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Editorial

, Volume: 17( 12)

From Capturing Carbon to Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy through Microalgal Biorefinery

*Correspondence:
Bhullar Garcha Ruby
Independent Researcher, Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidhayala, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
E-mail: bhullaruby13@gmail.com

Received:December 08, 2021; Accepted: December 23, 2021; Published: December 30, 2021


Abstract

Since mitigating carbon dioxide emissions from anthropogenic sources as well move from linear economy to sustainable circular bio-economy, it is essential to use a potentially viable biorefinery strategy towards carbon-capture using the carbon-neutral energy resources. The bio-fixation process of microalgae offers a sustainable alternative to capture and use excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere generated through various Industrial and thermal power sources. Microalgae have received extensive attention due to their tremendous potential of carbon dioxide tolerance, ability to recover finite nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, cascading use of microalgal biomass as a valuable organic carbon-based sustainable feedstock in a biorefinery. With the increased attention and emphasis of circular economy in the past half-decade, the economic, environmental, and social aspects of the industrial sector, biorefinery act as a strategic mechanism for the realization of circular bio-economy. The circular bio-economy is the extension of circular economy ideology to achieve economic and environmental sustainability through maximizing recirculation of resource flow and minimizing waste generation and end-of-life disposal. Microalgal-based biorefinery enhances the circular bio-economy towards the establishment of integrated sustainable approaches of an integrated biorefinery system to increase the environmental sustainability of third-generation (microalgae, seaweed and cyanobacteria) biofuel production and economic viability by reducing the production costs and adding value to their co-products.

Description

Since mitigating carbon dioxide emissions from anthropogenic sources as well move from linear economy to sustainable circular bio-economy, it is essential to use a potentially viable biorefinery strategy towards carbon-capture using the carbon-neutral energy resources. The bio-fixation process of microalgae offers a sustainable alternative to capture and use excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere generated through various Industrial and thermal power sources. Microalgae have received extensive attention due to their tremendous potential of carbon dioxide tolerance, ability to recover finite nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, cascading use of microalgal biomass as a valuable organic carbon-based sustainable feedstock in a biorefinery. With the increased attention and emphasis of circular economy in the past half-decade, the economic, environmental, and social aspects of the industrial sector, biorefinery act as a strategic mechanism for the realization of circular bio-economy. The circular bio-economy is the extension of circular economy ideology to achieve economic and environmental sustainability through maximizing recirculation of resource flow and minimizing waste generation and end-of-life disposal. Microalgal-based biorefinery enhances the circular bio-economy towards the establishment of integrated sustainable approaches of an integrated biorefinery system to increase the environmental sustainability of third-generation (microalgae, seaweed and cyanobacteria) biofuel production and economic viability by reducing the production costs and adding value to their co-products.
Superstructure Optimization Model
This study illustrates the journey of evolving models that tries to bridge the gap and stand as pillars towards circular bio-economy from superstructure optimization model (2017) which focused on total cost NPV minimization; a mixed-integer linear programming model aiming to minimize the overall cost of supply chain network (2018), as both, focused on single objective involving economic impact which points to the possibility that their solution may not be environmentally sustainable; thereby, a multi-objective goal programming optimization model (2019) leads on profit and carbon adsorption maximization though the study did not include the recovery and recirculation of input materials into the supply chain. The study also highlights the application of multiple objective optimization models to the solution of optimization problems in which more than one objective function be improved. This is further discussed by case study and scenario analysis.
The rapid development of the circular bio-economy emphasized the enhancement and recirculation of renewable biological resources by maximizing the yield to economic and environmental benefits. In order, to successfully implement the biorefinery model the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) are essential to evaluate the environmental and economic impact of microalgae biofuel production. A multi-objective optimization is a necessary tool for the design, operation, control, and optimization of industrial processes. The review explores the multi-objective multi-period optimization model, its application for Life-cycle assessment, to maximize NPV and minimize GHG emissions thus capturing investment planning, operational decisions, and expansion opportunities for an algal integrated biorefinery. Future work may look into bridging the gap between the current state and successful circular bio-economy related to policy, scaling-up, collaborations, establishing efficient business models, finding new technological routes for bioresources. Thus, embedding technological and bio-based approaches in wider system innovation with policy interventions proposed by countries either individually or through collaborative efforts among governments in support of bio-economy business by implementing more circular practices. Also, designing and proposing business models help to find the good technological route and structure their operations when transitioning to more circular value propositions to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss towards sustainability.

Google Scholar citation report
Citations : 543

Environmental Science: An Indian Journal received 543 citations as per Google Scholar report

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