Affiliation:
1. International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India & Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of science, Damanhour University, Egypt
2. International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, India
Abstract
Microalgae are a diverse group of microscopic and highly efficient photosynthetic organisms with rapid growth that contains a wide range of biochemical components such as pigments, lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins, making them a viable feedstock for various commercial applications in biofuel production, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and environmental sectors. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is one of the most appealing and attractive tools used nowadays by the scientific and decision-makers communities to ensure environmentally sustainable production/consumption of various products. It is a systematic and standardized methodology that has turned into a crucial communication tool for the projects, the target markets, and the general public. Recently, LCA has been applied to quantify algal biofuels' environmental sustainability. As a result, the importance of algal life cycle analysis, its consequences, and contribution to the circular economy will be discussed in this chapter in terms of developing industrial applications.