How is ethanol produced from algae?
Ethanol is produced by the microbial fermentation of algal carbohydrates. The deoiled algae cake can also be used as feedstock for ethanol production. Fermentation process to produce ethanol includes the following stages. • The algal cells are disintegrated to release carbohydrates • The algal carbohydrates are fermented using yeast • Ethanol produced is separated by distillation Among algae, macroalgae (also known as seaweeds) are more widely researched than microalgae for ethanol production because of their high carbohydrate content.
