Namibia Workshop Presentations

Presenter: Mohammad Abdel-Hamid Saad

Algae are recognised to play a central role in the natural self-purification of contaminated waters. Algae based wastewater treatment processes have been gaining tremendous attentions since 1960s. All the essential macronutrients (e.g., N and P) and micronutrients (e.g., Fe, S,) are available in domestic and agricultural wastewater. Major nutrients such as N and P alone contribute to ~10–20% of production cost of algae biomass. It became evident that microalgae maintain incredible adaptation to thrive in and to treat domestic and agricultural wastewater with manifest massive growth. The resultant algal biomass has been proven to be excellent feedstock of a variety of commercial products including biofuels. The power to treat wastewaters and the massive aquatic biomass production seems a double edged beneficial process for cleaning the environment and ensuring renewable clean bio-energy. Algae-based biofuel production holds future promise for developing countries. It represents a new industry, generating jobs, enhancing GDI (Gross Domestic Income) and may lead to energy independence. Environmental factors and resources are unique for mass production of algal biomass in Africa. The present speech will throw light on Egyptian case studies focused on using microalgae for wastewater treatment with special emphasis on biofuel relevance of the resultant algae biomass. Algae biomass-to-biofuel based on the fact that algae are the most efficient biological transformers of light energy to chemical energy through photosynthesis. The chemical energy is mainly stored in oils and carbohydrates which are the feedstock of biodiesel and bioethanol respectively. Microalgae maintain incredibly high production levels of fixed oils compared to oily seed crops. This was the driving force of the current immense international concern considering algae the magic solution for the expected fuel crisis.