Opportunities for simultaneous oil extraction and transesterification during biodiesel fuel production from microalgae: A review

• We discuss the application of microalgae for biodiesel fuel production.
• Simultaneous oil extraction and transesterification technology is reviewed.
• Possible methods of biomass pre-treatment are discussed.
• Influence of process conditions on esters yield is presented.

The biodiesel industry has undergone stable growth over the past decade. The biodiesel production process is relatively complex and rather expensive relative to the production of mineral diesel, and thus to retain production shares and expand the industry, there is a growing demand for changes related to the search for new raw materials and advanced technologies. Microalgae have attracted considerable attention as a potential biodiesel raw material. This article presents an overview of possible applications of one new form of technology, the so-called in situ technology for simultaneous oil extraction and transesterification. The article also describes ways of applying this technological tool for biodiesel production from microalgae oil.