A review of biofuel production from floating aquatic plants: an emerging source of bio‐renewable energy

Abstract

Aquatic plants have been considered as a cause for concern because they impede aquatic flora and fauna. However, biofuel production from aquatic plants is an emerging energy source. As a consequence, this paper presents a detailed review of bio‐fuel production from floating aquatic plants with their physicochemical properties. The main focus of this study is to evaluate the biofuel production potential of some major aquatic plants. This paper also presents some methods for biofuel production from aquatic plants that are feasible for future energy generation. Five major types of floating aquatic plants are analyzed in this study, viz. Azolla, water hyacinth, water fern, water lettuce, and duckweed, with their related biofuel production methodologies such as transesterification, pyrolysis, hydrolysis, and torrefaction. This paper also evaluates optimum bio‐fuel production conditions for aquatic plants and their upgradation methodologies. Conventional fuel and aquatic bio‐fuel properties are also compared in this study. Findings suggest that, depending on calorific value and viscosity, Azolla and water fern (Salvania molesta) are better aquatic plants to generate high‐quality (similar to diesel) biofuels compared with other aquatic plants. Bio‐fuel production from water fern, water lettuce, and duckweed are also comparatively less focused sources of energy. The cost associated with cleaning invasive aquatic plants from water can be turned into an investment by producing biofuel from aquatic plants using sustainable techniques. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Accumulation of starch in duckweeds (Lemnaceae), potential energy plants

“…This part of the review focuses on the production of bioalcohols using duckweed biomass. Methods for biofuel production from several floating aquatic plants by transesterification, pyrolysis, hydrolysis and torrefraction have been reviewed (Ma and Hanna 1999;Arefin et al 2021;Djandja et al 2021).…”

Future options of electricity generation for sustainable development: Trends and prospects

“…Biofuel can be produced by using transesterification, torrefaction, pyrolysis, and so on processes from Azolla, water fern, water hyacinth, duckweed, and water lettuce. 90 Usually, the alkaline and acid pretreatment process is used for the pre-treatment of aquatic plants to overcome the lower-level of lignin in biofuel. 91 The generated bio-oil from the transesterification process needs to be upgraded as sometimes it cannot be used directly with traditional fuel.…”

Duckweed Is a Promising Feedstock of Biofuels: Advantages and Approaches

“…Thus, the industrialization of energy using a technology-oriented route might encounter problems related to the scarcity of raw materials. The biomass energy industry must shift from grain to non-grain energy plants as the main raw material [ 9 , 10 ]. Thus, there is an urgent need to determine non-grain energy plant resources that are suitable for new energy industrialization and large-scale development to solve the scarcity of raw materials.…”