| Riassunto: | In the era of increasing oil prices, energy crisis and global warming concerns,
there are many reasons why we should consider the use of a more
environmentally friendly solution to meet the current energy consumption. Carbon
dioxide, a greenhouse gas, is the major contributor of global warming and is
generated by burning fossil fuels. Over the years, global warming has caused
tremendous damage to the environment. Recently, biofuels have gained much
attention as alternatives to fossil fuels. Biofuels are clean burning fuel source
mainly produced from vegetable oils and animal fats. Vegetable oils and animal
fats are non-toxic and most importantly, they are renewable. Microalgal oils are
preferred over vegetable oils and animal fats because microalgae are non-edible
and hence, do not cause the increase in food prices. Microalgae is cultivated to
produce the maximum lipid content, harvested and reacted with methanol to
generate fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) which is our biodiesel. This process if
known as transesterification. Biodiesel can be used directly or blended with
petroleum to use as fuel.
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