, electrocoagulation, centrifuging and use of microfluidics.
“There is a variety of techniques available to the consumer ranging from passive settling, the addition of flocculants and coagulants to create biomass aggregates and expedited settling, filtering (belt filters, membrane filters, cross-filters, oscillating filters, etc.), dissolved air and suspended air floatation, hydrocyclones, electrocoagulation, centrifuging and use of microfluidics to harvest,”
From Overview and Challenges of Large-Scale Cultivation of Photosynthetic Microalgae and Cyanobacteria (2023) · cites this paper as [108]
Section 2 (Approach and methods) lists flocculation, filtration and centrifugation as microalgae-harvesting technologies; the Introduction also discusses gravitational sedimentation. Appendix A.5 explains how flocculants form aggregates that settle. The passages do not support the full list attributed to this paper: dissolved-air and suspended-air flotation, hydrocyclones, electrocoagulation and microfluidics are not described as available harvesting methods in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredFor closed systems of the PBR-type, harvesting/dewatering costs decrease to 0.1-0.6 · kg-1 and energy costs to 0.1-0.7 kWh · kg-1.
“For closed systems of the PBR-type, the costs decrease to 0.1-0.6 · kg -1 and energy costs to 0.1-0.7 kWh · kg -1 [2].”
From Key Targets for Improving Algal Biofuel Production (2021) · cites this paper as [2]
CO2 costs are estimated to be ~50% of total costs for microalgal biofuel production.
“with CO2 and harvesting/dewatering costs estimated to be ~50% and up to 15% of total costs, respectively.”
From Key Targets for Improving Algal Biofuel Production (2021) · cites this paper as [2]
The cited paper’s Sensitivity analysis (section 3.4) and Conclusion (section 4) estimate harvesting and dewatering at 3–15% of algal biomass production costs. A search for CO2, carbon dioxide, and the claimed 50% cost share found no passage addressing CO2 costs, so the specific claim cannot be verified from our copy. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIt is currently economical to produce algae for food or high value products.
“Whilst it is currently economical to produce algae for food or high value products”
From Key Targets for Improving Algal Biofuel Production (2021) · cites this paper as [2]
The Introduction says commercial production of algal products is still in its infancy and that commodity production costs need to fall substantially. The cost estimates in the Conclusion and §3.4 concern harvesting and dewatering, not whether producing algae for food or high-value products is currently economical. Searches for food and high-value-product economics found no passage establishing that claim. (LLM, conf=0.72)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe base cost of production in an idealised raceway pond is estimated to be ~1.6-1.8 · kg-1, with CO2 being ~50% of the costs, and projected costs through cheaper sources of inputs dropping to ~0.3-0.4 · kg-1.
“The base cost of production in an idealised raceway pond is estimated to be ~1.6-1.8 · kg -1 (with CO2 being ~50% of the costs) with projected costs, through cheaper sources of inputs dropping to ~0.3-0.4 · kg -1 [2].”
From Key Targets for Improving Algal Biofuel Production (2021) · cites this paper as [2]
Section 2.3 models harvesting and dewatering costs, while Section 3.3 reports costs for specific harvesting routes and cultivation sizes. The searched passages do not give a base cost of 1.6–1.8 per kg for an idealised raceway pond, attribute roughly 50% of costs to CO2, or project a drop to 0.3–0.4 per kg through cheaper inputs. Similar numbers in the paper refer to different costs, so they do not verify this claim. (LLM, conf=0.76)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSourcing water and CO2, harvesting, extraction, and drying are all energy-intensive steps in microalgal biomass or metabolite production.
“Sourcing water and CO 2 , harvesting, extraction, and drying are all energy-intensive steps in microalgal biomass or metabolite production (Fasaei et al., 2018).”
From Potential of microalgae as a sustainable feed ingredient for aquaculture (2021) · cites this paper as Fasaei et al., 2018
One of the most significant obstacles to using microalgae as fish feed is the high cost of production.
“One of the most significant obstacles to using microalgae as fish feed is the high cost of production (Fasaei et al., 2018).”
From Potential of microalgae as a sustainable feed ingredient for aquaculture (2021) · cites this paper as Fasaei et al., 2018
The high cost of production is one of the most significant problems with microalgae.
“The high cost of production is one of the most significant problems with microalgae.”
From Potential of microalgae as a sustainable feed ingredient for aquaculture (2021) · cites this paper as Fasaei et al., 2018
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- Authors
- Fasaei, F., Bitter, J. H., Slegers, P. M., & van Boxtel, A. J. B.
- Affiliations
- Wageningen University & Research (NL)
- Venue
- Algal Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-04
- Volume
- 31
- Pages
- 347-362
- ISSN
- 2211-9264 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2793981605
- Cited by
- 621
- References
- 51
- Citations by year
- 2026: 78 · 2025: 71 · 2024: 83 · 2023: 78 · 2022: 93 · 2021: 86 · 2020: 64 · 2019: 55 · 2018: 13
- FWCI
- 12.56
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Algal Research (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Ministry of Economic Affairs
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Water Science and Technology › Coagulation and Flocculation Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Waste Management and Disposal › Wastewater Treatment and Reuse
- Keywords
- microalgae harvesting, microalgae dewatering, techno-economic analysis, processing cost, energy consumption, flocculation, mechanical harvesting, pressure filtration, centrifugation, membrane filtration, closed cultivation systems, resource recovery, automation, labor costs
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