Bioethanol production using carbohydrate-rich microalgae biomass as feedstock

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of using a carbohydrate-rich microalga Chlorella vulgaris FSP-E as feedstock for bioethanol production via various hydrolysis strategies and fermentation processes. Enzymatic hydrolysis of C. vulgaris FSP-E biomass (containing 51% carbohydrate per dry weight) gave a glucose yield of 90.4% (or 0.461 g (g biomass)−1). The SHF and SSF processes converted the enzymatic microalgae hydrolysate into ethanol with a 79.9% and 92.3% theoretical yield, respectively. Dilute acidic hydrolysis with 1% sulfuric acid was also very effective in saccharifying C. vulgaris FSP-E biomass, achieving a glucose yield of nearly 93.6% from the microalgal carbohydrates at a starting biomass concentration of 50 g L−1. Using the acidic hydrolysate of C. vulgaris FSP-E biomass as feedstock, the SHF process produced ethanol at a concentration of 11.7 g L−1 and an 87.6% theoretical yield. These findings indicate the feasibility of using carbohydrate-producing microalgae as feedstock for fermentative bioethanol production.