COMPARISON OF ARTIFICIAL-LIGHT PHOTOBIOREACTORS AND OTHER PRODUCTION SYSTEMS USING PORPHYRIDIUM-CRUENTUM

A new type of preparative photobioreactor for high quality production of microalgae is developed for hatchery-nursery of marine animals, as well as for fine chemicals extraction. Of modular conception, two arti ficial light photobioreactors in plastic and stainless steel are desig ned so as to provide strictly controlled conditions in an attempt to i ncrease quality and diminish cost prices. They are assessed for produc tion of Porphyridum cruentum and compared to conventional transparent tanks and solar photobioreactors. The concentration and productivity o btained are ten-fold higher than with hatchery tanks, which leads to a significant drop in cost price of biomass. Comparison is also made wi th a 10 m(2) solar photobioreactor operated in the south of France, fo r which biomass cost price is half that of 1.5 m(2) artificial light p hotobioreactor. Extrapolations erasing size discrepancy show that the cost price of the two technologies are not very different.