A team of researchers from Imperial College London and the Brazilian National Laboratory for Renewable Energy Sources has developed an innovative method for producing biofuel from food waste, such as used cooking oil. Their study, published in the journal Green Chemistry, demonstrates that the new fuel can achieve the efficiency of diesel and be up to 1,000 times more efficient than current production methods.
The process is based on using modified enzymes that break down fatty acids present in food waste, converting them into alkenes—key components of fuels like gasoline and diesel. This approach enables the production of fuel that not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 94 percent but also significantly decreases the dependency on fossil fuels.
One of the main challenges with biofuels in the past has been their low combustion efficiency, due to the presence of oxygen molecules in the fuel. This limited their use, as they produced only 90 percent of the energy compared to diesel, while requiring more raw materials and increasing production costs.
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To address this issue, the researchers modified the P450 decarboxylase enzyme, enabling it to efficiently remove oxygen from fatty acids. Instead of water, the reaction was carried out in a special liquid salt under UV light, significantly boosting the yield of alkenes. This innovation requires less energy and fewer raw materials, achieving a more sustainable production process.
Additionally, the modified process eliminates the need for expensive and potentially harmful catalysts like platinum, as well as toxic chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide. These changes contribute to a smaller environmental footprint and make the technology both sustainable and environmentally friendly.
„Our (bio)technology enables us to expand into other renewable materials and produce a variety of fuels, including gasoline and kerosene for the aviation sector. We recognise that much work remains, and are excited to contribute to addressing one of the world’s greatest challenges: climate change” stated Dr. Leticia Zanfurlin, the project’s lead researcher.
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