Jiahua Liu a 1, Yuang Cao a 1, Maria J. Barbosa b, Suli Zhi a c , Keqiang Zhang a c

^a Agro-Environmental Protection Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Tianjin, 300191, China

^b Bioprocess Engineering, AlgaePARC, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands

^c Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Green Agriculture in North China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100193, China

Abstract

The growing need for livestock wastewater treatment, combined with a pressing market demand for stable and high-quality feed protein, offers a unique ecological opportunity for microalgae technology. This review examines the current advances and future prospects of microalgae-based livestock wastewater treatment technology, with emphasis on market opportunities and technical challenges in developing countries. Microalgae exhibit notable economic and environmental advantages, especially as an alternative to soybean meal, due to their efficient nutrient absorption, high protein content, and unique ability to produce functional additives. Their low unit protein cost enhances competitiveness in both mass and high-end markets. Nevertheless, key challenges remain, including the selection of suitable algal strains, the development of cost-effective harvesting methods, and the mitigation of potential risks associated with the use of algal biomass in animal feed. Recent research has made encouraging progress in addressing these limitations. Comparative engineering-economic analyses indicate that, in the current Chinese market context, the use of whole algal biomass crude protein as a soybean meal alternative holds substantial promise for future development.

Keywords    

Microalgae biomass

Wastewater treatment

Market demand

Economic analysis

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ages.2026.100008