Bioethanol production from microalgae

BALKANLI D., KOÇER A. T., İNAN B., Özer T.

Handbook of Microalgae-Based Processes and Products: Fundamentals and Advances in Energy, Food, Feed, Fertilizer, and Bioactive Compounds, Elsevier, ss.373-389, 2020

  • Yayın Türü: Kitapta Bölüm / Araştırma Kitabı
  • Basım Tarihi: 2020
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/b978-0-12-818536-0.00014-2
  • Yayınevi: Elsevier
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.373-389
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Bioethanol, Biomass, Bioprocess design, Fermentation, Microalgae
  • Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Microalgae are simple photosynthetic microorganisms that are a prominent and sustainable biofuel feedstock. Today, with the concept of the biorefinery, microalgae are not only used for biodiesel production; microalgal biomass that remains after lipid extraction is also utilized for bioethanol production, which is another valuable and widely produced biofuel globally. Microalgae are rich in lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, and other valuable compounds. While the extracted lipids from microalgal cells can be mainly converted into biodiesel, the carbohydrates such as starch and cellulose can be transformed into bioethanol through fermentation. For bioethanol production, utilization of microalgae as a starch source overcomes many of the limitations associated with the conventional sources of starch. Microalgal cells do not have structural biopolymers such as hemicelluloses and lignin found in terrestrial plants, which makes bioethanol production difficult. Extensive studies have been carried out to evaluate the potential of microalgal biomass as an alternative bioethanol feedstock, thereby eliminating the concerns of the food-versus-fuel debate. In addition, microalgal bioethanol production can overcome environmental problems where bioethanol production from conventional feedstocks is considered for emitting more greenhouse gases than fossil fuels as a result of the feedstock production and applications during the process. This chapter focuses on bioethanol production from microalgae, and all steps of the bioethanol bioprocess are presented in detail.