Techno-economic evaluation of microalgae high-density liquid fuel production at 12 international locations

Abstract

The public utility approach could reduce the fuel price toward cost-competitiveness, providing a key step on the path to a profitable fully commercial renewable fuel industry by attracting the investment needed to advance technology and commercial biorefinery co-production options. Governments' adoption of such an approach could accelerate decarbonization, improve fuel security, and help support a local COVID-19 economic recovery. This study highlights the benefits and limitations of different factors at each location (e.g., climate, labour costs, policy, C-credits) in terms of the development of the technology-providing insights on how governments, investors and industry can drive the technology forward.