Algal Biorefinery: A Paradigm to Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy

Abstract

Algae are heralded as a magnificent and potential source of biofuels, bioplastics, pigments, biofertilizers, as well as specific extravagant metabolites such as vitamins, therapeutic agents, animal feed, and nutraceuticals. Different bioprocessing techniques have been discovered with time to achieve integrated algal biorefinery. Howbeit more such bioprocessing models and different biorefinery routes need to be investigated. The concept of enlightening the value of product sustainability by practicing resource, recovery and recycling defines the circular bioeconomy. It has been perceived that the economical and environmental value of the biorefinery approach equally proves to be of utmost importance for the circular bioeconomy. While considering the algal biomass for the manufacturing of different products simultaneously, efforts need to be focused upon the circularity of the process involved starting from the source to its recovery and reuse, which eventually comprises of utilizing the waste drawn from the whole process for cherishing biorefinery in an economically friendly way. This chapter's objective defines to convey the recent know-how of the algal biorefinery by elaborating the eminence of biopolymers in accomplishing the same. Subsequently, various high-valued products derived from the refinery have been discussed and light has been shed on different bioprocessing systematic techniques used broadly in nexus with the algal biorefinery to acknowledge the felicitous aspects of circular bioeconomy. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.