Microbial Process Turns Urban Waste into Biodiesel
A group of Spanish developers has developed a biochemical process called Ecofa to turn urban solid waste into a fatty acid biodiesel feedstock. Eventhough using microbes to convert organic material into energy isn’t a new concept, using bacteria to convert urban waste to fatty acids, which can then be used as a feedstock for biodiesel production, is a new twist here. It is based on metabolism’s natural principle by means of which all living organisms, including bacteria, produce fatty acids.
Two types of bacteria are under further development by Biotit Scientific Biotechnology Laboratory in Seville, Spain: E. coli and Firmicutes.They are also working on other types of bacteria that are capable of producing fatty acids with the same characteristics as biodiesel, which would eventually allow producers to skip the transesterification step.This technique can be extended to other organic debris, plants or animals.It is only necessary to find the appropriate bacteria.
According to the group, they can produce between 1-2 liters [of biodiesel] per 10 kilograms of trash. That’s a little more than one-fourth to one-half of a gallon for every 22 pounds of trash—or between 24 and 48 gallons per ton of urban waste.They are working to improve that.
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Two types of bacteria are under further development by Biotit Scientific Biotechnology Laboratory in Seville, Spain: E. coli and Firmicutes.They are also working on other types of bacteria that are capable of producing fatty acids with the same characteristics as biodiesel, which would eventually allow producers to skip the transesterification step.This technique can be extended to other organic debris, plants or animals.It is only necessary to find the appropriate bacteria.
According to the group, they can produce between 1-2 liters [of biodiesel] per 10 kilograms of trash. That’s a little more than one-fourth to one-half of a gallon for every 22 pounds of trash—or between 24 and 48 gallons per ton of urban waste.They are working to improve that.
see more
Labels: biodiesel, energy, waste
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