Seaweed as a Propitious Biomass for the Production of Bioethanol

Mahdi S., Bichi B.S., Gwarzo F.S.

Abstract: The ability of seaweed to grow in a very short duration, provides it with an advantage over the first generation biomass (edible crops or food stocks) that competes with food stock and grows annually, the second generation biomass (agricultural waste) that are lignocellulosic that were the initial major sources of polysaccharides for bioethanol production. Seaweeds are the third generation biomass that are continuously cultivated and are capable of removing a significant amount of CO2 (carbon dioxide) from the atmosphere, absorbs a large amount of phosphorus and nitrogen from waste water and at the same time provides biomass for the production of biofuels. This review provides a comprehensive information on the benefits of using seaweeds for the production of bioethanol.

Keywords: Bioethanol, Seaweed, Biomass