Economical review of Haematococcus pluvialis culture in flat-panel airlift photobioreactors

► The close system for the cultivation of Haematococcus pluvialis was proposed with several cost cutting options. ► The cultivation in a flat panel configuration allowed an easy upscale as the reactor could be enlarged just by increasing the length while maintaining other dimensions. ► The analysis reveals the significance of operating large scale systems with natural sunlight where the profit was maximized. ► The option of reused nutrient was still not found to give attractive results but could save problems of wastewater treatment.