Direct transesterification of Stichococcus bacillaris for biodiesel production

The potential of microalgae to capture CO2 and to produce bio-oil is known since the last century. Typically, the process to produce biodiesel from microalgae includes the following steps: microalgae growth in photobioreactor systems, biomass harvesting and lyophilization, extraction of lipids by solvent, transesterification of extracted triglycerides. The direct transesterification of the microalgae has been proposed as an alternative way to produce biodiesel. The lipid fraction is transesterified without any preliminary extraction. The present contribution aims at the characterization of the direct transesterification of Stichococcus bacillaris. The attention has been focused on the effects on methylester yield of: concentration of the catalyst dissolved in methanol, pre-contacting time of the cells with alkaline methanol, biomass/alcohol ratio, time and temperature of transesterification, and water content of the biomass.