Biogas production from algae biomass grown in high rate ponds for wastewater treatment

Abstract

High rate ponds are wastewater treatment systems that combine heterotrophic bacteria and microalgae communities in a symbiosis relation, which triggers a series of reactions that eliminates pollutants from the water. Moreover, during the last decade, there has been a growing interest in investigating the energy potential of biofuels obtained from microalgae cultures. The high lipid content of microalgae makes them an alternative to terrestrial energy crops for biodiesel production. A major drawback of microalgae anaerobic digestion is the hydrolysis of cell walls. The aim of this project is to study the potential of high rate ponds for wastewater treatment, biomass and biogas production and finally evaluate the technology as a new energy source.