Potential production of microalgae aviation fuel and CO₂ emissions reduction in China

Based on the variation of temperature and the available supply of water resource and carbon dioxide, the appropriate location for Nannochloropsis cultivation in China was investigated in this study. The potential of microalgae and microalgae aviation fuel annual yield is also predicted according to carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plant and the data of Nannochloropsis cultivation at Penglaiin 2013. The results of life-cycle analysis model GREET indicate that the microalgae aviation fuel could reduce the carbon dioxide emission compared with the fossil aviation fuel in life cycle assessment. China could produce 88.94 million t microalgae that could be converted to 19.17 million t aviation fuel every year. Compared with the fossil aviation fuel, production of one t of microalgae aviation fuel can reduce 2.28 t of carbon dioxide emissions according to the assessment of the whole life cycle.