About this Research Topic
The International Energy Agency expects a 53% growth of energy consumption from sustainable resources by 2030. In this scenario, biofuels such as biodiesel play a particularly important role in developing viable alternatives to fossil fuels. Currently, sustainability, availability, eco-friendliness and low environmental impact are considered as added values for petroleum diesel replacement with biodiesel. This makes biodiesel a key player in the sustainable energy transition.
Biodiesel produces low levels of emissions, while possessing a high cetane number with good combustion efficiency. However, in several world regions the use of edible oils is restricted as resources for biodiesel as a result of the expected growth of essential food and nutrition component prices. Alternative feedstocks such as animal fats, microalgae and waste cooking oils are therefore currently explored in the framework of sustainable production and circular economy. However, the high amounts of free fatty acids in most of these feedstocks produce undesirable saponification products during alkali-catalyzed conversion. Heterogeneous catalysts, including immobilized enzymes, may offer solutions to overcome such limitations. In fact, heterogeneous catalysts may simultaneously favor the esterification of free fatty acids and the transesterification of triglycerides.
This Special Issue aims to address such issues and provide an overview of recent advancements and research trends in this field.
Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Biotechnological processes for biodiesel production
- New feedstocks for sustainable biodiesel production
- Byproducts valorization
- Biodiesel production and potential for scale-up
- Case studies of biodiesel bioproduction processes
- Life cycle assessment and circular economy
Both reviews and research papers on these topics with relation to biotechnology are welcome for submission.
Biodiesel produces low levels of emissions, while possessing a high cetane number with good combustion efficiency. However, in several world regions the use of edible oils is restricted as resources for biodiesel as a result of the expected growth of essential food and nutrition component prices. Alternative feedstocks such as animal fats, microalgae and waste cooking oils are therefore currently explored in the framework of sustainable production and circular economy. However, the high amounts of free fatty acids in most of these feedstocks produce undesirable saponification products during alkali-catalyzed conversion. Heterogeneous catalysts, including immobilized enzymes, may offer solutions to overcome such limitations. In fact, heterogeneous catalysts may simultaneously favor the esterification of free fatty acids and the transesterification of triglycerides.
This Special Issue aims to address such issues and provide an overview of recent advancements and research trends in this field.
Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Biotechnological processes for biodiesel production
- New feedstocks for sustainable biodiesel production
- Byproducts valorization
- Biodiesel production and potential for scale-up
- Case studies of biodiesel bioproduction processes
- Life cycle assessment and circular economy
Both reviews and research papers on these topics with relation to biotechnology are welcome for submission.
Keywords: Biodiesel, enzymes, bioconversion, biocatalysis, green chemistry, circular economy, sustainability
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
