The effect of the lipid extraction method used in biodiesel production on the integrated recovery of biodiesel and biogas from Nannochloropsis gaditana, Isochrysis galbana and Arthrospira platensis

Abstract

The integrated production of biodiesel and biogas has been explored by using N. gaditana, I. galbana and A. platensis as substrate. Three fatty acid ethyl ester (FAEE) production approaches were assessed, namely an indirect process with previously extracted lipids (IPPEL), an indirect process with extracted lipids as free fatty acids (IPELFFA) and a direct process (DP) without a previous lipid extraction stage. Besides de FAEE production, these approaches are considered as pre-treatments of the microbial biomasses evaluated in this study with the objective of increasing the methane yield during the anaerobic digestion. Biogas yields of the residues generated under the three FAEE production methodologies were compared to the biogas yield of the raw feedstock. In all cases, the biodiesel and biogas yields were higher after the FAEE production process from the previously extracted lipids as free fatty acids (IPELFFA). Therefore, this constitutes an interesting and promising route in the joint production of biodiesel and biogas.