A process design and productivity evaluation for oil production by indoor mass cultivation of a marine diatom, Fistulifera sp. JPCC DA0580

• The mass cultivation process of Fistulifera sp. JPCC DA0580 was developed.
• A commercial (48,000 L) indoor culture factory was applied for production prediction.
• The algae mass productivity was calculated as 68.7 t ha−1 year−1.
• Annual algal oil productivity was estimated to be 33.3 t ha−1 year−1.

The present study involved the designing of a culture process and the evaluation of productivity of oil products from a highly oleaginous marine diatom, Fistulifera sp. JPCC DA0580, which had been cultured in a commercial-scale factory. The culture facility had a capacity of 48,000 L and held 96 flat-type 500-L photobioreactors (PBRs) equipped with artificial light, which secures a stable, perennial supply of the products. A 10 days culture that had reached a cell density of 6.5 g dry weight L−1 possessing a cellular oil content of 48% (wt/wt) was found to provide the highest oil yield. On considering a production area of 1500 m2, annual algal mass and oil productivity is 68.7 and 33.3 t ha−1 year−1, respectively. This study thus provides a reproducible prediction of a theoretical maximum oil yield from a highly oleaginous microalgal strain based on industrially practical production area.

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