Marine microalgal culturing in open pond systems for biodiesel production—Critical parameters

Abstract

In the present scenario, petroleum sourced fuel consumption is unsustainable; therefore, there is a high demand for the development of renewable transport fuels for environmental and economic sustainability. Microalgal fuel, with the significant feature of being carbon neutral, serves as one of the potent tools for tackling the fuel crisis. Enormous researches have been explored using fresh water species on biodiesel production; nevertheless, marine species are still in a grey area, even though reported to have higher lipid content. The current review focuses on a wide spectrum of marine microalgal sources with phycology under the criteria of open pond systems for algal oil production. The discussion on the lipid expression in the marine species have been critically analysed through the vital parameters such as solar irradiation, temperature, pH, nutrient pressure, agitation, CO2 supply, culture depth, aeration, etc. The parameters are interdependent and, if scrutinized wisely, could result in enhanced lipid productivity. Therefore, the open pond culture of marine microalgae with top prioritized parameters such as nitrogen stress, pH, and light penetration will be a suitable combination for the efficient and effective biodiesel production.