Algae Biofuel Production

Photobioreactors producing drop-in aviation fuels.

Algae biofuel platforms cultivate engineered microalgae strains in closed photobioreactors or raceway ponds fed by industrial CO₂ streams and nutrient-rich wastewater. LED lighting, AI-driven nutrient dosing, and laminar-flow designs maximize lipid yields, which are refined into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), renewable diesel, or specialty chemicals. Residual biomass becomes animal feed, fertilizers, or bioplastics, closing material loops and improving project economics.

Projects in the US Gulf Coast, Middle East, and Southeast Asia co-locate with power plants, desal facilities, and ethanol refineries to tap waste heat and CO₂. Airlines sign offtake agreements to meet CORSIA mandates, while navies test algal fuels for fleet decarbonization. Some developers integrate direct air capture to supply pure CO₂, bundling removal credits with fuel sales.

Technology sits at TRL 6: capital intensity, dewatering costs, and contamination risks impede scaling. Advances in synthetic biology, membrane filtration, and modular reactor manufacturing are helping, alongside policy instruments like SAF blending credits and LCFS programs. As aviation demands low-aromatic drop-in fuels, algae-derived lipids remain a promising pathway with high carbon abatement potential.

TRL

6/9Demonstrated

Impact

4/5

Investment

4/5

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