Life cycle assessment of bioenergy production from macroalgae : A review

Abstract

Abstract The sustainability integration to achieve circular economy pressures the development of renewable raw material and bioenergy sources, including marine biomass such as macroalgae. The consideration of sustainable conversion technology for bioenergy from macroalgae is critically highlighted. Various studies have been emphasized that life cycle assessment (LCA) can be applied to assess the efficacy and environmental aspects of bioenergy production from cradle-to-grave. This systematic review attempts to critically evaluate the development of LCA studies on macroalgae valorisation for bioenergy. Several online databases (i.e., Science Direct, Wiley Online Library, Springer, DOAJ, and MDPI) were used to collect the relevant articles. Then, PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) method has been selected to screen the most recent research articles (from January 2011 to June 2021) published in peer-reviewed international journals. The studies presented the development, opportunities, challenges, and future research for the commercialization of macroalgae as a sustainable feedstock for bioenergy.