Abstract The rising global demand for energy and the decreasing stocks of fossil fuels, combined with environmental problems associated with greenhouse gas emissions, are driving research and development for alternative and renewable sources of energy. Algae have been gaining increasing attention as a potential source of bio-renewable energy because they grow rapidly, and farming them does not, generally, compete for agricultural land use. Previous studies of algal biofuels have focused on microalgae because of their fast growth rate and high lipid content. Here we analyze the multiple merits of biofuel production using macroalgae, with particular reference to their chemical composition, biomass and biofuel productivity, and cost-effectiveness. Compared to microalgae, macroalgae have lower growth rates and energy productivity but higher cost-effectiveness. A biomass productivity of over 73.5 t dry mass ha−1 year−1 with a methane yield of 285 m3 t−1 dry mass would make electricity production from macroalgae profitable, and this might be achieved using fast-growing macroalgae, such as Ulva. Taking into account the remediation of eutrophication and CO2, exploring macroalgae for a renewable bioenergy is of importance and feasible.

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使用大型藻类作为生物燃料：当前的机遇和挑战

摘要 全球对能源需求的增加和化石燃料库存的减少，加上与温室气体排放相关的环境问题，正在推动替代能源和可再生能源的研究和开发。藻类作为生物可再生能源的潜在来源越来越受到关注，因为它们生长迅速，而且养殖它们通常不会与农业用地竞争。以前对藻类生物燃料的研究主要集中在微藻上，因为它们生长速度快，脂质含量高。在这里，我们分析了使用大型藻类生产生物燃料的多个优点，特别是它们的化学成分、生物质和生物燃料生产力以及成本效益。与微藻相比，大型藻类的增长率和能源生产力较低，但成本效益较高。超过 73.5 吨干质量 ha-1 年-1 的生物质生产力和 285 立方米 t-1 干质量的甲烷产量将使大型藻类发电有利可图，这可以通过使用快速生长的大型藻类（如石莼）来实现。考虑到富营养化和二氧化碳的修复，探索大型藻类作为可再生生物能源的重要性和可行性。