Table 1

	Macroalgae	Microalgae	Sugarcane
Production Yield	~50-110 T ha^-1 yr^-1 dry weight [22, 23,69,70]	~70-100 T ha^-1 yr^-1 dry weight [38]	~71 T ha^-1 yr^-1 wet weight [8]
Oil content % w/w	up to 10% [61,71]	up to 30% (or more) [72]	N/A
Standard Calorific Value	~5-20 MJ kg^-1[27,73]	~20-25 MJ kg^-1 [33,74]	~3.9 MJ kg^-1
Calculated Captured Solar Energy (CCSE)	~0.2-2.2 TJ ha^-1 yr^-1	~1.4-2.5 TJ ha^-1 yr^-1	~0.3 TJ ha^-1 yr^-1
Photosynthetic Conversion Efficiency (PCE)	up to 3.0%	up to 3.4%	~0.4%
Oil/Fuel Potential	HTL to biocrude 125-1100 GJ ha^-1 yr^-1	HTL to biocrude 700-1250 GJ ha^-1 yr^-1	Ferment/distill to ethanol ~100 GJ ha^-1 yr^-1

Table 1: Comparative Assessment of Macroalgae and Microalgae. HTL = Hydrothermal liquefaction; PCE calculated as CCSE/20 MJ m^-2 d^-1 @ 365 d yr^-1 solar energy (in regions where similar yields are obtained with lower average solar energy <20 MJ m^-2 d^-1 then PCE rates might be reasonably up to 30% higher, but much below 15 MJ m^-2 d^-1and output would be expected to be adversely affected); HTL conversion efficiency for assumed at 50%; ethanol energy output calculated as 71 T ha^-1 yr^-1 harvest x ~80% for ‘burn & crop’ output x 1.7 GJ ethanol per tonne = ~100 GJ ha^-1 yr^-1.