Abstract

Marine algae have gained increasing attention as sustainable substrates for biomethane production due to their rapid growth, high photosynthetic efficiency, and adaptability to saline cultivation conditions. This study evaluates recent advances in anaerobic digestion of marine micro- and macroalgae, focusing on the main technological challenges and process strategies to improve methane production. Methane yields from marine algal biomass vary widely depending on species and operating conditions, ranging from approximately 0.05–0.58 m
3
CH
4
kg
–1
VS. Key limitations include salinity-induced inhibition of methanogenic microorganisms, resistant algal cell walls that limit hydrolysis, and free ammonia toxicity (above 1500–3000 mg NH
3
/L) associated with the breakdown of high protein content. Several strategies have been proposed to address these challenges, including pretreatment technologies, co-digestion with other organic substrates, microbial acclimation to saline environments, and integration of anaerobic digestion within algal biorefinery systems (e.g., lipid extraction). This mini review demonstrated that marine algae can serve as a viable feedstock for biomethane production in coastal bioenergy systems, although further research is needed to improve process efficiency and enable large-scale implementation.

Addeddate

2026-09-22 06:09:54

Bhl-macaw

SLA / 2.10.8

Bhl_virtual_titleid

216583

Bhl_virtual_volume

v.3 (2026)

Call number

10_3897_emt_3_190933

Call-number

10_3897_emt_3_190933

Foldoutcount

0

Genre

article

Identifier

sustainablebiom3bian

Identifier-ark

ark:/13960/s25qq67zk5j

Identifier-bib

10_3897_emt_3_190933

comment