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The concept of community ecology has become a central issue for sustainable biofuel production. However the development of appropriate multi-algae cultures for the industry remains challenging. Natural marine algae blooms collected from coastal areas of Cyprus were induced to form multi-algae cultures, and five (5) of those were developed and tested. Algae growth characteristics, biomass, and lipid productivity were assessed, and the dominant microalga was isolated in all cultures. Growth characteristics, lipid productivity, and FAME composition varied considerably among the different multi-algae cultures as well as their corresponding dominant species. Our results suggest that competitiveness and species complementarity could be crucial factors for biomass and lipid productivity. In material collected from the marina in Larnaca of Cyprus, the induced BL1_LCA bloom was the most promising culture, dominated by Nannochloropsis sp. and accompanied by cyanobacteria assemblages, exhibiting the highest biomass and lipid productivity compared to the other developed blooms. Biomass and lipid productivity of an axenic monoculture of Nannochloropsis sp. were 2.1 and 2.2 times lower compared to those measured in BL1_LCA. The growth parameters of BL1_LCA and its corresponding dominant species were further tested under culture media of different seawater and wastewater ratios. An increase of wastewater ratio in the culture media resulted in a significant reduction of lipid, FAME concentration as well as biomass productivity both in BL1_LCA and its dominant isolate. Overall, our findings suggest that the complex interactions within microalgae community might be crucial for biodiesel production; moreover, the general assumption that wastewater can be applied as an alternative nutrient source should be used cautiously since species-specific responses seem to take place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The promotion of policies aiming to the establishment of sustainable energy crops cultivation is currently one of the major efforts in the field of biomass. Stakeholders and experts are struggling to define and adopt those measures which will enable the promotion of appropriate energy crops. This study examines sustainability aspects of energy crops promotion in Cyprus, an island state in the Mediterranean, with arid climate, limited water resources, yet with strict biomass penetration targets arising from the European 2020 policy. The main input in this study is the detailed characterization of the performance of six energy crops in Cyprus. Through a multicriteria analysis, this work prioritizes the suitability of these crops in Cyprus, based on specific quantitative criteria. The sustainability of the most promising energy crops that result from this process are assessed both in terms of the production costs as well as of the potential production yield using Geographical Information System (GIS). According to the outcome of this analysis, it is shown that the possibility of promotion of energy crops in Cyprus is extremely limited and in any case insufficient to satisfy the expected contribution of biofuels in the energy mix of the island. Also the results prove that the production costs result to a non-competitive price compared to the commodities prices of the examined grains in the national market. Based on the findings of this study, strategic guidelines for the development of a framework for the sustainable promotion of energy crops in Cyprus are provided as food for thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]