Algae are a potentially viable and competitive fuel crop because
of their high per-acre productivity, absence of competition with
feed/food-based products, use of otherwise non-productive, nonarable
land, utilization of a wide variety of water sources (fresh,
brackish, saline, and wastewater), mitigation of greenhouse gases
released into the atmosphere, and production of both biofuels
and valuable co-products (Pienkos and Darzins, 2009).