Biofuels from Diatoms: Potential and Challenges

Abstract

Biofuel is the hope of this planet to ensure safe and sustainable use amid increasing rate of pollution and global warming. The term biofuel may be misleading for some that it is only substitute of fossil fuels, which is not true. Biofuel is a broad term including bio-oil, biodiesel, bioethanol, biogas, etc. finding its use in transportation, cosmetics, cooking, nutrient supplements, etc. The generation of biofuel from diatoms is third-generation biofuel production. Either the lipid from diatoms is extracted as bio-oil or the whole biomass of diatoms is used as biocrude. Apart from the mainstream uses of biofuel, the diatom culture produces many by-products which find their use in multiple fields. The public authority of India reported Biofuels Policy in 2008 to advance its production and utilization. The main obstacle on the way is economic production of biofuel from diatoms, to make it worth choosing over other options. Diatoms grow fast but they produce lipids slow, and the process of extraction is even more tedious. However, with the use of recent technologies, proper management and planning, this method proves to be the most efficient and environment friendly way of biofuel production. Diatoms don’t have a large number of cells in the body to support, they use carbon dioxide and other nutrients from waste, or eutrophied water bodies produce biofuel and clean their nearby environment in return. It is high time we develop this method to make it feasible for greater good.