Microalgae as Source of Energy: Current Situation and Perspectives of Use

Abstract

The report is devoted to alternative crude for bioenergy—microalgae as source of biofuels (methane, biohydrogen, biodiesel and liquid hydrocarbons). There were considered advantage of microalgae as biofuels-2 generation, its high productivity and energy content bring up these organisms to extensive research activities focus. As demonstrated here, oil productivity of many microalgae greatly exceeds the oil productivity of the best producing oil crops, so replacement of plants by microalgae will allow to reduce cropland aimed for energy plantations by a factor of 50–100, at that there will be possible to use land resources, unsuitable for plant cultivation. An important avenue of works is seen in conducting further studies and developments obtaining commercial strains of lipid producing microalgae, including those tolerant to low cultivation temperatures, as well as studies on using heterotrophic strains of microalgae taking into account the great experience that has been gained in the microbiological industry of Russia.