Techno-economic assessment of microalgae cultivation in a tubular photobioreactor for food in a humid continental climate

• Published in: Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy
• Main Authors: Schade, Susann, Meier, T.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2021
• Subjects: Microalgae; Original Paper; Cost analysis; Techno-economic assessment; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: https://repository.publisso.de/resource/frl:6448973; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-021-02042-x

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>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 <jats:italic>Nannochloropsis</jats:italic> 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 <jats:italic>Nannochloropsis</jats:italic> 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 (<jats:italic>Salmo salar</jats:italic>) raised in aquaculture, EPA from <jats:italic>Nannochloropsis </jats:italic>sp<jats:italic>.</jats:italic> resulted in about halved cultivation costs (− 44 to − 60%). In this study we could show that microalgae from ...