Fish as the primary source for the essential n − 3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) cannot cover the global demand for these important nutrients resulting in a supply gap of currently 1.1 million tons of EPA + DHA annually. A further exploitation of natural fish stocks is linked to great damage to ecosystems. Oleaginous microalgae are a natural source for EPA and DHA and could possibly contribute to closing this gap. The cultivation in photobioreactors (PBR) in a ‘cold-weather’ climate showed that microalgae compare favorably to aquaculture fish. The present study assesses the economic potential of microalgae for food in such system model. Techno-economic assessment was conducted on the basis of a dynamic system model for the cultivation of Nannochloropsis sp. in industrial scale in Central Germany over a time span of 30 years. The net present value (NPV) and return-on-investment (ROI) were obtained for a number of scenarios in which technic and economic parameters were altered. Taking the size of the PBR considered into account, the cultivation of Nannochloropsis sp. yielded a positive NPV of EUR 4.5 million after 30 years which translates to an annualized ROI of 1.87%. The sensitivity analysis overall resulted in annualized ROIs between 1.12 and 2.47%. Major expenditures comprised the PBR infrastructure, maintenance and labor cost. An extended cultivation season by four weeks was responsible for an NPV surplus of almost one third (32%). An increase in the selling price by 15% was responsible for a 47% higher NPV. In comparison with Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) raised in aquaculture, EPA from Nannochloropsis sp. resulted in about halved cultivation costs (− 44 to − 60%). In this study we could show that microalgae from photoautotrophic cultivation not only have the potential to supply humans with essential nutrients, but they are also a lucrative investment, even in a ‘cold-weather’ climate where cultivation cannot take place year round.

Graphic abstract

中文翻译：

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在潮湿的大陆性气候下，用于食物的管状光生物反应器中微藻培养的技术经济评估

鱼是必需的n-3脂肪酸二十碳五烯酸（EPA）和二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）的主要来源，无法满足全球对这些重要营养素的需求，导致每年EPA + DHA的供应缺口为110万吨。天然鱼类资源的进一步开发与对生态系统的巨大破坏有关。含油微藻是EPA和DHA的天然来源，可能有助于缩小这一差距。在“寒冷天气”的气候下，在光生物反应器（PBR）中进行的种植表明，微藻比水产养殖鱼类优越。本研究评估了这种系统模型中微藻类食品的经济潜力。在动态系统模型的基础上，对拟南芥的栽培进行了技术经济评估。sp。30年内在德国中部的工业规模发展。在改变技术和经济参数的许多情况下，获得了净现值（NPV）和投资回报率（ROI）。考虑到PBR的大小，Nannochloropsis sp。的培养。30年后产生了450万欧元的正NPV，即年化投资回报率为1.87％。总体而言，敏感性分析得出的年投资回报率在1.12和2.47％之间。主要支出包括PBR基础设施，维护和人工成本。种植季节延长了四个星期，造成了近三分之一的净现值盈余（32％）。售价提高了15％，导致净现值提高了47％。与大西洋鲑鱼（大西洋鲑）在水产养殖的，从EPA微绿球藻属。导致种植成本减少了一半（-44至-60％）。在这项研究中，我们可以证明，光合自养栽培的微藻不仅具有为人类提供必需营养素的潜力，而且即使在无法全年进行的“寒冷天气”气候下，也是微利的投资。

图形摘要