Application of Microalgae in Green Hydrogen Production: A Diverse Biomass for Multiple Applications

Molecular hydrogen is perhaps one of the most promising hydrogen vectors in our search for alternatives to fossil resources. It is considered a green energy vector in the sense that it can be generated from renewable sources and its combustion/oxidation generates only water. Biological processes for hydrogen production can operate under less energy-intensive and environmentally friendly operating conditions compared to conventional chemical methods. Microalgae seem to be an alternative to fossil fuels by producing biofuels, these microscopic plants have the possibility to be grown in different ways to produce biofuel. Hydrogen makes up more than 80% of the matter in our universe. It is easy to produce from renewable and sustainable energy sources such as sunlight and wind. It can also be produced biologically. However, this reaction is limited due to the high sensitivity of hydrogenases to oxygen. In this work, we are trying to shed light on the process and role of hydrogenase in the production of hydrogen as well as to study the importance of using microalgae to produce green hydrogen as classified by the biomass-rich sources for the production of metabolites of therapeutic or industrial interest such as large chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), pigments, polysaccharides, vitamins or various biologically active compounds.