Biobutanol production from crude glycerol, the by-product of biodiesel production

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The goal of the proposed project is to develop an efficient biobutanol production process using bacterial fermentation and crude glycerol as feedstock generated as a low value by-product of the biodiesel industry. Biobased production of butanol from renewable feedstock is a promising and sustainable alternative to substitute petroleum based fuels and platform chemicals. There has been a resurgence of commercial interest in butanol from fermentation in the last decade (Butamax, Gevo, Cobalt, etc.) using sugar-based feedstocks. Meanwhile there is an abundantly available supply of crude glycerol as a byproduct of biodiesel production. The global production of biodiesel increased from 959 million liters in 2001 to 15,760 million liters in 2009, a compounded annual growth rate of 41.9%, generating 1 kg of glycerol for every 10 kg of biodiesel produced. To date the glycerol market cannot come close to absorbing the crude glycerol excess from biodiesel. Strains of bacteria (e.g. Clostridia sp.) can utilize crude glycerol and produce butanol at high yields. The proposed project will utilize crude glycerol, the current waste-stream from the biodiesel industry as a feedstock to produce biobutanol, a higher value fuel and platform chemical.