Eventos Anais de eventos
COBEM 2023
27th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Use of microalgae for circular energy economy focused on agribusiness
Submission Author:
Caroline Rusch Schulze , PR , Brazil
Co-Authors:
Caroline Rusch Schulze, Beatriz Jacob Furlan, Vanessa Kava, Gabriela Conor Figueiredo, Murilo Gasparin Rampi, JOSÉ VIRIATO COELHO VARGAS, Glaciela Kaschuk
Presenter: Caroline Rusch Schulze
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2023.COB2023-2283
Abstract
Energy is essential for the development of humanity, regardless of the development of the region, due to its influence directly linked to the pattern of population consumption. As society's standard of living evolves, there is an increase in the supply of goods that require more energy, but their use mostly comes from non-renewable resources. Maintaining the growing curve of fossil fuel consumption has a harmful effect on the environment, increasing the unprecedented risk of climate change, as well as the rapid and critical depletion of natural resources. Research progress is increasing in favor of alternatives to meet these needs, leading to the adoption of more sustainable technologies. Great emphasis is given to microalgae, which are unicellular photosynthetic organisms that occur naturally in various aquatic/humid environments and are easily conducted when in a controlled environment. These microorganisms are capable of providing carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, consequently resulting in the generation of electricity through the incineration process, or generating biofuels, such as biodiesel, biokerosene or bioethanol. They also help in the treatment of effluents, as bioremediation agents by capturing CO2 and other toxic emissions. The process of obtaining energy through microalgae is promising, generating biomass as a by-product, which can be used as biofertilizers for agribusiness. Biofertilizers are substances that contain living microorganisms that colonize the rhizosphere or the interior of plants and promote growth, with an increase in the nutritional supply for host plants and are used to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, which in addition to having high added value , generate dependence on the external market for the acquisition and surplus of mineral elements in groundwater, due to leaching when applied to the soil. Microalgal biomass, when linked to agriculture, promotes increased productivity, high efficiency in carbon capture, increased starch and lipid content, general increase in the germination index (GI) of treated seeds, development of longer roots and greater tolerance to drought and salinity. Therefore, the commercial cultivation of microalgae has become a sustainable alternative for the integration of different production chains. The factors considered during the development of the study attributed the benefits of a renewable option for energy production, reconciling the effects of microalgal biomass in agriculture, one of the sectors that proportionally consume more energy, forming a cycle of use that seeks to address two major global problems : generation of renewable energy and reduction in the use of products that degrade the environment.
Keywords
renewable energy, microalgae, agronomy, biofertilizer, circular economy chain
