An economic, sustainability, and energetic model of biodiesel production from microalgae

► A process evaluation model for microalgae biodiesel based on four evaluation criteria. ► Higher NER, lower GHG emission and water footprint using innovative technologies. ► Production cost of algal biodiesel is the most significant drawback. ► Importance of low-carbon energy supply in the GHG balance. ► Major bottlenecks include lipid accumulation (during cultivation) and extraction.