Enzymatic Biodiesel Production: Challenges and Opportunities

The increase in the global demand for clean energy has led to the search for new sources of raw materials and processes for biofuel production. Recent investigation interests focus on the conversion of these raw materials into biodiesel by enzymatic treatment, with considerable advantages over the conventional chemical processes as more biocompatible with the environment. In order to improve the feasibility of enzymatic biodiesel production, efforts have been aimed at increasing enzyme reuse in transesterification reactions by immobilization and the development of novel bioreactor designs. Lipases are at the center of attention in these bioconversion processes used as catalysts. The actual price of lipases and the cost of catalysis are not industrially competitive for application, compared to chemical catalysis. This article gives a general overview of the current tendencies and the state of the art of enzymatic biodiesel production, and the impact of the raw materials used, on biodiesel quality.