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Applied Environmental Biotechnology: Present Scenario and Future Trends pp 115–128Cite as

Sustainable Production of Biofuels from Microalgae Using a Biorefinary Approach

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Abstract

Biorefinery has emerged as a new concept to derive more than one utility product from biomass. The products from biorefinery include one or more biofuels (biodiesel, bioethanol, biomethane, and biohydrogen) along with other energy sources (syngas and bio-oil), pharmaceutical products, and commercially important chemicals. Biorefineries, thus could simultaneously produce biofuels, bio-based chemicals, heat, and power. The biomass production and its utilization as biofuel has a higher water footprint (WF) than fossil derived fuel. The biorefinery approach has the potential to bring down the WF. Similarly, biorefinery approach has the potential to bring down the carbon footprint. The value added product derived from biorefinery basket includes pigments, nutraceuticals, and bioactive compounds. The use of industrial refusals for biomass production includes wastewater as nutrient medium and utilization of flue gases (CO2) as the carbon source for culture of microalgae. These processes have the potential to reduce fresh WF and carbon footprint.

Bhaskar Singh, Abhishek Guldhe, and Poonam Singh contributed equally to this chapter

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Environmental Sciences, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, 835205, India

    Bhaskar Singh

  2. Institute for Water and Wastewater Technology, Durban University of Technology, 1334, Durban, 4000, South Africa

    Abhishek Guldhe, Poonam Singh, Ismail Rawat & Faizal Bux

  3. Department of Applied Sciences and Humanities, National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology, Ranchi, 834003, India

    Anupama Singh

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  1. Bhaskar Singh
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  2. Abhishek Guldhe
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  3. Poonam Singh
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  4. Anupama Singh
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  5. Ismail Rawat
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  6. Faizal Bux
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Correspondence to Bhaskar Singh .

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  1. Department of Environmental Science,, School of Earth science, Central University of Rajasthan, Kishangarh, Ajmer, Rajasthan, India

    Garima Kaushik

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Singh, B., Guldhe, A., Singh, P., Singh, A., Rawat, I., Bux, F. (2015). Sustainable Production of Biofuels from Microalgae Using a Biorefinary Approach. In: Kaushik, G. (eds) Applied Environmental Biotechnology: Present Scenario and Future Trends. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2123-4_8

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