Climate‐Simulated culturing suggests high microalgal biomass and oil productivities in most of the South American continent

Abstract Background Current production costs of microalgal biomass indicate that only highly‐productive cultivation facilities will approach commercial feasibility. Geographical site selection for siting those facilities is critical for achieving target productivities. The aim of this study was to provide a semi‐empirical estimation of microalgal biomass and lipids productivity in South America. Methods and Results Simulated‐climate was programed in environmental photobioreactors (Phenometrics) for a simulation of cultivation in open raceway ponds at different geographical sites. The mean annual South American biomass productivity of 20‐cm deep ponds was 12 ± 4 g · m− 2 · d−1. The most productive regions were clustered in the subtropical and tropical regions of the continent. Fortaleza (Brazil) showed a low seasonality and a high annual mean productivity of 23 g · m−2 · d−1 in 5‐cm deep ponds, closely approaching the productivity target. Lipids accumulation and productivity in Fortaleza showed a high microalgal oil accumulation up to 46% (w/w) and a maximum oil productivity of 5 g · m−2 · d−1 for biomass containing around 20% lipids (w/w). Conclusion This study provides the first semi‐empirical estimation of microalgal productivity in South America and supports a high potential of a vast region of the continent.