Assessing Global Carbon Sequestration and Bioenergy Potential from Microalgae Cultivation on Marginal Lands Leveraging Machine Learning
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This comprehensive study unveils the vast global potential of microalgae as a sustainable bioenergy source, focusing on the utilization of marginal lands and employing advanced machine learning techniques to predict biomass productivity. By identifying approximately 7.37 million square kilometers of marginal lands suitable for microalgae cultivation, this research uncovers the extensive potential of these underutilized areas, particularly within equatorial and low-latitude regions, for microalgae bioenergy development. This approach mitigates the competition for food resources and conserves freshwater supplies. Utilizing cutting-edge machine learning algorithms based on robust datasets from global microalgae cultivation experiments spanning 1994 to 2017, this study integrates essential environmental variables to map out a detailed projection of potential yields across a variety of landscapes. The analysis further delineates the bioenergy and carbon sequestration potential across two effective cultivation methods: Photobioreactors (PBRs), and Open Ponds, with PBRs showcasing exceptional productivity, with a global average daily biomass productivity of 142.81mgL−1d−1, followed by Open Ponds at 122.57mgL−1d−1. Projections based on optimal PBR conditions suggest an annual yield of 99.54 gigatons of microalgae biomass. This yield can be transformed into 64.70 gigatons of biodiesel, equivalent to 58.68 gigatons of traditional diesel, while sequestering 182.16 gigatons of CO2, equating to approximately 4.5 times the global CO2 emissions projected for 2023. Notably, Australia leads in microalgae biomass production, with an annual output of 16.19 gigatons, followed by significant contributions from Kazakhstan, Sudan, Brazil, the United States, and China, showcasing the diverse global potential for microalgae bioenergy across varying ecological and geographical landscapes. Through this rigorous investigation, the study emphasizes the strategic importance of microalgae cultivation in achieving sustainable energy solutions and mitigating climate change, while also acknowledging the scalability challenges and the necessity for significant economic and energy investments.
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Microalgae can be cultivated on land that is unsuitable for traditional agriculture or for investment purposes.
“In addition, microalgae can be cultivated on land that is unsuitable for traditional agriculture or for investment purposes [4,5].”
From Multi-Sensing Monitoring of the Microalgae Biomass Cultivation Systems for Biofuels and Added Value Products Synthesis—Challenges and Opportunities (2025) · cites this paper as [4]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Chen, M., Chen, Y., & Zhang, Q.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Zhang, Qingtao
- Venue
- Science of The Total Environment
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2024-10
- Volume
- 948
- Pages
- 174462
- ISSN
- 0048-9697 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4400439338
- Cited by
- 61
- References
- 58
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 40 · 2024: 7
- FWCI
- 4.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- The Science of The Total Environment (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Bioenergy crop production and management
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
- Keywords
- microalgae cultivation, bioenergy, carbon sequestration, marginal land, photobioreactors, open ponds, biodiesel, CO2 sequestration, land suitability mapping, low latitudes, climate change mitigation
- MeSH terms
- Machine Learning, Biomass, Biofuels, Carbon Sequestration, Microalgae
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