Sustainability has become a big question for us despite witnessing the fourth industrial revolution. The overuse of fossil fuels for centuries has caused immense damage to our environment. In this aspect, biofuels have been a great alternative to replace fossil fuels. Here, bioenergetics plays a significant role in producing biofuels. Using microbes to produce feedstock or biofuel directly has immense potential to reduce the negative impacts on our environment.
So, let us first learn what bioenergetics is.
What is Bioenergetics?
In bioenergetics, we study the flow of energy and transformation of biological systems at the cellular level. It means how the flow of energy in cells brings changes in an organism’s system.
A branch of bioenergetics focuses on how microorganisms convert feedstocks into biofuels. For instance, yeast ferments corn starch to produce ethanol. It means we can use the metabolic pathways of microbes to produce biofuels in mass. This ethanol can be distilled and purified to mix with conventional diesel in different percentages.
On the contrary, some microbes are known to produce lipids or grease. These lipids can be used as feedstocks for biodiesel production. These microbes are genetically engineered and are termed grease microorganisms.
Bioenergetics in Biofuels :
The future of biofuel technologies relies on the use of microorganisms that can produce feedstock or biofuel directly. The conventional methods of transforming feedstock to biodiesel are restricted to the transesterification of used cooking oil, non-edible oils, etc.
This process is not energetically efficient but has an immense environmental impact. Every day, used cooking oil, restaurant grease, and other oily byproducts are dumped on land and water bodies. Using this feedstock will solve pollution issues and generate biodiesel.
Introducing bioenergetics in this field will take us a step further. Using genetically altered microorganisms can help us generate grease or produce ethanol at a higher level. This microscopic level of bioenergetics can become a massive biofuel production factor.
This factor can help us overcome our over-reliance on fossil fuels. let us check how bioenergetics can be the key to biofuel production.
Role of Microbial Bioenergetics in Biofuel Production :
As mentioned, microbial bioenergetics is the study of how we can alter and use microbes to produce grease as feedstock or bioethanol. By understanding the cellular pathways, these microbes can produce 1st and 2nd generation biofuels at a higher amount.
The process will also be energetically efficient. For instance, grease microbes can produce feedstock to produce biodiesel. Bioethanol can be produced from lignocellulosic feedstock like agricultural residues, processing byproducts (rice hulls and corn fiber), energy crops (giant reed, miscanthus), etc.
Understanding how the energy dynamics affect biofuel production will lead to a massive change. Understanding the fermentation conditions and grease production levels will help us cost-effectively produce more biofuel. Both these biofuels are characterized by their high energy densities—37 MJ/kg for biodiesel and 27 MJ/kg for bioethanol.
In the same context, the production of bio-hydrogen using dark fermentation in the presence of microbes like Clostridium is another way of producing clean fuel. This bacterial species can produce hydrogen from organic matter.
Takeaway: The Future of Biofuels and Bioenergetics
Greenhouse gas emissions and the faster depletion of fossil fuel reserves have made us consider renewable sources of energy as alternatives. However, bioenergetics is opening new pathways for producing biofuels more efficiently.
The complex processes are being made simple by researchers across the world. After trial, the processes will be open for public and private-sector biofuel producers worldwide.
MagTech: Your Compass To Biofuel Production
MagTech has a decade-long experience to assist you in understanding the scope of biofuel production. We help you understand the challenges and opportunities of green energy and chalk out an optimum plan.
Get in touch with us to become a proficient biofuel manufacturer and take a step towards a greener future.
