Title:
Assessment of Microalgae Production in Photo-Bioreactors for Vertical Farming in Urban Areas
Author(s):
Schipfer, F., Matzenberger, J.
Document(s):
Paper
Abstract:
In 2050 around nine billion people will live on this planet with the majority situated in mega-cities or urban areas. Securing food supply and at the same time considering the finiteness of resources, calls for smart concepts towards closed loop cycles in order to reduce transport loss and distance and the need for (fossil) nutrient supply. With about 95 EJ a year the food sector accounts for around 30% of the world's total energy consumption including the production and distribution of fertilizers. A key technology in this respect could be the artificial eutrophication process triggered by the effluent from urban wastewater treatment plants. The cultivation of microalgae in closed photo-bioreactors (PBRs) has attracted significant research efforts in the last decades. PBRs mounted on the claddings of multi-storeyed buildings could continually generate high amounts of biomass and might even qualify for carbon credits. In the proposed concept anaerobic fermentation tanks produce methane out of the algal carbon and hydrogen content to provide energy. The nitrogen and phosphorus content of this biomass is used as fertilizer in vertical farms, thus reducing food production chain to a minimal volumetric expansion of a few city blocks. In case of Vienna it is shown that an energy self-sufficient nutrient recycling method allowing a city intern food production to be independent from phosphor rocks and fossil fuels is possible.
Keywords:
biogas, microalgae, recycling, biofertilizer, centralized
Topic:
R&D on Biomass Conversion Technologies for Heating, Electricity and Chemicals
Subtopic:
Biorefineries
Event:
20th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Session:
2CV.1.15
Pages:
1195 - 1201
ISBN:
978-88-89407-54-7
Paper DOI:
10.5071/20thEUBCE2012-2CV.1.15
Price:
FREE
