Microalgal Biorefineries for Industrial Products

Abstract Microalgae are considered as valuable bioresources due to their potential to accumulate protein carbohydrates and other high-value metabolites inside the cell based on their ecological niche. Algae can be considered as a feedstock for biofuels and other industrial coproducts in response to soaring the energy price, global warming, and associated reduction in natural sources. Microalgae-based product development is costly due to energy cost and economics associated with the downstream processes. However, to boost the economic viability of industrial-scale microalgal operations, all the metabolites from biomass need to be valorized in a biorefinery approach. High-value algal metabolite products for industries include lipids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, pigments, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and antioxidants and have potential applications in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and biofuel industries. This chapter describes the challenges associated with microalgae cultivation and uses of algal metabolites for various product developments, along with possible solutions to scale up the process.