Prospects for the Improvement of Bioethanol and Biohydrogen Production from Mixed Starch-Based Agricultural Wastes

Gabriel S. Aruwajoye, Alaika Kassim, Akshay K. Saha and Evariste B. Gueguim Kana
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Gabriel S. Aruwajoye: Bioresources Engineering, School of Engineering, Pietermaritzburg Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville 3209, South Africa
Alaika Kassim: Bioresources Engineering, School of Engineering, Pietermaritzburg Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville 3209, South Africa
Akshay K. Saha: Discipline of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering, Howard College, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041, South Africa
Evariste B. Gueguim Kana: Discipline of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Pietermaritzburg Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Scottsville 3209, South Africa

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 24, 1-22

Abstract: The need for fossil fuel alternatives keeps increasing. Bioethanol and biohydrogen have emerged as significant renewable options. However, these bioprocess routes have presented various challenges, which constantly impede commercialization. Most of these bottlenecks are hinged on feedstock logistics, low biofuel yield and enormous process costs. Meanwhile, a large output of renewable energy can be generated from mixed starch-based agricultural wastes due to their intrinsic bioenergy characteristics. This study, therefore, focuses on the production of bioethanol and biohydrogen from mixed starch-based agricultural wastes. The content further highlights the current challenges of their individual processes and elucidates the prospects for improvement, through an integrated biofuel approach. The use of mixed starch-based agricultural wastes as substrates for integrated bioethanol and biohydrogen production was proposed. Furthermore, the use of mixture-based experimental design for the determination of optimal values of critical factors influencing biofuel production emerges as a viable prospect for profitable bioethanol production from the starch-based biomass. Additionally, biohydrogen production from effluents of the mixed starch-based waste bioethanol looked promising. Thus, the study proposed valuable insights towards achieving a cost-effective biofuel technology.

Keywords: bioethanol; biohydrogen; integrated biofuel; agricultural wastes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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