Algae-based biorefinery concept. An LCI analysis for a theoretical plant

Both micro and macro algae have a potential to be a valuable feedstock for biorefineries. The theoretical impact assessment of this kind of plant can be carried out through an LCA, which is a key tool in order to evaluate the potential environmental impact of a process throughout its entire life cycle. Hence, it is a priority to perform an LCI with the aim of gathering all the data and simulating all the unit process of a theoretical biorefinery. The Inventory ensures to obtain a simple and immediate way to represent several aspects of a biorefinery, e.g. productivity, environmental pressures, required resources in terms of raw materials and energy. One of the main aspects clearly shown in this study is the significant environmental pressures due to the cultivation and harvesting steps, for which it is desirable to consider a biomass collection from the environment, especially from areas where eutrophication phenomena are particularly recurrent. Another conclusion drawn from the study is that the total plant production per year appears very limited, if compared to any conventional refinery. The following approach can also provide a starting data set to perform a first approximate economic analysis of the costs/gains of the outlined project, and it could be used as a first concept design for the project development of a real plant.