Biofuels from Algae: Chapter 1. An Open Pond System for Microalgal Cultivation

Microalgal biomasses have a long history of industrial production for application in a variety of fields. The success of commercial large-scale production of microalgae depends on many factors, one which is the development of cost-effective systems. Open pond reactors are the most widely used system in large-scale microalgal cultivation due to their low cost of construction, maintenance, and operation. However, closed photobioreactors have a high photosynthetic efficiency and biomass productivity. This study presents the advantages and disadvantages of open ponds compared with other photobioreactors and examines the factors that affect the cultures and their bioproducts.